Even after a rigorous road trip ended with a one-sided sweep in Seattle, the Mets found themselves in a solid spot.
Tuesday marked the start of a nine-game homestand in which the Mets welcome two of baseball’s worst teams in the Oakland A’s and Miami Marlins, followed by an injury-plagued Baltimore Orioles group that’s hovered around .500 for more than a month.
Despite going 4-6 during their four-city road swing, the Mets entered Tuesday’s series opener against Oakland at 61-57 and only a game out of the third and final National League Wild Card spot.
That’s just a half-game worse than where they stood when they began the road trip.
“We understand we’re still in a good position for the goal that we have of being in the playoffs,” shortstop Francisco Lindor said after Sunday’s loss to the Mariners. “We’ve just got to compete. We’ve put ourselves in a position where we are in the playoff hunt. We’ve just got to keep that, stay there no matter what [and] protect what we have here.”
While on the road, the Mets played in three different time zones without any days off — the result of having to make a one-day stop in St. Louis to make up a May 8 rainout.
The Mets began the trip 4-3 before faltering in Seattle, where they were outscored 22-1 over a three-game sweep and at one point suffered through a season-worst 24-inning scoreless streak.
It’s the type of series Mets manager Carlos Mendoza acknowledged they have no choice but to “flush” and forget about.
“Still a lot of meaningful games ahead of us,” Medoza said Sunday, “and we’ll be ready to go.”
The playoff-contending Mariners boast baseball’s best starting pitching, with a 3.24 ERA that leads the majors by a significant margin.
Oakland, which entered the series at Citi Field with baseball’s fourth-worst record at 50-69, ranked 28th in the majors with a 4.79 ERA from its starters. The Marlins, who began Tuesday with the third-worst record at 44-75, ranked 29th with a 5.15 starters ERA.
Offensively, both teams ranked in the bottom five in terms of runs scored and on-base percentage.
The Mariners, they are not.
The Orioles, meanwhile, began Tuesday tied for MLB’s best record at 70-49 but were just 13-16 since July 9. Their 4.89 team ERA over that stretch ranks 23rd in the majors. Season-ending injuries to starting pitchers Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells and to star closer Felix Bautista continue to present challenges for Baltimore.
The Mets’ recent slide coincided with hot streaks by the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres, who moved into the first two NL Wild Card positions and created some distance above the rest of the playoff-hopeful field.
But the Mets remain close to a playoff spot due to an even starker slump by the Atlanta Braves, who lost six games in a row last week and have been clinging to the final Wild Card position. Season-ending injuries to reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. and ace Spencer Strider, as well as Ozzie Albies’ fractured wrist, left the star-powered Braves vulnerable.
A strong homestand would serve the Mets well, considering another 10-game road trip — this time featuring stops in San Diego and Arizona — awaits them immediately afterward.
The Mets began Tuesday with a 30-29 record at Citi Field, but that includes an 0-5 start to the season there. They entered the A’s series as winners of nine of their last 13 games in Flushing.
“We love playing at home,” Lindor said. “We’re happy we’re going home. We’re gonna see our families, and playing in front of our home fans, it’s gonna be great. We have a good opportunity. We’ve just got to maximize it.”
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