The New York Mets find themselves in a precarious situation once again, with little room for error and the risk of missing the MLB playoffs if they can’t maintain a positive streak. A bad run of games, like the one they’ve already endured, would be absolutely fatal to their aspirations.
Competing the way they did this Sunday will hardly bring them closer to their goal, especially knowing they’re now entering a series against a National League East divisional rival.
The Mets are back in a compromised position
Carlos Mendoza‘s team squandered the chance to head into their series against the Philadelphia Phillies with positive momentum. Their last six games, all against divisional opponents, resulted in a 3-3 record, which didn’t allow them to gain ground in the Wild Card race.
What’s truly concerning is their inability to recover in tough moments, as they hold a 0-53 record this season when trailing entering the eighth inning.
After a strong start from David Peterson, the Mets saw the Atlanta Braves tie the game, and ultimately, the victory slipped away. While the Mets won the series, it wasn’t the ideal way to close it out. They now face the Phillies with doubts, sitting seven games behind the division leader.
“At the end of the day, we didn’t get the job done today,”Carlos Mendoza said. “Whether we have the lead or we’re trailing, we have to be able to finish ballgames-the little things that we aren’t doing right now just continue to add up on us.
“Led 2-0 in the sixth, but we didn’t get much going after the [Mark] Vientos homer. We had a couple of chances and didn’t get the big hit, and they got the big hit. But we won the series here, and we have a good team coming up, so we have to be ready tomorrow.”
Carlos Mendoza loses a key player for the Mets in a stretch where they could be eliminated
Perhaps the Mets aren’t focused on the division lead, but what should truly worry them is that the Cincinnati Reds remain a lurking threat, just 1.5 games behind their Wild Card spot. We’ll see what unfolds in this three-game series against the Phillies at Citi Field.
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