PHILADELPHIA — The Mets have been exceptionally prone to streaks this season, good and bad, which is what has them in the position they find themselves in this week in Philadelphia. The Phillies are running away with the NL East, possessing nearly a double-digit lead over the second-place Mets, who are still holding down the final Wild Card spot in the National League, but barely.
The San Francisco Giants are within striking distance, two games behind the Mets. Outfielder Drew Gilbert and right-hander Jose Butto, acquired by the Giants from the Mets at the trade deadline, are helping their new team with this late-season swoon, while their old one is struggling to stop yet another losing streak on the other side of the country.
“I think that the team understands where we are,” shortstop Francisco Lindor told the Daily News this week in Philadelphia. “Everybody’s very optimistic and we all feel like in that spot, we can do good things.”
A Wild Card berth isn’t the worst thing, but it would still be a relatively disappointing finish. The Mets have fallen far short of the expectations this season. They got Juan Soto to be more than a Wild Card team, and they gave up big league talent like Gilbert and Butto for high-leverage reliever Tyler Rogers with the goal of being more than just a Wild Card team.
“Look, man, I mean, we put ourselves in this position,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park. “You always want to win the division, you know? We played pretty well against them at home, and we got as close at what, four games? Now, it’s hard for us. You’ve got to be realistic, but we are still in a position to make something special [happen], and with that, you take your chances.”
The Mets are what they are at this point in the season. There is no hot-shot prospect they can bring up to inject the team with a jolt of energy and adrenaline, especially because their top three pitching prospects have supplanted veterans in the rotation already. At times, the Mets have looked unbeatable, but since June, they’ve looked mostly vulnerable.
Nearly every losing streak has been followed by a winning streak, and for the most part, they’ve been able to right the ship whenever it’s tilted. But after four straight losses, it appears to be careening once again. It doesn’t inspire much confidence at this time of year.
“That’s, that’s the whole goal, to keep your shoulders above water, keep your head above water, and make it,” Lindor said. “Then once you make it, anything can happen. But everyone here gets along. Everybody here plays for each other and has fun, and everyone’s competing and enjoying the process. So, yeah, I feel like this next 15-20 games we have left, we’ve got to get it done. It could turn the other way. For better or for worse, we’ve got to get it done.”
Mendoza and the team leadership group continue to recognize the fight the team is showing, and they’ve promised not to back down. They believe they have a good team that will play up to its true potential in the playoffs, especially when they can get creative with the pitching.
They still believe they have enough left in the tank to be able to get to the postseason, and their level of determination is high. But if they can’t put it together before the end of the month, then there will be little reason to believe they could put it together in the postseason.
“I mean, yeah, absolutely,” Mendoza said. “Guys are grinding. It’s going to be tough at times, and we’re going through a little bit of a tough stretch right now. But I like how the guys are preparing and competing. We just haven’t been able to put it together.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
The Mets officially ruled out outfielder/DH Jesse Winker from further competition this season. His chances of returning from the back problems that have plagued him on and off throughout much of his career were already slim, but Mendoza confirmed Wednesday that his season is over. It’s a disappointing turn of events for a popular fan-favorite, and for the Mets who could have used his left-handed bat.
Right-hander Tylor Megill is still gathering information about his injured elbow, seeking multiple opinions. This is common practice for the Mets, and at the moment, they don’t think Tommy John surgery is on the table. However, they still don’t know what’s causing the discomfort in his elbow.
Megill was also ruled out for the rest of the season.
