The New York Mets have lost four straight games, causing their playoff chances to plummet. With a 76-69 record entering Wednesday, they are not only virtually out of contention for the NL East, but are also on the verge of losing the final NL wild card spot.
Their cause was not helped by the fact that two of those losses came at the hands of the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies, with a record of 85-60 entering Wednesday. The moment couldn’t be more delicate for the Mets, as team’s star Juan Soto described it after Tuesday’s loss.
“It’s a tough stretch right now. We just gotta find a way to play better baseball,” Soto said after Tuesday’s game, according to NorthJersey.com. “Attack early, try to come out and give some room to the starter so they can work a little bit more freely. Yesterday was a tough one, today was a tough one, too. We were kinda shaky a little bit on the offensive side.”
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Soto‘s assessment is backed up by the numbers. In the Mets’ four consecutive losses, six of their eight total runs came after the fifth inning, too little, too late. Meanwhile, their opponents have jumped ahead early, scoring 10 of 19 runs within the first five frames. The contrast underscores the troubling pattern outlined by their stellar right fielder: the Mets are falling behind early and struggling to catch up.
Heading into Wednesday’s games, the Mets hold the National League’s third and final wild card spot. But the tension is palpable, with the San Francisco Giants just two games back, and riding the momentum of six wins in their last eight contests.
Mets’ Rough Patch Overshadowed Juan Soto’s Impressive Feat
When the team’s postseason qualification is in jeopardy, it’s hard to focus on anything else, even if it’s a historic feat. However, what Soto accomplished Tuesday against the Phillies is still beyond impressive.
The Dominican stole third base in the eighth inning, reaching a staggering 30 stolen bases for the season. Even more remarkable, he joined the MLB 30-30 club (30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season), the fifth Met to do so.
“Definitely, a lot of hard work was put in since the beginning of the season,” Soto said about this feat, according to MLB.com. “Antoan (Richardson, Mets’ first-base coach) has done an unbelievable job. He’s been helping me since Day 1. So I give him all the credit. He’s the one who put me in this situation and in this spot to do what I’ve done.”
Soto is now on the verge of adding another remarkable achievement to his résumé: a 40-home run, 30-stolen base season. With 38 homers already under his belt, he’s just two swings away from joining one of baseball’s most exclusive clubs, a feat accomplished only 15 times in Major League history.
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