The Mets Lost 17 of 20 in April and They're ALREADY Back in Last Place

Alright, Emerald City, another day, another dose of baseball reality. While our Mariners just took a tough 5-0 loss to the Royals, let's talk about a different kind of pain unfolding out east. The New York Mets? Man, are they in a tailspin right now. They're staring down a sweep from the Miami Marlins, sitting in sole possession of last place in the NL East on May 24th. You gotta wonder what's going on with that squad, because this team-wide slump is looking way too familiar.

Deja Vu All Over Again for New York

It feels like we've seen this movie before, doesn't it? The Mets are reeling, dropping four of their last five games and looking completely lost at the plate. They've been outscored a brutal 24-14 in that stretch. Remember that absolute nightmare April they had? They lost 17 of their final 20 games that month, putting up a dismal average of 2.7 runs per contest. That slide even included a 12-game losing streak from April 8-21, which was their longest skid since all the way back in 2002. You'd think they'd learned something after bouncing back to win 11 of 16 games to open May, averaging 5.4 runs in that span. But nope, here we are again, and it’s just ugly. On Saturday, they couldn't even get on the scoreboard until Mark Vientos smacked an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning. Vientos tried to spin it, saying, "The past couple games, we've faced some good pitching... Obviously we haven't done what we've wanted at the plate, but got to give credit where credit is due." But come on, dude, at some point, it's gotta be on you guys.

Marlins Pitching Has Them Guessing

Meanwhile, the Marlins are just doing their thing, pouring salt in the Mets' wound. Miami locked up the series win on Saturday with a dominant 4-1 victory. Max Meyer was absolutely lights out, giving up just one hit over seven scoreless innings and improving his record to an impressive 5-0. Now they're 1 1/2 games ahead of New York. For Sunday's finale, Miami is handing the ball to right-hander Tyler Phillips (0-0, 1.20 ERA) for his first start of the season. Phillips has been a relief ace, allowing more than one run only once in 15 appearances, and he's taking the spot of Braxton Garrett, who got demoted to Triple-A. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough sounds confident, stating, "We believe he has the pitches and the ability to start it... As circumstances have happened in recent weeks, felt like he's been throwing the ball terrifically." The Mets will counter with Christian Scott (0-0, 4.12 ERA), who didn't factor into the decision in his last start, giving up three runs over four innings. Historically, Scott is 0-2 with a 7.88 ERA in two career starts against these Marlins, so that's not exactly inspiring confidence.

What's Next for the Struggling Squad?

So, can the Mets avoid the sweep on Sunday? It's a tall order when you're facing a hot pitcher making his first start and trying to make a statement. The Marlins haven't had a series sweep since way back in March against the Rockies, so they're hungry for this one. For New York, after this game, they're heading home with a serious question mark hanging over their heads. This isn't about playoffs yet, but it's definitely about pride. Can they find a spark, or will this May slump mirror that disastrous April? We'll be watching to see if they can finally catch a break.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.