he latest bullpen implosion led to the first shakeup of the season for the Mets.
And the "Iggy and Izzy Show," as GM Sandy Alderson dubbed it, will make its Citi Field debut Monday night.
Long-ago Mets phenom Jason Isringhausen is on his way back to Flushing, along with Ryota Igarashi, to reinforce a taxed and troubled bullpen after D.J. Carrasco and Blaine Boyer obliterated what should've been a triumphant initial home start for Chris Young and another uplifting day for the Mets.
The latter two relievers combined to get torched for six runs in the eighth and 11th innings, respectively, as the Mets squandered a two-run lead and slipped back below .500 (4-5) with an ugly 7-3 loss to the Nationals Sunday.
BOX SCORE: NATIONALS 7, METS 3, 11 innings
Boyer was designated for assignment afterward, and Alderson said the Mets will carry 13 pitchers until outfielder Jason Bay returns from a rib-cage injury.
"(The bullpen) has been inconsistent, and that's probably as positive an adjective as I can give," Alderson said. "Right now, we need some innings. We were short coming in and we're short now, but we're also not getting results."
Young, making his second start for the Mets after missing most of the previous two seasons in San Diego with shoulder injuries, posted another extremely encouraging result, allowing just one hit over seven innings as the Mets led 3-1 entering the eighth.
The 6-foot-10 righty, signed to a bargain-rate $1.1 million contract, pitched to his track record and to the dimensions of his new home ballpark, striking out five and recording 15 of his 21 outs in the air. Washington's only hit and run against Young came in the second inning on a walk, a single, a double steal and an infield out
"Young pitched an unbelievable game. That's a game we have to have, no matter how," lamented Jose Reyes, who had three hits. "We let it get away."
They did so almost immediately after Terry Collins, citing Young's high pitch count, entrusted D.J. Carrasco with Young's 3-1 cushion.
But reserve rightfielder Lucas Duda, who was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo after the game, took the wrong path to Ivan Rodriguez's liner, playing it into a leadoff double.
Carrasco had given up just one run in his first five innings this season, but he walked Matt Stairs before allowing the tying runs to score on Ian Desmond's single and Rick Ankiel's infield grounder.
"It's horrible, man. As a whole bullpen, trying to keep the lead there . . . to give it away like that, it's very frustrating," Carrasco said.
Boyer, who earned the final roster spot over Isringhausen out of spring training, was raked for four runs in the 11th, including a three-run homer by Laynce Nix off the roof of the Mets' bullpen.
"To (blow the game) after a guy goes out and pitches like (Young) . . . it's an utter letdown," said Boyer, who had tossed a scoreless 10th. "You just feel disgusted with yourself."
Outside of Reyes, Met batters struggled, , striking out a season-high 17 times, including four by Willie Harris.
But Collins also remains flabbergasted by how many walks his pitching staff has been issuing in recent games, including 15 over the two losses this weekend.
"You combine those in any game, you're going to win very few of them," Collins said.
Isringhausen, a member of the Mets' lauded but failed "Generation K" of pitching prospects in the 1990s, agreed to remain in Port St. Lucie for extended spring training after failing to make the Opening Day roster. A two-time All-Star closer after being traded away by the Mets in 1999, he missed all of last season following multiple elbow surgeries.
Igarashi was rocked for a 7.12 ERA over 34 games for the Mets last season, but the Japanese righty didn't allow a run and struck out four in his first two relief appearances at Buffalo.
"Hopefully, we'll get another couple of arms in here," Alderson said, "and that will settle things down." (NY Daily News)
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