Mets swept by Houston Astros after 8-1 loss that leaves question marks - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

Bob Levey/Getty ImagesChris Schwinden allowed five runs in four innings against the Houston Astros.

HOUSTON â€" Mike Pelfrey boarded a plane bound for Wichita, Kan. today, with his season short-circuited by Tommy John surgery. In a half-empty ballpark about 600 miles to the south of Pelfrey’s hometown, his Mets teammates felt his absence in an 8-1 loss to the Astros, the final stroke in a disheartening series sweep.

Chris Schwinden, Pelfrey’s replacement, absorbed a pounding for the second consecutive outing. He allowed five runs in four innings, then bequeathed the mound to reliever Manny Acosta, who promptly allowed another three runs. The offense never challenged Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez, who scattered six hits in seven innings at Minute Maid Park.

For the Mets, this journey out west began with such promise, with a series victory in the unfriendly of confines of Coors Field. But the second half of the trip ended in embarrassment. The Astros, a 56-win team in 2011, swept their guests for the first time since Aug. 1-3, 2008.

Third baseman David Wright noted a lack of vigor in his team after taking two games from Colorado. In Houston, he said, their collective energy never arrived, and the Astros outscored them 18-7.

“They played extremely well; we played extremely poorly,” said Wright, who tripled and scored his team’s lone run.

He added, “We didn’t match the energy and the execution that we had in Colorado. We knew that we were going to have some ups and downs, especially with a lot of the young guys on this roster and playing right now. This is what we need to fix if we want to become the team that we think we are capable of becoming.”

But there is no cavalry on the horizon for the Mets (13-12), at least not for the final spot in the rotation. After the game, manager Terry Collins declined to say whether Schwinden would receive another opportunity. “I’m not committing to anything,” he said. “Things change in this game. And we’ll see what happens.”

Battling a touch of the flu bug that invaded the clubhouse this week, Schwinden surrendered a pair of homers to third baseman Chris Johnson. Both were on hanging breaking balls: a misshapen slider in the second inning, a juicy curveball in the third. In two starts, Schwinden (0-1, 11.25 ERA) has lasted eight total innings, with 11 runs allowed (one unearned). He’s given up four home runs. He’s struck out one batter.

“I know it doesn’t really help me,” Schwinden said. “Their patience is kind of wearing with my performance.”

The minor-league cupboard is not bare, but the pickings are slim. Chris Young still requires at least another month of rehabilitation. Neither Jeremy Hefner nor Garrett Olson is a proven big-league commodity. And dipping into their barrel of prospects would counteract the organization’s developmental plan.

The Mets are dead-set against rushing top pitching prospects Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia through Triple A. Harvey carried a 4.85 ERA into his start last night for Buffalo. Familia has walked more than a batter per inning, with a 5.40 ERA.

The team is left to rely on a bevy of career minor-leaguers for that fifth spot. They will likely convene on the subject during the off-day today. But one poor pitching performance does not overshadow a three-game set against the Astros (11-14) filled with errors, with mistakes on offense and defense.

“You’re going to have ups and downs,” Collins said. “This is a down.” He added, “They out-pitched us, and they out-hit us.”

Andy McCullough: amccullough@starledger.com; twitter.com/McCulloughSL