Francisco Lindor is slumping at the plate, making uncharacteristic mistakes in the field and on the bases, and the Mets paid for all of it in an 11-6 loss to the Athletics on Saturday at Citi Field. New York dropped its fourth straight game and fell to 7-8.
The five-time All-Star also made another mental error Saturday, part of a stretch in which he has been involved in at least three such mistakes in the field this season. The Mets had only one official error, when Carson Benge missed a ball in left field in the first inning, but the defense never settled in and the night ended with the Athletics pulling away after New York briefly fought back.
By the seventh inning, Oakland led 7-6 before the Mets answered with home runs from Bo Bichette, Francisco Alvarez and Jorge Polanco, a burst that only highlighted how hard the offense had to work to stay close. The loss came a day after the Mets were shut out through nine innings for the third time in 14 games, and after they went 17 straight frames without scoring between Robert’s home run Thursday and Bichette’s RBI single in the first inning Saturday.
That drought has been made worse by Juan Soto’s absence. His calf issue has sent him to the injured list, and he has not yet started running, a sign that the Mets may still be waiting two or three weeks before they can count on him again. In seven full games without Soto, New York averaged 3.7 runs per game, a number that leaves little margin when the defense is giving away outs.
Carlos Mendoza did not soften his message afterward. “We’re better than that,” the manager said. “Making errors and mental mistakes, we’re better than that. We gotta fix it. And we will.”
The broader numbers suggest the Mets’ defense is somewhere between fine and good, as they entered Saturday seventh in defensive runs saved according to FanGraphs. But the eye test has been rougher lately, especially at the corner spots, where players are still adjusting to positions that are new to them. The middle of the diamond was supposed to be the strength, and with Lindor in the mix, that has not looked like the case.
For now, the Mets look like a team that keeps finding new ways to give away innings they cannot afford to waste. Until the mistakes stop, the pressure on an already thin lineup will only grow.
