Tylor Megill turns in Mets clunker after bout of wildness

HOUSTON — Max Scherzer set the bar this week. Justin Verlander lowered it. And Tylor Megill brought it to the floor.

The Mets’ inconsistent rotation received a brilliant performance from Scherzer on Monday and mostly effectiveness from Verlander on Tuesday before they completed a series loss to the Astros with a clunker from Megill, who has yet to find consistency this season.

Megill, who was solid for six innings last Friday in a win over the Cardinals, followed that up by allowing five runs (four earned) while recording just seven outs Wednesday in a 10-8 loss to the Astros.

“Tylor is better than that,” manager Buck Showalter said after Megill was one of many pitchers who could not control his stuff on an afternoon in which 16 total batters walked.

Megill, who was so valuable when healthy last year, has not been able to settle in. He allowed four hits, walked four and put the Mets in a few early holes.

In the first inning, Mauricio Dubon doubled before Kyle Tucker reached on a fielder’s choice. Two wild pitches from Megill brought in one run, and a single from Alex Bregman scored another.

“Falling behind. Trying to be too picky with spots and whatnot,” said Megill, who threw 32 strikes and 31 balls. “Just missing the top of the zone and falling behind. … It’s very frustrating.”

In the second inning, Megill walked the bases loaded and only escaped because of good fortune. Dubon drilled a 103.1-mph liner to center field that ended up in Brandon Nimmo’s glove.

It all came apart in the bottom of the third, which the Mets entered with a 4-2 edge. Megill faced four hitters and retired only one. The final blow was a two-run single from Corey Julks that tied the score. Megill was pulled for Dominic Leone, who was not much better on a rough day for the Mets’ pitching staff.

Megill said he was “pissed off” about the outing, especially because the Mets’ attack gave him all the run support he could want. It wasn’t enough because his location abandoned him.

The Mets have not known which Megill would take the mound this year. He was mostly solid in April, which he finished with a 3.96 ERA. He had an up-and-down May, in which his season ERA was hiked to 4.67. He has traded off solid starts and subpar starts this month, his ERA rising to 5.17.

The cause of the struggles, according to pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, could “be a lot of things.” But Hefner said he believes Megill might be focusing too much on his mechanics.

“I think he needs to get to just throwing the baseball,” Hefner said.