3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Endure House Of Horrors In Seattle

There was to be no happy ending to a long road trip for the New York Mets.

In Seattle for the final stop of a 10-game swing, the Mets were swept by the Mariners in an uncompetitive three-game series. New York was outscored 22-1 by the Mariners, culminating in a 12-1 whooping on Sunday Night Baseball.

As a result, the Mets finished the road trip a disappointing 4-6.

With Monday an off day before the team returns to Queens on Tuesday, now is the perfect time to unravel what went wrong in Seattle. It is time for another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

STAYING ALIVE

This was a crushing road trip for the Mets. However, if you want a positive, they didn’t lose much ground in the Wild Card race. Despite being swept by the Mariners, New York remains just a half-game back of the Braves for the final Wild Card spot. Granted, both the Padres and the Diamondbacks are now four games ahead. However, the mission is just to get in. The fact that the Mets stayed close to Atlanta, despite stumbling on the road, should be seen as a huge positive. The Mets have 10 games left against the three teams ahead of them in the Wild Card race.

STAYING HOT

Okay, let’s be real. There are not many positives to rescue from the wreckage of the Seattle series. There just aren’t. However, Jeff McNeil continuing to swing the bat well is one. The veteran’s solo blast on Sunday snapped a 24-inning scoreless streak. That’s the longest scoreless streak by a Mets offense in 14 years.

Furthermore, McNeil’s homer continued what has been a strong stretch since the All-Star break. The lefty bat is now hitting .324/.358/.662/.1.020 in the second half with 16 runs scored, seven doubles, six homers and 14 RBIs. McNeil was the only bright spot for what was otherwise a totally non-competitive offense in Seattle.

GETTING BODIES BACK

I’m really scratching and clawing around for good things to say about the series against the Mariners. The brutal truth is they are too few and far between. However, there is at least some progress on the injury front right now. RHP Reed Garrett returned from the IL on Saturday and struck out the side in one sharp inning of work. Outfielder Starling Marte could return this weekend after ramping up his rehab assignments. Righty Dedniel Núñez will throw another bullpen session on Tuesday after throwing off the mound on Sunday. And RHP Christian Scott is expected to begin a throwing program this week in order to strengthen his arm.

So, overall, plenty of positives on the health front. Players are either back, close to being back and, in the case of Núñez and Scott, making hopeful strides in the right direction. That’s something to cling on to today, at least.

3 DOWN

NO-SHOW

Remember the old no-show jobs in The Sopranos where mobsters were paid to not turn up to building sites and not to work? Well, the Mets offense was paid not to show up at all in Seattle. New York scored a grand total of just one run in three games against the Mariners. The team was riding an unwanted 24-inning scoreless streak before Jeff McNeil snapped it with a solo homer in the sixth inning. Yes, the Seattle pitching staff is elite. You could argue that it is the best in baseball. T-Mobile Park is also a dead zone for offense. However, to score just one run and record 17 hits is just beyond embarrassing. The offense was just non-competitive in all three games and there is no logical, reasonable excuse for that.

To paint an even worse picture, runners in scoring position continued to be a huge problem. The Mets went 0-for-8 with RISP on Sunday, 0-for-16 in the series, and they were shut out in consecutive games. Furthermore, since the All-Star break, New York ranks 18th in team OPS (.717), 17th in team batting average (.245), 16th in team OBP (.317), 22nd in home runs (26), 26th in average with RISP (.212), and 30th in average with two outs with RISP (.108). That neatly sums up the offensive woes the Mets have faced since the All-Star break. If they are to get the train back on track, there will need to be considerable improvement in all areas.

PITCHING HELL

While the Mets had no chance in Seattle because of the no-show from the offense, the pitching didn’t help either. Both the starting rotation and the bullpen endured tough moments against the Mariners. Luis Severino suffered a second straight bad start, allowing two home runs and four earned runs in five innings on Sunday. He now owns an ugly 9.69 ERA in his last three starts. Sean Manaea was arguably worse, giving up five walks and three earned runs on four hits in just three innings on Saturday. The same can be said for José Quintana, who allowed five earned runs and a homer on four hits in his start on Friday. That’s a combined total of 12 earned runs from three starters in three games. Not great.

As for the bullpen, they had their moments with a couple of bright spots here and there. However, Adam Ottavino allowed a two-run single that blew the game open in Friday’s series opener. It got uglier on Sunday. A lot uglier. Ottavino and Ryne Stanek combined to give up six runs in a nightmare sixth inning. Then, just to add more misery, Danny Young allowed two runs in the seventh to cap off a miserable night and a horrible series. It was a horrific weekend for the offense, but it was also a terrible series for the pitching too.

UNWANTED OBSTACLE 

Mark Vientos was a late scratch from the lineup on Sunday. The slugging third baseman is battling a sore left ankle. While the Mets aren’t too concerned, Vientos has clearly been playing hurt as of late. He went a combined 1-for-7 in the first two games against Seattle. With other members of the lineup hitting slumps, the Mets can’t afford to lose Vientos. Heck, they can’t even afford to have him at limited capacity. Hitting .270/.324/.536/.859 with 17 home runs and 44 RBIs, Vientos being unhindered and at the full peak of his powers will be crucial for New York.