Carlos Mendoza encouraged by Ryan Helsley’s brief outing in Mets’ win over Tigers

Ryan Helsley had another up-and-down outing on Monday as he works to fix his pitch tipping.

The Mets' hard-throwing right-hander entered trying to protect four run lead in the bottom of the seventh.

He was immediately thrown into danger, though, as Tigers All-Star outfielder Riley Greene led off the inning with a double off the right field fence. 

Helsley was able to retire the next two batters easily, but he allowed Detroit to creep closer as Zach McKinstry lifted an RBI single to right. 

Carlos Mendoza then pulled him for Brooks Raley, who ended the frame. 

Helsley’s ERA is now up to an ugly 9.31 mark in 13 outings since being acquired from the Cardinals. 

He’s allowed a baserunner in 11 of those appearances, and he's given up at least one run in six of them. 

Despite another shaky showing, Mendoza actually liked what he saw from Helsley on Monday.

“I honestly thought he was better,” the skipper said. “They came out aggressive, a lot of first-pitch swinging. The groundball gets through and then the soft line drive, but he attacked and threw strikes, they just came out swinging and got him for a run.

“The fact that he threw strikes and was attacking hitters is a positive.”

For the Mets to make some noise down the stretch, they’ll need Helsley to get back to being the dominant late-inning arm he was for St. Louis.