Mets lose 12th straight after Williams' ninth-inning collapse - ESPN

NEW YORK — For five innings Tuesday, the New York Mets were perfect. But for a team that suffered its 12th straight loss, the last four frames were perfectly discouraging.

The Minnesota Twins capped their comeback from a 3-0 deficit with a two-run ninth against Mets closer Devin Williams, beating a beleaguered New York club 5-3 on a frigid night at Citi Field.

As one might expect, the Mets' mood after the game was as cool as the air on the field during it. Another game, another loss, another round of the same questions.

«It's tough, man,» Williams said. «I've never been a part of something like this, you know?»

Williams, who inked a three-year, $45 million contract with the Mets over the winter and inherited New York's closer role from Edwin Diaz, entered the game to begin the ninth with the score tied at 3-3. He failed to retire any of the five batters he faced, walking three and giving up two runs before being pulled by Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.

«I felt a little out of sync mechanically,» Williams said. «I couldn't really land my changeup for a strike. So it was tough to try and just beat guys with just a fastball.»

The start of the game was as promising for the Mets as the ending was discouraging. Rookie starter Nolan McLean rolled through five perfect innings, racking up eight strikeouts and finishing with 10. It was the second time this season that he began a game with five perfect innings, only the third pitcher in Mets history to achieve that feat.

Meanwhile, Francisco Lindor touched up Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson for a three-run homer in the third, a margin that felt substantial given McLean's dominance. But the sixth inning proved to be the point when the Mets' wave crested and rolled back — as it