Whether the problem is due to a 36-year-old arm or the new faster pace of the game, one thing is clear: The Mets have an issue with Carlos Carrasco.
The right-hander had another miserable outing in Sunday’s 7-2 loss to Miami at Citi Field, which prevented the Mets from completing the sweep.
After Carrasco allowed five runs in four-plus innings in Milwaukee in his first start of the season, he was just about as ineffective against Miami, giving up two costly homers.
Perhaps more worrisome, Carrasco’s velocity and spin rates remained down.
The first homer allowed by Carrasco was a long three-run shot to left by Bryan De La Cruz with one out in the top of the first, as Carrasco grooved an 0-2 slider.
And Garrett Cooper got him for a two-run blast in the fifth, as Carrasco gave up six runs in 4 ⅔ innings.
Facing lefty Braxton Garrett, who was making his first start of the season, Starling Marte laced a double to left with one out in the bottom of the inning and then swiped third with Francisco Lindor at the plate — but Marte dove into Jean Segura’s knee on the play and had to be tended to by the training staff.
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Marte stayed in the game — momentarily — and was stranded at third when Lindor and Pete Alonso struck out and was then replaced by Luis Guillorme to start the second.
The Mets threatened in the bottom of the second, as Mark Canha led off with a single and McNeil followed by ripping a double to right.
The slumping Eduardo Escobar struck out and heard some boos from the Citi Field crowd, as he fell to 3-for-29 with 10 strikeouts on the young season.
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Francisco Alvarez, in his first major league at-bat of the year, came through with an RBI single to right on a 1-2 count to make it 3-1.
With runners on the corners, Tim Locastro whiffed and Tommy Pham grounded out.
Carrasco briefly rebounded after the De La Cruz homer to retire the next eight batters before a leadoff walk to De La Cruz in the fourth.
Yuli Gurriel then singled and following a visit from pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, Avisail Garcia lined out to right before the Mets turned a fine double play between Lindor and Guillorme to end the inning on Segura’s hard grounder up the middle.
McNeil walked with one out in the fourth and Escobar doubled him to third before Alvarez struck out. Locastro blooped a fly ball to left, where De La Cruz made a sliding catch to save at least a run, as the Mets fell to 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Carrasco couldn’t escape more damage in the fifth, with Jon Berti reaching on a single, stealing second and scoring on Jazz Chisholm Jr.s base hit to give Miami a 4-1 lead.
Cooper then took Carrasco deep and the Mets trailed 6-1.
The Mets got a run back in the bottom of the inning, with Alonso continuing his hot hitting against Miami. He drove in Guillorme with a two-out single.
A double to the wall by Canha sent Alonso to third, ending Garrett’s afternoon.
Miami brought in left-hander Tanner Scott to face McNeil, who walked on four pitches, but Escobar grounded out to end the threat.
Stephen Nogosek did well to preserve the Mets’ bullpen, coming in for Carrasco in the fifth and delivering 3 1/3 innings of solid relief.
