Even after Sunday’s 8-4 win over the Rangers, the Mets are 10 games under .500 and no longer the beneficiaries of playing in a subpar division.
Instead, NL East front-runners Atlanta and Washington have distanced themselves from the pack.
Still, the Mets insist they have a second-half run in them.
If so, it had better start Monday when the Braves come to Citi Field to start a four-game set.
“Wins are wins at this point,” David Wright said. “We understand that in order to make a splash, you have to start winning games in the division and especially at home. This is a good opportunity for us to really challenge ourselves against one of the elite teams in the National League.”
The Mets looked pretty good on Sunday against the struggling Rangers, scoring five runs in the first — all with two outs — and watching Zack Wheeler pitch effectively into the seventh inning.
But what looked like a stress-free afternoon got a little shaky when Gonzalez Germen single-handedly let the Rangers back into the game, giving up three runs (two homers) in the eighth inning.
Luckily for the Mets, Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia finished the game and Ruben Tejada’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth gave them some extra breathing room.
They looked to have all the cushion they needed after the first, when Lucas Duda ripped a run-scoring double to left followed by a Juan Lagares RBI single. Anthony Recker then delivered the crushing blow off Texas right-hander Nick Tepesch, a three-run homer to left that just stayed fair.
Wheeler (4-8), who hadn’t won at home all season (0-4, 5.40 at Citi Field before Sunday), gave up only a two-out solo homer to Robinson Chirinos until he had trouble in the seventh.
But with runners on first and third, Dana Eveland struck out Shin-Soo Choo and Vic Black got Elvis Andrus to line out to center to end the inning.
Germen started the eighth, though by allowing a leadoff homer to Alex Rios, a single by Adrian Beltre and another homer to Leonys Martin. He struck out Chirinos, but manager Terry Collins brought in Familia and the drama was soon over.
All of it added up to Collins saying he continued to believe the Mets are “one or two pieces from being really good.”
And so he’s not ready to give up on 2014, even as trade winds continue to blow.
“I don’t think for one second we’re going to give up big pieces that next year are going to make this team good,” Collins said. “[Matt Harvey] is coming back. We’re not going to give up major pieces to help somebody else right now. We’re trying to win games here, too.”
If they have any hope of getting off life support this season, this figures to be a critical week. They let an opportunity pass them by last week when they were swept in Atlanta and Collins admitted this upcoming series was vital.
“We’ve got to make it count,” the manager said.
Wheeler’s performance was encouraging, as he allowed just one run over 6 ¹/₃ innings for a second straight outing after his implosion against the A’s.
“I want to have quick innings and limit the stuff that the other team is doing when you have a big lead,” Wheeler said. “It was nice to pitch with that lead throughout the game.”
And it left Collins pining for more.
“We’ve got to get consistent,” Collins said. “I hope we build on it.”