It’s been a rough ride lately for the Mets. Heading to Pittsburgh, they were already reeling from a brutal 13-game stretch. They were swept at home by the Rays and managed to win just three out of 10 against their own NL East rivals. Now, just when the Mets’ turnaround was expected against the last-ranked Pirates, things went for an absolute mess.

The Mets-Pirates series was a shocker. A basement dweller outpacing a team with a playoff dream by 30-4 – that’s a rare experience. It wasn’t just another series loss, but a reality check for the Mets. And, as frustrations boiled over, manager Carlos Mendoza decided to face the chin music first. Then, Francisco Lindor followed up with a stern and pointed message to the clubhouse.

“It’s frustrating, and we are all frustrated, obviously. Not gonna lie, we’re better than that, and they know that. It’s a tough stretch, but we’ve got to be better.  It starts with me. We believe in those guys. Off day tomorrow, and then we’ve got another good team coming into town in the Brewers. They’re playing well, so we’ve got to bring our best game. We’ll continue to support the guys, but obviously we’re not happy about it,” Mendoza shared after the sweep.

In the last 15 games, the Mets won only 3, and that reflects how the team is currently performing. The team is stuffed with some of the biggest names, Lindor, Soto, and Alonso, but they were able to score only 4 runs in the 3-game series. Despite being a better-staffed team on paper, the on-field performance of the Mets says otherwise.

“The coaches have done a really good job of preparing us; they’re giving us everything that we can ask for. It’s on us,” Lindor shared the mood of the clubhouse after the Pirates debacle.

Now, the Mets are 1.5 games behind the table topper Phillies. And now, they have to be better as they are prepping to face the Brewers next. A team coming with 8 wins from their last 10 games will pose a higher challenge than the Pirates. No other choice than being a better version!

Remember how the Mets’ clubhouse opted for a player-only meeting after the second game? It was just a renewed reinforcement of the players willing to go all guns blazing. But that fell flat, and a worse outcome came in the third game.

But considering how the Mets performed on the field, it will take more than a pep talk for the clubhouse to be over that!

A series that will haunt the Mets in the future

Talk about the Mets’ pitching or hitting, this series was a reality check…

The third game on Sunday witnessed the implosion of the Mets’ top four hitters in the lineup. For starters, Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso managed just two hits in 15 at-bats. Now, that’s not a rough stretch, but a free fall. And defense? Even worse!

Notably, the Mets gave up nine or more runs in all three games against the Pirates. Something they haven’t done since their 2007 collapse against the Nationals.

But it’s not all stale. The bright spot? Juan Soto.

He seems long past the rough start of this season. The man who was speculated to be too conscious in the Mets’ clubhouse is currently leading the roster in terms of home runs! This month, Soto is hitting .322 with 11 HRs. Moreover, Soto’s 1.196 OPS is the Mets’ second-highest figure since Darryl Strawberry’s 1.209 in June 1990.

Probably, it still has some time to hit the panic button for the Mets. A few upsets like the Pirates series can be expected from a 162-game season. But the continuous journey to the south will be concerning. The Mets have got the top four players who have accumulated a minimum of 15 HRs till now.

So, the assets and skills are there with the team. All that’s needed right now is a bit of synchronization.