The worst NY Mets blowout loss in Opening Day history

The New York Mets are known to do well on Opening Day, but there are other seasons when the result is the opposite. When they opened their 2003 season on March 31 against the Chicago Cubs at Shea Stadium, it turned out to be a 15-2 blowout loss, the worst team blowout loss in Opening Day history.

Mets worst blowout loss in Opening Day history was on March 31, 2003 against the Chicago Cubs

This was the first regular-season game after the Mets finished the previous year with a 75-86 record, sitting in last place in the National League East. Beforehand, the team made significant offseason transactions, such as the signings of Tsuyoshi Shinjo, Jay Bell, and David Cone. Tom Glavine, the team's starting pitcher for this game, was signed as a free agent in December 2002.

The only players who contributed to the two runs the Mets scored were Jeromy Burnitz and Rey Sánchez. They each drove in a run in the bottom of the second inning against Cubs starting pitcher Kerry Wood. Otherwise, the team had just four hits and struck out 12 times.

The Mets pitching struggled throughout the game. Their starter, Glavine, lasted just three and two-thirds innings after giving up five runs on eight hits, including four runs in the first inning. The bullpen didn't look good either, as they allowed 10 runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings combined. Seven of those runs came from Cubs third baseman Mark Bellhorn and centerfielder Corey Patterson, and they were all charged to Mike Bacsik, who the Mets let go as a free agent in October 2003.

Additionally, there were two fielding errors committed by the Mets defense. David Weathers and Cliff Floyd were responsible for one error each.

The Mets lost this game by 13 runs, which is the worst run deficit in team history on Opening Day. As much as the fans hoped for a better season compared to the year before, the result of this game didn't help the team live up to the hype. Instead, it was just the beginning of a disappointing season. They finished the 2003 season at 66-95, which put them in last place in the N.L. East for a second consecutive season.