The New York Mets are in a precarious position leading up to the trade deadline on Aug. 1. They infused the tiniest bit of hope back into the fanbase with a six-game winning streak at the beginning of July but are 1-4 since and sit 8.5 games out of the final National League wild card spot with a 43-50 record. There have been mixed signals from the front office about what direction they plan on...

Max Scherzer is known for his consistent routines, and whenever something goes awry, he diligently searches for the root cause, eagerly trying to identify the source of the problem. This season, Scherzer has faced challenges with his breaking pitches, particularly his slider. Hitters haven’t found it difficult to handle his signature pitch, resulting in a .292 batting average against it...