The New York Mets have lost 3 of their last 4, and their lead for the final National League wild card spot continues to dwindle with several teams in pursuit.
Facing the Phillies, Rangers and Padres in their next three series, the Mets will need to dig deep to hold their place in the playoff race.
When speaking about the Mets’ offense after Sunday’s 3-2 defeat, manager Carlos Mendoza said, “We’re creating traffic, we just haven’t been able to get that big one late in games.”
To Mendoza’s credit, the Mets are tied for 18th in the majors this season with 4 walk-off hits, lacking the big-game momentum all contenders need. Furthermore, the Mets are currently tied for 26th in extra inning runs per game, struggling to produce late in contests.
After their recent slide, the Mets sit 4 games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants, while the Arizona Diamondbacks and St. Louis Cardinals trail by 4 1/2.
Star shortstop Francisco Lindor did not seem overly concerned about the team’s position but stressed the importance of winning, saying, “I believe we’re in a good spot, but we’ve got to continue to win games,” adding, “If we want to accomplish what we started the year with in mind, we’ve got to start winning games.”
As Lindor noted, if the Mets want to make the postseason, they will have to finish strong. He and the Mets will have their work cut out for them, as New York has the ninth-toughest remaining schedule in baseball.