Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Mets have dug themselves a 1.5 game hole in the NL East coming into Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers. This is coming off losing both games on the road to the Toronto Blue Jays and being swept in a three-game series by the Atlanta Braves on the road. It’s no surprise that the Mets have struggled on the road this season, but they will need to take this next series against the Brewers to keep pace with the Washington Nationals. There have been two common problems during this five-game losing streak that need to be addressed: Run support and defense.
The Mets have been held to one run in two games and shut out in two other games over this five-game skid. Run support has been an issue all year, and negated great pitching outings for Jacob deGrom and for Matt Harvey during this road trip. Veteran players like Curtis Granderson and Michael Cuddyer need to step up and hit for this young ball club in the absence of Daniel Murphy and David Wright. Lucas Duda has been struggling as well, and he will need to pick up his bat to give this team some much needed RBIs.
The Mets’ defense during this five-game stretch has been less than stellar. In three out of the five losses, the Mets have recorded one error on the the score sheet. Last Saturday against the Braves, the Mets had two errors recorded. Extra outs simply cannot be given in the big leagues, especially when you’re a young team that is struggling. The inability to turn the double play in key situations has also hurt this ball club. The middle infield will need to play considerably better if the Mets are going to right the ship.
Barry Holmes is a New York Mets Beat Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BHO732, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+
