The 2025 New York Mets are now 67-60. They cling to a half-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds, and somehow hold onto a playoff spot  — at least for now.

After winning the first game of the series, the Mets dropped two straight to the last-place Washington Nationals, losing the series. It was an inexcusable showing, and the Mets are once again struggling to hold onto leads.

Homers from Francisco Lindor and Starling Marte, in addition to Hayden Senger‘s first major league RBI (via a sacrifice fly), gave the Mets an early 3-0 lead. Meanwhile, Sean Manaea was sharp early, fanning seven of the first ten hitters without giving up a run in his first three frames.

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Manaea looked to have turned a corner, flashing the brilliance of his breakout season in 2024 that saw him post a 3.47 ERA and a 24.9% strikeout rate, earning him a three-year, $75 million deal last offseason.

Unfortunately, it was not to be. Manaea allowed a single earned run in the fourth before completely unraveling in the fifth. After a couple cheap hits, Manaea hit a man, and two batters later, he walked Andrés Chaparro on multiple poorly located fastballs.

The final line was ugly: 4 2/3 innings, four earned runs, two hit batsmen, a walk and a wild pitch. He has now imploded in four straight starts, carrying a 7.91 ERA over that span. His 2.08 ERA in his first four outings slightly softens the overall number, but his season ERA still sits at 5.15. If it held for a full season, it would be the worst mark of his career.

After the game, Manaea was asked about what may have gone wrong after he was cruising early.

“Just lost feel for my sweeper right there, then just lost control of my fastball at the end there too,” he replied when asked about the sudden change after his hot start.

Manaea has developed a pattern of dominating early in games before “hitting a wall”, as one reporter phrased it. He was asked how lack of control on the fastball has played a part in that regard. He did not have a comforting answer.

“I don’t know, I think that’s key. I think I’m doing everything in between starts, now I’ve just got to execute,” he said.

Manager Carlos Mendoza echoed that sentiment.

“He just kind of lost it. We need to be better. Senga, Manaea… we need those guys. They know they’re capable, but right now, we’re not. It’s frustrating.”

For the Mets, starting pitching has been a huge issue, and as June rolled around, it became increasingly evident. The streak of non-David Petersons failing to make it through six innings is still alive and well.

It is now August 22. With 35 games left, the Mets’ starting pitching needs to buckle down. The offense can’t be asked to carry the load every night. And once October arrives, the arms will have to stand up against the league’s best—names like Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Bryce Harper. At their current pace, even if the Mets back their way into the postseason, it’s hard to imagine them surviving a series against a powerhouse like the Los Angeles Dodgers or Philadelphia Phillies.