Mets Struggle in Disheartening Loss to Nationals

Currently, the Mets hold the title of the worst team in baseball.

On Wednesday, they did nothing to change that perception.

Five weeks into the season, the highly-paid Mets roster suffered another blow, losing 14-2 to the struggling Nationals at Citi Field—a defeat that wasn’t as close as it might appear.

This latest setback pushed the Mets’ record to 10-20, placing them just behind their NL East rival, the Phillies, who stand at 10 wins and 19 losses after a rain-canceled game.

While the weather wasn’t favorable for fans, thousands chose to stick around and watch the disheartening scene unfold in Queens. What a decision, really.

David Peterson had another rough outing, with his ERA as a starter ballooning to 8.10 after he allowed seven runs in just over three innings.

Sean Manaea was called up to fill Peterson’s spot in the rotation but quickly allowed a grand slam in the fourth inning.

The offense, which had shown a bit of life in the fourth inning during Tuesday’s game, fell back into its usual ineptitude against Nationals’ right-hander Cade Cavalli.

Juan Soto was a bright spot for the Mets, though. He hit a home run for the second consecutive game and also contributed a single and a double. Yet, as everyone from manager Carlos Mendoza to David Stearns to Soto himself has noted, even Soto can’t shoulder the entire load.

The Mets seemed determined to put this theory to the test against Washington. Soto, dealing with discomfort in his left forearm while playing as DH, represented almost the only ray of hope for a team that has lost four out of five games.

And still, five long months are ahead.

“We’ve got to play better baseball, yeah,” Mendoza remarked before the game. “No matter who we’re up against, we’ve got to focus on winning series. We haven’t managed to do that for a while, so hopefully, good performances will follow from Tuesday’s night.”

That didn’t happen.

Mendoza’s decision to let Tobias Myers, who has been pitching effectively out of the bullpen, throw two innings on Tuesday may have hampered their chances on Wednesday. This meant Myers wasn’t available as either a pinch-hitter for Peterson or to replace him in the fourth.

Honestly, it’s difficult to speculate which combination of pitchers and position players could have positively impacted the Mets on this night, aside from the standout Soto.

The announced attendance was 32,624, though thankfully, far fewer actually showed up. The fans who did attend made their displeasure known throughout the game.

Booing has become a frequent occurrence at Citi Field this season; you could practically count on hearing it in nearly every inning.

As the season drags on with only five months remaining, the Mets have truly hit rock bottom. Yet, based on their performances so far, it’s clear they are determined to keep sinking.