The New York Mets’ offensive slump continued on Sunday, as they fell 1-0 to the Oakland Athletics at Citi Field, extending a difficult stretch at the plate. The defeat not only completed a series sweep by the A’s—something that had never happened before—but also marked the Mets’ third shutout loss of the season.
The game’s defining moment came early. In the top of the third inning, Nick Kurtz capitalized on an 0-2 pitch from Freddy Peralta, sending a curveball over the right-field fence for what would be the game’s only run.
Despite limited scoring from both sides, the Mets had an opportunity to respond in the sixth inning. With runners on first and second and just one out, the situation looked promising. However, Aaron Civale forced Jorge Polanco into a key out, ending the threat. After Civale exited, Hogan Harris took over and quickly shut the door by retiring pinch-hitter Mark Vientos on a fly ball.
Missed opportunities proved costly for New York, which failed to register a hit in three chances with runners in scoring position and left four men stranded on base.
Late in the game, the Mets lacked a key offensive option. Luis Robert Jr. was unavailable to pinch-hit after appearing in five straight games. Manager Carlos Mendoza clarified that the decision was precautionary, emphasizing that the player is healthy but needed rest.
“We didn’t use him defensively or off the bench because of workload,” Mendoza explained. “He’s fine physically, but we’re being careful. That limited our options a bit.”
The team’s offensive production has noticeably dipped since Juan Soto was placed on the injured list on April 4. Since then, the Mets have averaged just 3.38 runs per game, compared to 4.38 earlier in the season. Their performance with runners in scoring position has also been inconsistent, reflected in a .676 OPS during this stretch.
Now riding a five-game losing streak, the Mets face a challenging road trip ahead. They are set to travel to Los Angeles for a three-game series against the Dodgers, where they’ll go up against top-tier talent including Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani.
Despite the struggles, Mendoza remains confident in his squad and is not considering major changes.
“It’s been a tough homestand, especially offensively,” he said. “We showed some improvement at times, but not enough to win. There are moments where we’re too aggressive, then too passive. Consistency is the key, and we need better at-bats overall.”
He added that the team must continue to trust its core players and work through the slump.
Third baseman Bo Bichette echoed that sentiment, expressing optimism about the team’s ability to bounce back.
“We know we’re capable of scoring,” Bichette said. “We just need to compete better in our at-bats. Things will turn around.”
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