Astros Beat Mets 4-3

For just the second time this season, the Mets dropped a one-run game, falling to the lowly Astros 4-3 Monday night.

R.A. Dickey was cruising along, holding the Astros hitless through five innings, but in the sixth two hits and a fielder’s choice scored the first run of the game. Then Matt Downs slammed a two-run home run to give the Astros a 3-0 lead.

The Mets answered right back in the top of the seventh. Andres Torres, in his first game back since going down on Opening Day, got an infield single to score David Wright for the Mets first run. Later in the inning Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit a bases loaded single to drive in two and even the score at three.

Despite his earlier statements to the contrary, Terry Collins left Nieuwenhuis in the leadoff position and batted Torres seventh. Collins said it was because Torres had only around 20 at-bats during his minor league rehab stint. Plus, Nieuwenhuis has thrived leading off, so why mess with success?

Manny Acosta, fresh off his disaster in Colorado Friday, came on for Dickey. He pitched a flawless seventh, but in the eighth he allowed an infield single to Jordan Schafer, who stole second and later scored on a single up the middle to give the Astros a 4-3 lead.

And that’s how it would end. Mets lose.