The New York Mets have struggled to score runs while losing 10 of their last 13 games, and even their own manager has no answers for how the team can turn things around.
After his team scored just one run in a 14-inning loss to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, Mets manager Mickey Callaway was asked what his players can do to spark some offensive production. He offered very little insight.
Asked what the Mets can do to spark some offensive production, Mickey Callaway said: "At this point, I'm not sure."
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) June 3, 2018
Saturday’s loss was particularly painful, as New York’s pitching staff was lights out for what should have been long enough. Jacob deGrom started things out with seven innings of one-run ball, and the bullpen held things together for six more innings until Chicago broke the game open in the 14th. Callaway said he has already been shuffling the lineup a bit but it doesn’t seem to be working.
“We’ve been moving guys around the lineup a little bit, especially when a lefty pitches, so we’re just gonna go out there and grind,” he said, per Howie Kussoy of the New York Post. “It was a frustrating night at the plate. Maybe they’re putting too much pressure on themselves because they haven’t been great when [deGrom’s] pitched.”
deGrom’s 1.49 ERA is the best among National League starters, but he has won just two games in his last eight starts. The Mets have scored a total of nine runs in his previous five outings.
“It is [more frustrating] because [the bullpen] stepped up and did their job tonight,” Callaway said. “They did a great job of keeping us where we needed to be and keep on giving us extra at-bats to scratch one run over the plate.”
Callaway tried to get through to his players after Friday’s 7-4 loss to the Cubs, but it apparently did not work. The Mets are now two games below .500, and they have to start scoring some runs if they want to avoid falling further behind in the NL East.
