TheNew York Mets' losing streak is only growing more extreme, more historic, even more soul-crushing.
The beleaguered squad carried a one-run lead into the bottom of the ninth inning at Wrigley Field, but a funky hop off a side wall, a failed effort to score a courtesy runner and continued offensive futility fueled a2-1, 10-inning lossto theChicago Cubson Sunday, April 19.
It was the Mets' 11th consecutive loss. They haven't lost that many in a row since 2004.
They're now 7-15 – already three games behind the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals, who have payrolls a fraction of theirs – in the NL East.
And on a chilly day at Wrigley Field, they managed only one run – a fifth-inning home run from M.J. Melendez, a scrap heap acquisition who suddenly is the most effective offensive player on a club with a$358 million payroll.
"When you’re playing one-run games, you have to be perfect. It’s hard to play like that," says manager Carlos Mendoza. "We are not impacting the baseball at all, as a team."
Yet, it was a defensive misplay that will sting the most.
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How the Mets lost their 11th game in a row
They carried a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth, though closer Devin Williams yielded a leadoff single to Ian Happ, certainly a harbinger of bad things. Williams rallied to strike out Seiya Suzuki, but pinch hitter Michael Conforto yanked a line drive down the right field line.
Tyrone Taylor positioned himself to play the carom off Wrigley's side wall, but his mental protractor was way off – the ball angled away from him and dribbled into the corner. Pinch runner Scott Kingery easily scored.
The misplay only stung even more when Williams rallied to retire Carson Kelly and Pete Crow-Armstrong, sending the game into an inevitably grim extra inning for the Mets.
An infield single advanced the courtesy runner to third, but a Luis Torrens strikeout stranded him. In the bottom half, reliever Craig Kimbrel's wild pitch – Torrens probably should have blocked it – gifted the Cubs 90 feet. A sacrifice fly easily scored Crow-Armstrong.
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And an 0-6 road trip was mercifully over. Not that Citi Field has been any kinder.
Mets' losing streak statistics
It has been top-to-bottom offensive futility for the Mets in this streak:
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They are batting .200 in these 11 games.
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They are averaging 1.7 runs per game.
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They've managed 17 extra-base hits - barely more than one per game.
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And they're even more futile with runners in scoring position, batting .145 in those situations.
What's next for Mets?
They return home for a nine-game homestand, ostensibly against gentler competition: the Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies and Nationals. Yet, let's put it in perspective: At 7-15, the Mets have the worst record in baseball.
Is Mets manager Carlos Mendoza's job safe?
It's a virtually daily question in the manager's postgame briefings, and likely will continue until the Mets win another game. Managerial firings are rare in April, but Mendoza is not under contract for 2027, which will only accelerate speculation as the hole gets deeper.
"Eleven losses – that’s a lot,' says Mendoza. "Whether it’s April or any point in the season. But nobody’s going to feel sorry for us."
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor defended the third-year manager, who has worked in New York the past seven seasons - four as Yankees bench coach.
"He’s done a fantastic job. This is not on him," says Lindor, batting .205 with one homer and one RBI in 88 at-bats. "We have the information. It comes down to us. Mendy’s our guy. He’s our leader, he’s in control, he’s done a tremendous job.
"The people paddling – we’ve got to paddle and execute."
Fair or not, performance can serve as a referendum on a manager, which the Mets know all too well. And returning home amid such a freefall might not be the panacea.
"It’s going to get very loud. And everyone here knows it," says Lindor. "We’ve just got to stick together."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Mets losing streak hits 11 in a row after Cubs rally late at Wrigley
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