PITTSBURGH — The Mets have started playing poorly at a particularly unfortunate time.
With an 8-2 loss to the Pirates on Tuesday, they have dropped three in a row — all against last-place teams — to match their longest losing streak of the season. Their lead in the NL East was down to a half-game, with second-place Atlanta threatening to pull into a tie if it won its late game in Oakland.
This time, again, nothing went well for the Mets, including that which is under their control (hitting, pitching) and that which isn’t (potential injuries).