Mets' Diekman Loses Cool After Allowing Home Run, Slams Water Cooler

New York Mets reliever Jake Diekman's frustration boiled over during Tuesday's loss to the Cleveland Guardians, leading him to hurl a water cooler in the dugout.

New York Mets pitcher Jake Diekman's frustrations reached a boiling point on Tuesday night after he allowed a home run in his second consecutive appearance, this time in a 7-6 loss to the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians.

With the Mets trailing 6-1 in the sixth inning, Diekman entered the game and promptly surrendered a two-run homer to David Fry. He managed to strike out the next two batters but was removed after walking a batter.

As Diekman walked towards the dugout, his frustration became evident as he hurled a water cooler to the ground before exiting. The incident reflects the Mets' recent struggles, as they have now lost eight of their last 11 games and dropped to six games under .500.

Diekman's outburst is a stark contrast to the hot streak the Guardians are on, having matched their season's longest win streak of five games with Tuesday's victory. Cleveland is now 32-17 overall and 17-6 at home, while the Mets sit at a disappointing 21-27 overall and 11-13 on the road.

The Mets' struggles have been particularly pronounced in their bullpen, which has blown four leads of at least three runs this season. Diekman, who has a 4.05 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in 17 appearances this season, has been a part of two of those blown leads.

Mets manager Luis Rojas acknowledged the bullpen's struggles after Tuesday's game but expressed confidence in Diekman.

"We've got to get more out of our bullpen," Rojas said. "But I still believe in Jake. He's a good pitcher."

However, Diekman's recent performance has raised concerns about the Mets' ability to contend for a postseason berth. The team is now 10 games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves in the NL East and six games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the final Wild Card spot.

The Mets will look to avoid a sweep against the Guardians on Wednesday afternoon before heading to Philadelphia to face the Phillies for a three-game series.