The New York Mets had a tough night in Colorado on Thursday, as a tightly contested game unraveled in the bottom of the eighth inning. With the score knotted at 2-2, manager Carlos Mendoza turned to veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel to keep things locked down. But as any baseball fan knows, the game can change in an instant.

Kimbrel entered with high expectations but immediately ran into trouble, surrendering back-to-back singles before walking Willi Castro to load the bases with nobody out. A full-count pitch to Castro that appeared to catch the top of the zone was called ball four, and with no challenges left, the Mets had to live with it. Then came the decisive blow: Jake McCarthy launched a grand slam down the right-field line, giving the Rockies a commanding 6-2 lead.

The drama didn't end there. Both Mendoza and Kimbrel believed the home run should have been reviewed, as the ball appeared to land in foul territory beyond the right-field pole. But the call stood, and Kimbrel was left to reflect on what went wrong. "On the home run pitch, it was just location," he admitted. "I was trying to go up and I yanked it down." He pointed to the leadoff single as the turning point, noting he left a breaking ball up and paid the price. "It really all started with the leadoff guy," Kimbrel explained. "I got ahead of him, tried to bury a breaking ball, left it up, gave him an opportunity to put it in play and got a hit." From there, a hit-and-run, a disputed check swing, and a walk set the stage for the grand slam.

Mendoza defended his decision to go with Kimbrel, noting that Luke Weaver was unavailable, and offered insight into what he saw from the mound. "They were aggressive, especially on his fastball," Mendoza said. "Back-to-back singles to start the inning, and then obviously there was a walk. I think they were just pretty aggressive on his fastball. Got too much over the plate and they took advantage of it." As for the grand slam's fair-or-foul controversy, Mendoza acknowledged the limitations of the replay angles. "It was close, especially from our angle," he said. "I couldn't tell. Whatever they called on the field, I was pretty sure it was gone."

For Mets fans, it's a reminder that even the most experienced closers can have an off night. And for those who love the game, it's a classic example of how quickly momentum can shift in the late innings.