The New York Mets suffered their seventh consecutive loss after falling 8-3 to the Texas Rangers on a night that included the return of Jacob deGrom to Citi Field and a poor start by rookie Jonah Tong. The outlook is worrying: just half a game ahead of the Giants and a game and a half ahead of the Reds for the last National League wild card. “Obviously, I’m very concerned,” admitted Brandon Nimmo.
From the top to the collapse
The team that led the National League East on August 2 is now 12 games behind the Phillies, the largest divisional gap in the league. Since that date, they have a poor record of 14-25. The rotation, which in the first half was one of the most solid in MLB with a 3.38 ERA, collapsed in the second half with a 5.10 ERA, victimized by injuries, poor decisions and the inconsistency of players such as Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea.
The bullpen, which was 14th in ERA in the first half, dropped to 21st after the break. Despite reinforcements such as Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers and Gregory Soto, the Mets have allowed more than five runs per game in their last 39 games. The problem has been so serious that they have had to resort to rookies such as Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat to sustain the rotation.
An offense that deserves more credit
Paradoxically, the offense has been a positive point. After an inconsistent start, the Mets rank fourth in wRC+ and runs scored in the second half. Juan Soto leads the way with power, joined by Brett Baty and Mark Vientos, while Cedric Mullins is the only below-average hitter. However, the offensive effort is overshadowed by pitching frailty and defensive errors.
With two weeks to go and a demanding schedule compared to the Giants and Reds, the Mets are playing for their immediate destiny. “We said we were going to be creative,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of the changes in the rotation. Now, the mission is simple but difficult: to prevent a $322 million roster from being marked as the most costly failure of the season.
Read the full article here
