Just when it looked like the New York Mets had found their rhythm, after a three-game winning streak, the team has dropped two straight games and the series against the Nationals. They are now sitting at 4-6 in their last 10 games.

The latest 9-3 loss to the Nationals started with a leadoff home run from Francisco Lindor. And with another moonshot from DH Starling Marte, the Mets had an early 3-0 lead. For the first 3 innings, it looked like Starter Sean Manaea was going to have his best days of the season as he allowed only one hit and struck out 7 batters.  But then Manaea lost his command, allowing 4 runs in the next 1.2 innings, and ended with a loss.

After the recent loss, Carlos Mendoza shared his thoughts about what’s holding his team back. “A lot of different parts,” he started, “but… it starts with our starters, you know, starting pitching. They set the tone. When they go, the whole team pretty much goes.”

“At this point… everybody’s pretty much healthy, you know, we need to be better,” Mendoza continued. “Talking about Senga, Manaea tonight, like we need those guys, and they know they’re capable of, you know, giving us a chance to win baseball games and right now… we’re not doing that. So, it’s frustrating. They are frustrated. And we just gotta be better, bottom line.”

The issue Mets manager highlighted with Kodai Senga and Manaea is their inability to pitch deep. The pair has allowed eight earned runs in just 9.2 innings in their last outings, where they both didn’t allow a single run in the first two innings.

“I wouldn’t say fatigued—I feel good,” Manaea said after his recent outing. “I really have no explanation for why I’m hitting that wall.” Finding a solution to this problem is the team’s top priority now.

It’s more than just the pitching for the Mets

In the 4th inning, catcher Hayden Senger couldn’t stop a sweeper from Manea, and CJ Abrams took the advantage. After that, in the next innings,  when Jacob Young laid down a sacrifice bunt, Pete Alonso threw to second instead of a sure out at first. It left the first and second bases loaded once again. And this left the Mets starter in a pressure cooker.

Yet amidst the struggles, the Mets have some silver linings. Francisco Lindor has been sensational, slashing .516/.531/1.000 with 4 homers and 8 RBIs in his last 7 games. The debut of rookie Nolan McLean was great, too. He didn’t allow any runs and struck out 8 batters on his debut against the Mariners, where he pitched 5.1 innings. David Peterson’s last outing was also reliable. He pitched 8 innings and allowed just 1 run, and struck out 10 batters in that match.

But as the playoff race heats up, players like Pete Alonso, Juan Soto, and Mark Vientos need to find their rhythm with the starting pitchers as well. Both Alonso and Soto have recently been in a cold spell at the plate, with Soto going just 1-for-12 in the recent series against the Nationals.

Alonso’s bat has also been silent since breaking the home run record of Daryl Strawberry. If the team fails to find consistency from both its pitchers and hitters, its grasp on a playoff spot will become increasingly fragile as the final weeks of the season unfold.