Carlos Mendoza issues urgent message to NY Mets amid concerns over NL Wild Card race

The New York Mets are facing a critical stretch as their hold on a playoff spot starts to slip. After back-to-back losses to the Philadelphia Phillies, including a dominant performance by Ranger Suarez, the Mets’ once red-hot offense has gone ice cold, leaving questions about whether the team can maintain its push for October baseball.

Tuesday night’s matchup saw Sean Manaea struggle early, allowing four runs in the first two innings, before settling into a groove. His ERA since the beginning of August has climbed to 7.71, highlighting the Mets’ ongoing pitching concerns.

The Mets managed some offense against the Phillies’ bullpen, but a costly error by Mark Vientos and a big ninth inning proved decisive. With the team now 3-5 on its current road trip and just 17 games remaining in the season, its third NL Wild Card lead could shrink to as little as 2.0 games.

Can the Mets recover from their current slump?

Despite the mounting pressure, manager Carlos Mendoza remains composed. “We’re good,” he said via SNY. “But we gotta play better and we’ve got to fight. We’re in the middle of it, there’s no time to feel sorry, we’ve got to fight — what’s in the past is in the past and we’ve got to take it one day at a time.”

Mendoza emphasized trust in his roster, noting the experience and talent within the clubhouse. “There’s a lot of experience, a lot of talent and good players in that room — we’ve been through adversity before as a group, we’ve got to find a way and we will.” With the Mets’ next challenge set against Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez on Wednesday night, the team has a chance to stabilize and regain momentum in the Wild Card race.

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The Mets’ remaining schedule will test their resilience as they aim to secure a postseason berth. Every game in the coming weeks carries immense significance, and how the team responds to this current skid could define their playoff chances.