From the outset, Wednesday afternoon’s series finale between the Mets and the Chicago White Sox seemed destined for trouble.
Before the first pitch, the game had already been rescheduled from 7:10 p.m. to 1:10 p.m. due to a poor weather forecast. Even with the earlier start, the weather was still far from ideal. That might help explain Griffin Canning’s continued struggles, though he didn’t blame the conditions.
The right-hander gave up two runs in the opening frame and allowed five total (three earned) over three innings, walking four. It was another rough outing after a rain-shortened start against the Dodgers.
“Just wasn’t good, wasn’t competitive,” Canning admitted. “I let the team down with how I started the game.”
The Mets missed a chance to sweep the White Sox, falling 9-4, but the more pressing issue is their ongoing struggles with runners in scoring position. Despite a highlight from Mark Vientos, who crushed a two-out, three-run homer to pull the Mets within two in the third inning, the team finished just 2-for-12 with RISP.
Entering the day, the Mets ranked near the bottom of the league with a .212 average in those situations — worst in the National League and fourth-worst overall — and it only declined after this game.
“We have to improve with runners in scoring position, and everyone knows it,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “The underlying metrics might suggest we’re due for better results, but we still have to produce. Yesterday we had some better at-bats; today, not really.”
New York only collected five hits on the day, but drew eight walks — five of them in the first 3.2 innings against starter Shane Smith. Still, they failed to capitalize on multiple chances. Adding to the frustration, former Mets prospect Mike Vasil tossed three scoreless innings against his old team, giving up just two hits and a walk while striking out five. His ERA now sits at 2.10 in his rookie season.
“That’s baseball,” Vientos said. “It’s a long season — hot streaks, cold streaks, and everything in between. That’s just how it goes.”
Mendoza echoed Vientos’ belief that things will eventually even out.
“We have a talented lineup, and I’m confident that by the end of the year the numbers will be there, especially with runners in scoring position,” he said. “But right now, we have to keep grinding and find ways to come through.”
Despite their offensive struggles, the Mets have found ways to win. With a 34-22 record, they sit in second place in the NL East, which helps explain why the team isn’t panicking.
“If this is what struggling looks like and we’re still winning games,” Vientos said, “imagine what happens when we really start clicking. I don’t think this will last all season — we’re just waiting for that stretch where everything comes together.”
In theory, once the bats heat up, the Mets could take off. But that outlook assumes the pitching — which has been carrying the team — will hold steady. If it doesn’t, games like Wednesday’s could become more frequent.
“We have to be better,” Mendoza concluded.
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