Mets suffer worst loss in franchise history in 25-4 loss to Nationals

Show Caption Hide Caption Jose Reyes on his pitching debut Jose Reyes on his pitching debut in the 25-4 loss to the Nationals

WASHINGTON — When Mets assistant general manager John Ricco said Tuesday afternoon the Mets plan to build around their pitching, he was not including Jose Reyes.

Yet, fate would have it that the Mets needed the infielder to throw 48 pitches in the eighth inning of the most lopsided in franchise history Tuesday night.

"It's a tough loss," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. "It's embarrassing. We got to do better than that."

Hours after the Mets passed on trading their pitchers, they were embarrassed in a 25-4 loss to the Nationals at Nationals Park. The Mets (44-60) trailed 19-0 through five innings, and lost by at least 20 runs for the first time in franchise history.

BLOWOUT: Twitter reacts to 19-0 deficit to Nationals after five innings

Reyes allowed six runs in the eighth as the Mets set their new low mark.

"Even to throw Jose Reyes out there and the guys hit him like they did, you don't see that in (batting practice)," Callaway said. "Those guys were locked in.

"They came out tonight and beat us up pretty bad."

Perhaps it's fitting in this lost season that hours after the Mets passed on blowing up the roster the pitchers served up batting practice all night.

Strong pitching is how the Mets plan to contend in 2019, and it seemed almost cruel that their pitchers melted hours after the Mets were inactive at the deadline.

Steven Matz, one of the pitchers the Mets retained, produced the worst start of his career by allowing seven runs while recording only two outs. Though the Mets defense failed him, he surrendered a bases-clearing double to pitcher Tanner Roark.

"I've been going through a little bit of a dead arm phase," said Matz, who insisted he's healthy. "I'm trying to work through it. Got to find a way to get through it."

Jacob Rhame allowed six runs while Tim Peterson and Tyler Bashlor each yielded three to put the Mets in a 19-0 hole after five innings. Ex-Met Daniel Murphy stroked a two-run homer off Rhame in the second and a three-run homer off Peterson in the third.

Callaway decided during the fifth inning he would use a position player at some point, and Reyes later took the mound for the first time in his career to loud cheers.

Reyes, in his 16th season, crossed off an item on his bucket list. He told former Mets manager Jerry Manuel in 2010 that he wanted to pitch before his career ended.

Washington led 19-1 when Reyes entered, and he retired Ryan Zimmerman to start his outing before the wheels came off.

He surrendered a two-run homer to Matt Adams, a three-run homer to Mark Reynolds and an RBI triple to Wilmer Difo. Pitching coach Dave Eiland checked on Reyes to ensure that the infielder was not exerting himself to a point where he could hurt himself.

Reyes now owns an ERA of 54.00.

The 21-run loss passed the 26-7 setback to the Phillies on June 11,1985 as the biggest margin of defeat in franchise history.

"When you go to the mound, before you throw a pitch, it's fun," Reyes said. "When you start to see homers and stuff, even though I'm not a pitcher, I don't want to see that."