Why the Next 2 Weeks Will Define the Mets' Season

The upcoming stretch will make or break the rest of the Mets' campaign. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The city of New York has shifted its focus to one thing, and one thing only. The Knicks just completed one of the most improbable comebacks in sports history on Wednesday, erasing a 29-point deficit in the third quarter to steal Game 4 against the Spurs and take a 3-1 lead. This isn’t a piece about the Knicks; instead, it’s the baseball team that resides in Queens.

The Mets have completely let down the tri-state area, starting their toughest stretch of the season in June, where they play 19 consecutive games against National League teams looking to play baseball in October, with their gauntlet kicking off against an overperforming Cardinals team. With the pressure of making a midseason playoff push, the Mets seemingly crumbled.

The first two games followed a similar blueprint to the struggles the Mets have dealt with all season. Freddy Peralta struggled through his six-inning start, allowing six runs on six hits while walking two batters, making fans second-guess the transaction that brought him to New York in January. The offense wasn’t off the hook either, going 5-for-31 as a team and failing to score a run.

Game 2 brought yet another bullpen game, with Austin Warren struggling through his one inning of work, allowing two runs while walking two batters. David Peterson would get his bulk work in, going 3 2/3 innings while allowing six runs and seven hits, continuing to prove his future in Queens may be coming to a close. The offense again struggled, tallying three hits through the first six innings and going hitless through the final three innings of play.

Thursday made one thing clear: There was very little room for the Mets to add another loss to their record.

Moving forward, the Mets are playing for their season.

Still alive, for now

It looked as if the Mets would continue on their downward spiral thanks to yet another home run from Alex Burleson in the first inning, giving St. Louis a quick 2-0 lead. Burleson was ruthless in the three-game set against the Mets, going 4-for-14 at the plate with three HRs and five RBIs. However, the Mets offense finally found a pulse, with Carson Benge leading the bottom half of the first off with a single, followed by a two-run HR from Bo Bichette, putting them in front 2-1.

The offense wouldn’t go down just yet. Jared Young joined the fun with a solo shot of his own, giving the Mets a 3-1 lead.

Jared Young's solo shot helped give the Mets a lead over the Cardinals on Thursday. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Following the trend of the entire series, however, the Cardinals' red-hot offense would strike again, tacking on two more home runs in the second inning to make it 4-3. Through just two innings of play, both teams combined for five home runs and seven runs.

However, Scott would lock in, recording a tame 4 2/3 innings with six strikeouts, holding the damage to just four runs. Juan Soto would find himself in a hero role, going deep in the seventh inning to put the Mets up 5-4 before Luke Weaver and Devin Williams would lock down a much-needed win to avoid a detrimental sweep.

As of Friday afternoon, the Mets stand at 30-38, 5.5 games back in the NL Wild Card race.

What’s next for the Mets

As mentioned before, the Mets are now three games into their 19-game streak against teams fighting for positions in the NL playoff picture. This weekend, they face the Braves, who sit at 45-23, the best record in baseball. However, they’re coming off two straight losses to the White Sox, with Ronald Acuña Jr. hitting the injured list yet again with a leg injury.

To salvage their six-game homestand, it’s essential for the Mets to take at least two wins, especially against a team they’ve yet to face this season. The biggest problem? The Mets have failed to build off successful games, especially after two solid wins against the Padres this past weekend.

Looking at the NL playoff picture, the Cubs and Diamondbacks have both struggled as of late, going 3-7 over their last 10, while the Cardinals and Phillies continue to win.

Following the Braves, the Mets will travel to Cincinnati for a three-game series against the Reds, who currently lead the Mets by 2.5 games and are 3-7 in their last 10 games, with a team ERA of 5.00. The time to start winning is now.