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…

Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

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.

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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.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Endure House Of Horrors In Seattle appeared first on Metsmerized.

After what we just witnessed in a three-game set against the powerhouse Dodgers, it doesn’t seem possible for the Mets to plunge any deeper into the depths of despair.

Although, probably wise not to rule anything out with this team.

It was a house of horrors series that featured every low imaginable possible. From losing Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso to injury, to inventing yet more ways to lose, to Jorge López‘s costly actions, the Mets put their fans through two hellish days in Queens.

And we’re still in May.

Where the team goes from here remains to be seen. It is possible that the team meeting, the one called in the immediate wake of Wednesday’s clown show, could serve as a catalyst for brighter times ahead.

However, given everything we’ve seen from the Mets through the first 55 games of the season, it is hard to have any confidence in them the rest of the way. They just keep on melting down, wiping away any hope and excitement in the process.

On that very depressing tone, let’s dive right into a very somber edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

3 UP

LEADERSHIP

Okay, so this season hasn’t exactly gone to plan for Francisco Lindor so far. The shortstop is hitting just .211/.279/.372/.652 with eight homers and 43 strikeouts entering Thursday’s game. However, we saw on Wednesday just why Lindor should be considered an important core piece of this team moving forward. With everything and everyone imploding around him, Lindor had the peace of mind to call a team meeting. As a result, it allowed everyone inside the clubhouse to air their frustrations and let off some steam. Whether or not the team meeting will have a positive impact remains to be seen. That story still needs to be told. But, it did underline Lindor’s status as a true leader on this team. It also highlighted just how much he cares about the Mets. And that’s important.

POSITIVE COMEBACK

David Peterson waited a long time for Wednesday. Making his 2024 season debut following offseason hip surgery, Peterson was solid on the mound. He gave up three runs, two earned, on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts. It was a pretty good first outing back for Peterson, who at least kept the Mets in the game. If Peterson can stay healthy, he could be a nice fifth starter in the rotation going forward.

LOOK TO THE FUTURE

There are 107 games remaining for the Mets. However, no amount of Kool-Aid can convince me that this team will stage much of a turnaround. Instead, it is probably time to start paying special attention to what’s going down on the farm. Luisangel Acuña, the No. 5 prospect in the Mets system, went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday. He’s currently hitting .260/.311/.370/.681 with three homers, eight doubles and 16 RBIs. However, he has a slash line of .385/.444/.538 with five stolen bases, three doubles, one homer and four RBIs over his last 10 games. If Acuña can maintain that pace, then we could be seeing him in the big leagues sooner rather than later.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

3 DOWN 

DAY FROM HELL

The Mets are a tortured franchise used to hellish days. Heck, the entire organization is built on pain and misery. Therefore, those who worship at the church of Citi Field are used to days of implosion and unstoppable downward spirals. It is woven in the DNA of Mets fans at this point. However, not even the most battle-hardened of Amazins’ supporters could have been prepared for the fireball of ineptitude that was fired our way on Wednesday. It began with injuries to Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso (more on that below). It continued with another embarrassing collapse in a third straight loss to the Dodgers. And it culminated in a meltdown by Jorge López. If any MLB team has had a worse day than that recently, then I don’t want to know about it.

Man, oh man, this team. The Mets have already been the perfect picture of ineptitude, without needing a reliever to throw a tantrum to end all other tantrums. Not content with launching his glove into the crowd, López swore several times on camera, lied about meeting with management and offered no remorse for his actions. Now, I will defend him on the fact that he said teammate and not team. Some members of the press have not helped him in that department. However, there is still no defending López’s actions and he deserved to lose his place on the team. With everything else burning down, you can’t have somebody like that in the building adding more gasoline to the flames. You just can’t. By acting in the way that he did, López brought more negative attention to a team that is already crumbling under all the pressure.

It is important to note that López has dealt with mental health issues in the past and he currently has a son dealing with familial Mediterranean fever awaiting a transplant.

DOUBLE BLOW

The Mets have very clearly pissed off the Baseball Gods in a big way. I mean, how else can you explain away all the bad things being rained down on this team currently? Edwin Díaz, who has endured a nightmare start to the year, was placed on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder impingement. He has a 5.40 ERA with four blown saves on the year. If that wasn’t bad enough, then Pete Alonso was removed from Wednesday’s game with a hand injury. With both the X-rays and CT scans coming back negative, it appears as though Alonso and the Mets have dodged a major bullet. The first baseman is currently considered day-to-day. Talk about a lucky break.

INEPTITUDE PERSONIFIED 

Talk about finding new ways to lose. The Mets have done that all year, but they took it to new levels in the series against the Dodgers. They blew a late lead in Game 1 of the doubleheader on Tuesday, before proceeding to be shut out in Game 2 for the sixth time this season. Then, on Wednesday, the Mets entered the eighth inning tied, before imploding in explosive fashion.

Adam Ottavino – who was money in April – was shelled for four runs a day after blowing a save. He has now allowed seven earned runs in his last four outings. Ottavino isn’t the only problem, however. Far from it. The bullpen has now allowed 68 runs in the 7th inning or late over their last 35 games. The offense still can’t score in the 10th inning or come up with the clutch hit on a consistent enough basis.

As a result, the Mets are now 10-25 with a -58 run differential since April 21 — the worst record in Major League Baseball over that span. Very few players are performing to the back of their baseball cards. If this isn’t rock bottom, then I have no interest in finding out what actual rock bottom is. Things are falling apart for the 2024 New York Mets, and the series against the Dodgers proved to be the lowest ebb yet.

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