August 12th, 2024
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComoSEATTLE -- At least the Mets avoided a rather ignominious bit of history.
No Mets team has ever been shut out in all three games of a three-game series. Until this weekend, only a handful had come all that close. But such was the fate the Mets found themselves staring down late Sunday afternoon at T-Mobile Park, where they did not score over the first 23 innings of their series against the Mariners.
Finally, with two outs in the sixth, Jeff McNeil hit a solo homer to snap an overall 24-inning scoreless streak -- the longest by a Mets offense in 14 years.
“They were just better than us in pretty much every area,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after the Mets’ 12-1 loss in the finale.
McNeil’s homer was the only Mets bright spot worth noting as Seattle capped a series sweep. Luis Severino allowed the first four runs and Ryne Stanek served up the next four, as the Mets continued exposing flaws that will either prove to be fatal … or won’t. It’s still too early to tell.
“You can’t dwell on what happened,” said shortstop Francisco Lindor, whose inability to glove an infield hit led to the first of two Cal Raleigh home runs that ultimately sank the Mets. “We’ve got a good team. We’ve got to continue to push. We’ve got to continue to strive to be better.
“We understand we’re still in a good position for the goal that we have to be in the playoffs.”
That’s important perspective to keep in mind while understanding two things:
1. The sky is not falling
Before the Mets dropped their series finale on Sunday Night Baseball, the Phillies, Braves, Brewers, Padres, Pirates and Giants all lost, too. Among National League teams with even a puncher’s chance at making the postseason, only the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Reds managed victories, which reveals plenty about the mediocrity of a sizable NL middle class.
Currently, only nine games separate the top nine teams in the Wild Card race. And the Mets? Despite going 4-6 on their 10-game road trip through Anaheim, St. Louis, Denver and Seattle, and despite losing nine of their past 15 overall, they’re still only a half game out of playoff position.
“As of right now, for me, I don’t care how far or close we are,” Severino said. “We just need to keep going. We need to win games.”
The schedule grows easier over the next week, with New York’s next six games coming against the A’s and Marlins -- a pair of clubs that feature two of the four worst records in baseball. True, the Mets weren’t able to take advantage of a similar run of schedule against the Angels and Rockies, but this next stretch is even softer, it’s less logistically taxing and, hey -- it’s always better to play bad teams than good ones.
Eventually, the Mets are going to have to beat other contenders -- and, more specifically, good starting pitching -- more regularly. But it’s not actually imperative that they ace that test just yet.
2. A bit more help is on the horizon
Outfielder Starling Marte -- remember him? -- advanced his rehab from a bone bruise in his right knee to the upper Minors on Sunday, playing six innings in the field for Double-A Binghamton. Marte is scheduled to play again on Tuesday and, while his exact return date isn’t yet clear, it wouldn’t be out of the question for him to return from the injured list as soon as Friday.
Marte wasn’t his old All-Star-caliber self prior to his injury, particularly on defense, but the Mets have long understood what a difference-maker he can be when healthy. They’re eager to have him back.
That said, Marte’s return will create some interesting daily decisions for Mendoza. In Marte’s absence, the Mets acquired Jesse Winker from the Nationals and have been relying mostly on a combination of him and Tyrone Taylor in right field. While Winker hasn’t been all that productive, Taylor has given the Mets standout defense at the position -- something Marte didn’t do prior to his injury.
Finding playing time for all three may prove to be a difficult dance for Mendoza, though the manager isn’t sweating it just yet.
“I guess I’ll worry about that when we get there,” Mendoza said. “We’ve still got days to go before I have to make those decisions. It usually plays itself out.”
