How the Mets melted down in May: Blown saves, near-no-hitters, injuries and everything else that went wrong

For much of April, the New York Mets looked competent. More than competent, in fact, as they were 12-3 in a row through April 20, a period that included series victories over the Braves, Dodgers and Royals. The proverbial wheels have since fallen off and they enter Thursday with a 7-19 record and a -44 run differential in May.

Of course, the Mets’ Meltdown May isn’t just about the record and how far they’ve been surpassed. It was much more. Let’s examine this.

May 1: Tough Challenge Loss

After failing to score with two on and none out in the bottom of the eighth while trailing the Cubs 1-0, the Mets appeared to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. Instead, Pete Alonso was ejected at home on a supposed sack, although left fielder Ian Happ’s throw was stopped for a relay throw. It appeared in live action that Alonso had gotten his hand under catcher Miguel Amaya and was safe, but the main discussion was about whether Amaya had illegally blocked the plate. The umpires confirmed on review that Amaya was positioned legally and the Mets suffered a tough loss. They had already lost seven of 10 since their hitting streak ended. Full story here.

And we left!

May 11: Almost unsuccessful

The good news here was that JD Martinez hit a home run. The bad news is that it was the Mets’ first hit of the game and it came with two outs in the ninth inning of a 4-1 loss to the Braves. Full story here.

May 16: Owner Steve Cohen denies content of deleted tweet

On May 15, Mets owner Steve Cohen responded to a comment (in which he was not tagged) online with “all in the future, can’t do much until the trade deadline.” At best, this certainly seems to imply that they will be sellers in July before the deadline as they look to build for the future. But then Cohen deleted the answer, said it was supposed to be a DM and insisted that “we are still very capable of making the playoffs.” Full story here.

We’ve heard a lot over the years about the “Bronx Zoo,” but when the owner makes a faux pas like this, we’re entering Queens Zoo territory.

May 18: Díaz continues to crumble

A day after losing 8-0 to the hapless Marlins, the Mets held a 7-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning against the same hapless Marlins. Miami scored three runs in the seventh, but it was still a 7-5 game. The Mets then added two in the top of the ninth. A 9-5 lead with Edwin Díaz’s closer entry into the game should have been safe. It was not. He gave up four runs and the Marlins won, 10-9, in 10 innings. The Mets fell to 20-25.

The world’s 2022 closer, who missed all of 2023 due to injury, had now recorded three saves (and remember, with a four-run lead, this didn’t even count as a blown save) with an E.R.A. of 10.80 in his last eight matches. During this same period, he had a successful defense.

May 25: Lindor watches strike, Díaz melts again

The Mets had a one-run lead with a runner on second when Francisco Lindor decided not to even try to hit third against the Giants.

Without the safe run, Díaz allowed a run in the ninth as the Giants tied the game. Then the Giants scored five runs in the top of the 10th and the Mets lost 7-2. They fell to 21-30.

“He hadn’t struck [in the at-bat],” Lindor said (via the New York Post). “I made every pitch a strike [by swinging outside the zone] and was helping him. My best bet was to make a shot. Turns out he was the one who hit the nail on the head.”

The game made the Mets’ broadcast team – one of the best in the leagues, if not O better – to illustrate the situation as follows:

Keith Hernandez: “Man, man. It feels like the sky is falling.”

Ron Darling: “There’s the defeat and there’s what’s going on here and they’re two different things. It’s just gut-wrenching.”

Gary Cohen: “The Mets are now 9-22 in their last 31 games. Remember, the sun will rise tomorrow, as hard as it may be to notice.”

In progress: Senga setbacks

The team’s most reliable starter this season should be Kodai Senga, an All-Star who finished seventh in Cy Young voting last season. He was 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 166 1/3 innings in 2023, his first year in Major League Baseball.

He was sidelined all season with a shoulder injury. On May 13 (story here), amid questions about how long his recovery process was taking, Senga revealed that he was actually trying to review his mechanics rather than progress through bullpen sessions.

“With my current mechanics, I didn’t think I could come back 100%,” he told reporters through an interpreter.

It’s probably not good that this is a talking point in mid-May.

More recently, Senga had a triceps problem and took a cortisone shot before playing ball and advancing to bullpen sessions (SNY), but it has apparently been one thing after another, continuing to delay his return.

May 29: Díaz hits IL

Closer Edwin Díaz, who was temporarily sidelined from the closer role as his struggles continued, has now entered the injured list with a shoulder injury (full story here). He has a 5.40 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP, although he has blown four of his last five save chances, and again, that doesn’t include the four-run collapse at Miami.

May 29: Alonso hits his hand and leaves the game

All-Star slugger Pete Alonso was hit in the right hand by a pitch in the first inning Wednesday and left the game. X-rays were negative, but CT scan results are forthcoming. If the Mets are sellers, Alonso is the biggest trade chip they have. If they somehow get back into the playoff race, he will be the middle-order hitter they need to help carry the offense. He is also in a contract year.

May 29: López’s general disaster

Mets reliever Jorge López on Wednesday night was part of the Mets’ bullpen collapse against the Dodgers that turned a 3-3 lead into a 10-3 loss in just two innings. Then he got thrown out and threw the glove into the crowd and it was just getting started. After the game, he called the Mets “the worst team in probably the whole fucking MLB” or called himself the “worst teammate.” He says he meant teammate about himself. The Mets are reportedly set to designate him for assignment. Full story here.

Wednesday night had to be rock bottom, right?

Since they have won 12 of 15, the Mets are 10-25. That’s the worst record in all of baseball since April 20th. The period from May 7th to 19th (so far) matches the record from last June 7th to 19th – a disastrous month that helped trigger a sell-off ahead of the trading deadline. Last time, they traded Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, David Robertson, Mark Canha, and Tommy Pham.

Who can go this year?

Alonso is the main name. Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Harrison Bader are on one-year contracts and are productive enough to get something in return. Maybe they can get rid of senior year Starling Marte (he’s signed through 2025), though his barely above-average OPS+ and $19.5 million salary for next season make that a tall order. JD Martinez could be interesting on the market.

It’s a discussion that can wait.

For now, Mets fans can simply lament the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad month of May at the Queens Zoo.