The common thread in most losing streaks is a collective slump at the plate, and the Mets can certainly attest to this notion in the midst of their unsettling mid-June swoon.
After falling to the division-rival Braves on Monday night at Citi Field, the Mets have now hit a measly .215 over a brutal 10-game stretch that's resulted in nine losses and pushed them out of first place in the NL East race. To make matters worse, their season average with runners in scoring position is down to .219, which ranks second-worst in baseball.
While the Mets' lack of production during their 10-game downturn clearly speaks for itself — they've scored 30 total runs despite hitting 15 home runs — the woes have been contagious, from top to bottom in the lineup. Francisco Lindor (.230) and Pete Alonso (.205) have been ice cold, and on Monday against the Braves, the Mets' bottom half of the order went 2-for-17.
The Mets have allowed their opponent to draw first blood in seven of the last 10 games, and the challenge of trailing early has influenced approaches in the batter's box. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza isn't willing to say the players are pressing, but he too has noticed the recent change in at-bat quality that's caused frustrations and yet to level.
"I don't think it's pressing, I think it's just the situations of the games during this stretch, where we've been playing from behind," Mendoza said after the loss. "We need to continue support the guys and continue to work. But it's about results, right? We continue to have all the confidence in these guys, but we've got to be better."
The past weekend against the rival Phillies showed some feast-or-famine offense, as the Mets scored 11 runs in a refreshing Saturday win that was sandwiched between Friday and Sunday losses that only produced a combined three runs.
The barrage on Saturday snapped an ugly seven-game slide, but they're now facing another three-game skid. And chances are they dip there again on Tuesday night, as the Braves are sending Spencer Strider to the mound and the Mets are relying on Frankie Montas, who looked anything but effective during his lengthy rehab assignment.
"We're relying so much on our top guys, and we have a lot of guys in the bottom of the lineup that are going through it right now," Mendoza said. "When that happens, once you get past the fourth or fifth batter, we're having a hard time creating opportunities. It's hard to score like that… We've got a few guys that are struggling."
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