Mets Offense Stalling At The Worst Time; Can they Rebound?

For most of the second half, the New York Mets’ offense has been a big bright spot. Since the All-Star break, they are scoring 4.53 runs per game. A really solid number. But over the last two days, the lineup has been quiet and ineffective. Not something you want at this point in the season with what is at stake.

The Milwaukee Brewers, who have nothing to play for, are still proving to be a difficult matchup. On Friday, the Mets scored four on a total of seven hits. For large periods of that game, the lineup failed to produce quality at bats. Still, it was nice to see Mark Vientos get his 27th home run of the season. Maybe he could be the catalyst that gets this offense back on track.

That would not be the case, at least for one more day. The Mets had a brutal showing on Saturday, scoring zero runs on only two hits. With runners in scoring position, they went 0-for-6. Opportunities to score were limited, but when they did, the team failed to execute. For most of the season, the Mets have been very solid with runners in scoring position. Their .264 batting average in those situations puts them in the top 10 in the majors. But, for one reason or another, that has no showed in the first two games against the Brewers.

Can the offense turn it around? That is the question everyone is asking. If they don’t, it’s hard to see a scenario in which the Mets wind up being a playoff team. The starting rotation and the bullpen has made some mistakes during this current three-game losing streak, but more of the blame has to be placed on the lineup. Winning games with one or two runs is difficult to do on a consistent basis.

Luckily for the Mets, the Arizona Diamondbacks are also experiencing a lot of these same struggles. They have lose five or their last six games, including the first two of their weekend series with the San Diego Padres. As a result, despite how bad it has looked, the Mets still control their destiny. They have been handed a lifeline, what will they do with it? The offense has to show significant progression, starting on Sunday afternoon. Otherwise, this up and down season for the Mets is going to end on a very, sour note.