How bad can it get for Mets? Everything goes wrong in sweep in Pittsburgh

New York Times

6 hours ago

PITTSBURGH — It can't get worse than this, right?
Unfortunately, the New York Mets found themselves facing that question after each game this weekend against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the worst-scoring team in the National League and a group that was on pace to lose 100 games.
With poor pitching, suspect defense and a failure to score more than one run, the Mets' 9-1 loss on Friday night looked like the season's worst.
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Nope.
Saturday night's 9-2 loss, which featured Carlos Mendoza's first ejection as Mets manager and led to a players' meeting, overtook the completely-unofficial-yet-nonetheless-dubious distinction.
Just not for long.
Because then Sunday's 12-1 loss happened.
From the beginning of that contest to the end, things looked bad for the Mets. By the end of the first inning, the Mets trailed 5-0. In the bottom of the eighth inning, journeyman outfielder Travis Jankowski took the mound and flung balls at 40 mph — doing so during his latest Mets stint, which is six days old, before ever appearing in the batter's box. From there, the Mets went down in the ninth inning on just 10 pitches.
In the three-game series sweep, Pittsburgh outscored New York, 30-4.
The Mets, a club that owned baseball's best record just a few weeks ago, have lost 13 of their last 16 games.
'We are all frustrated,' Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. 'We're better than that, and they know that. It's a tough stretch. We've got to be better, and it starts with me.'
The Mets' leadership group doesn't claim to know when the best time to call a meeting is. Saturday's discussion was for anyone who felt there was something to say and to ensure that they had one another's backs. Players said the gist of the conversation was less about pointing out problems and more about reinforcing cohesion.
'Sometimes it is just good to sit down as a team and talk through things,' pitcher David Peterson said, 'whether something came up or whether it's a reminder of, 'Hey, this is somehing we knew was coming and we have the record that we have for a reason and we're a good baseball team.''
Players deemed the session worthwhile. Several veterans, including Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Juan Soto, Jeff McNeil, Ryne Stanek, Reed Garrett and Peterson offered messages to the group. In a clubhouse that was missing other key voices such as Sean Manaea and Jesse Winker (both are rehabbing injuries), a few players pointed out how encouraged they were about an environment in which so many people felt comfortable speaking up.
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'We have a lot of leaders in this room,' Soto said. 'Guys who have experience on big teams, guys who have been here their whole career and a lot of young, core talent. We have great leadership here and a great way to handle the team going through things.'
The meeting failed to translate into a win. Nimmo had cautioned against hoping for a quick fix, saying Saturday after the get-together that things weren't going to be different overnight. Indeed, they weren't. If the Mets proved anything over the weekend, it's that a meeting alone was never going to solve their problems. Their culture can be fine at the same time that their roster contains flaws.
When assessing their starting rotation's early-season success, Mets officials figured that there would be some regression. Though not ideal, the Mets could've managed such an expected drop in production if it were a modest dip while other segments of their roster performed well. What they didn't quite anticipate was a complete nosedive.
But that's just what has happened.
The Mets have gone 12 straight games without a starting pitcher recording an out in the sixth inning.
They are missing four starters because of injuries. Sean Manaea is throwing again after dealing with loose bodies in his left elbow, but it's unclear precisely when he will make his next rehab start. Kodai Senga (hamstring) is playing catch. Tylor Megill (elbow) has yet to resume throwing, though that could change next week. And Griffin Canning (Achilles) is out for the season.
The Mets plan on using Blade Tidwell as a starter against the Milwaukee Brewers this upcoming week, with Peterson, Clay Holmes, Paul Blackburn and Frankie Montas comprising the rest of their rotation. Holmes is in his first year as a starter and needs to prove that he can withstand the increase in volume. Blackburn is a depth starter. Peterson is in a slump, battling his mechanics. Then there's Montas, who simply didn't have it on Sunday.
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Montas and Mets officials say that the veteran is not only healthy but in an encouraging place concerning his arm. His second start after returning from the injured list looked completely different than the first one, when he pitched five scoreless innings. On Sunday, the velocity on his four-seam fastball was down 1 mph. From the jump, he failed to put batters away, needing nine pitchers to retire Adam Frazier, the Pirates' leadoff batter. From there, he repeatedly missed locations, which led to a walk, four hits, two home runs and five runs — all in the first inning.
'I wanted to go out there and go as long as I can, (but) that wasn't the case today,' said Montas, who allowed six runs and lasted just four innings.
In one of Mark Vientos' better at-bats over the weekend, he saw 10 pitches, laying off tough ones just outside the zone and fouling off a few others. Still, he struck out. Pirates starter Mike Burrows fooled Vientos with a slow curveball, the only one during the plate appearance.
In his return from the injured list, Vientos went 1-for-13 with five strikeouts over the weekend. Though he had a few hard-hit balls, his only hit was an infield single. Vientos' OPS dropped to .645. During the series, he batted sixth, second and sixth; he's an important part of the lineup.
The Mets entered the season needing Vientos and Francisco Alvarez to perform for the lineup to play up to its potential. Alvarez struggled so much that the Mets demoted him to Triple A. Meanwhile, Vientos has struggled to get going, dating back to the first two months of the season (not just this series).
The young players aren't alone, though. Lindor, for instance, went 1-for-12 during the series. Before the Mets' brutal 16-game stretch, Lindor, who is playing with a broken toe, owned a .829 OPS. Now, that figure sits at .782. Even with Juan Soto producing one of the best calendar months in franchise history, the Mets' lineup is not long enough for one of their stars to slump.
'The coaches have done a really good job of preparing us, they're giving us everything that we can ask for,' Lindor said. 'It's on us.'
(Top photo of Francisco Lindor: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)