The Mets were 45-24, leading the National League East by 5 ½ games, and playing like a team that was chasing 100 wins. Fast forward, and a recent 3-7 road trip in September ended with a four-game sweep in Philadelphia, where the Mets blew a 4-0 first-inning lead and watched the division leader Phillies win 6-4. This was their sixth straight loss, and it left the team at 76-71, trailing 11 games in the division and clinging to the final Wild Card spot by just 1 ½ games over the Reds and Giants.

Pete Alonso, the face of the franchise alongside Juan Soto, didn’t try to sugarcoat when asked about how he feels about the Mets’ freefall since mid-June, when they went 31-45, the fourth-worst record in baseball over that span. “I wouldn’t say shocked is the right word,” Alonso replied to Jon Heyman on the NY Post’s recent podcast. “I would just obviously, obviously [say] frustrated, because that’s obviously not great.”

And when asked directly what has gone wrong, Alonso said, “Obviously, we’ve had a lot of like health things. We’ve had a lot of important pieces like go down and get hurt, like even from the start.”

Alonso cited the painful list, from reliever A.J. Minter, a key offseason signing, who was lost for the season in May with a torn lat muscle, to Max Kranick and his 40 strong innings before being lost. Alonso also brought up Frankie Montas and Griffin Canning. Montas’ season ended in August with a UCL injury after struggling to stay healthy, and Canning, who was pitching well, was out of the lineup since June due to a ruptured Achilles.

“When you have like starters go down and you’re trying to figure out who fits where… you definitely miss those quality starts.” Alonso explained further, “There was a lot of plug and play that we had to do.” And these injuries created a “long ripple effect,” forcing the bullpen to carry a massive workload and leaving them exhausted.

And Alonso isn’t the only one feeling the heat

The pressure is clearly getting to the players on the field as the cracks in the team’s composure began to show after the final game in Philadelphia. Mark Vientos slammed his bat and helmet into the ground after striking out, and Jeff McNeil angrily tossed his equipment away after his second strikeout of the night. And the dugout? Manager Carlos Mendoza is trying to hold it all together.

“I’m not going to say that I’m worried, but we don’t have too much time,” Mendoza said after the latest loss. “Teams are right behind us… The way we look at it is: We still control the situation.” The skipper has also shouldered the blame, saying, “I’m responsible. I’m the manager. It’s my job to get these guys going, and I will.” 

“Gotta play better. Simple as that,” pitcher David Peterson mentioned, who allowed three runs in five innings in the Phillies’ recent win. “We’ve seen what this group can do. We got 15 [games] left, we have to take care of business. Past is the past, and we have to let it go and play better. It’s as simple as that.”

Tbh, there are a few positive signs, too, as the team is finally heading home for a nine-game homestand.

They have a strong 45-27 record at home compared to their 31-44 away record. They are also hoping to get some key pieces back before October. Potential return of pitcher Kodai Senga could provide a massive boost to the battered rotation for the season’s final stretch. And rookie pitchers like Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong have shown they are ready to take their chances.

On top of that, superstar Juan Soto is having a 30-30 season for the first time. Right now, he is on a hot streak, slashing .375/.485/.821 with 7 homers in his last 15 games.

So, the Mets’ season may be on life support, but they are not out of the playoffs yet. And their rally at home can save their season if they find a way to stop the bleeding.