New York Mets' Miracle Grimace Winning Streak Comes to an End vs. Texas Rangers

For the first time since McDonald's mascot Grimace threw out the first pitch at Citi Field last week, the New York Mets lost a game, falling on the road to the Texas Rangers.

Jun 19, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea (59) leaves the game during the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets' Grimace magic finally ran its course Wednesday night.

The club had won seven games in a row after the secondary McDonald's mascot threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Citi Field on June 12. People online were quick to credit New York's newfound winning ways to Grimace, considering their 28-37 record prior to his appearance.

McDonald's and the Mets' main social media accounts got on board with the trend, which may be coming to an end following Wednesday's loss to the Texas Rangers.

The Mets went down 1-0 early thanks to a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch from Sean Manaea. Starling Marte came through with a game-tying RBI double in the fourth, then Pete Alonso blasted a two-run homer to center in the sixth to put New York on top, but it wasn't enough.

Texas tied things up in the bottom of the sixth, then got a two-run home run from Leody Taveras in the seventh that sealed the deal. The Mets were unable to complete the comeback, losing 5-3 after going down in order in the eighth and ninth.

That officially brought New York's Grimace-inspired winning streak to an end, but the club is still in a much better spot than they were three weeks ago.

Mets fans have also credited their team's recent success to June being Pride Month, calling them the "Gay Mets." That label became even more prominent as the Mets geared up for their series against the Rangers, who were the only team in the league last season not to host a Pride Night.

Since June 1, the Mets are 11-5, which is good for the best winning percentage in the National League in that time.

Despite them being stuck in fourth place in the NL East, the Mets are just 1.0 game back of the third NL Wild Card spot at 35-38. FanGraphs is giving New York a 29.3% chance of making the postseason, compared to their 7.9% chance on June 2.

The Mets have Thursday off, then will attempt to get a new winning streak going Friday against the Chicago Cubs. First pitch from Wrigley Field is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. ET.

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