The Mets’ grueling road trip out west was exactly that, going from Queens to Anahaheim, to St. Louis, to Denver, to Seattle, and back to Queens in 11 days.
In total, they logged 9,615 miles during that stretch which includes the plane ride home from Seattle — though they might as well be limping back to New York.
The longest road trip of the season finished with a whimper. After going 4-3 against the Angels, Cardinals, and Rockies, the Mets were obliterated by the Mariners in Seattle, scoring just a single run in three games while being outscored 22-1.
A 4-6 record on the 10-game swing saw the Mets drop out of a playoff spot as they trail the Atlanta Braves by half a game for the third and final Wild Card slot in the National League.
The reward for New York’s travels will be a nine-game homestand that begins on Tuesday night at Citi Field, but the first six games of the stay in Queens are especially important given the soft opposition that comes to town.
The Oakland Athletics are the second-worst team in the American League with a 50-69 record this season and will be waiting for the Mets when they return home on Tuesday for a three-game set.
The AL West minnows have taken advantage of an easier schedule as of late, taking two of three in each of their last two series against the miserable Chicago White Sox — on pace to set a new MLB record for fewest wins in a 162-game season — and the disappointing Toronto Blue Jays.
Friday begins a three-game series against the Miami Marlins, who are tied with the Rockies for the worst record in the National League at 44-75. Granted, this is a team that always tends to give the Mets trouble despite their usual place at the bottom of the NL East.
The Mets are 5-5 in 10 games against the Marlins this season, though this is the first time they’ll be facing Miami since the trade deadline. The Marlins sold some of their best pieces including Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the Yankees and reliever Huascar Brazoban to the Mets.
This is an imperative stretch for the Mets to re-bolster their standing in the playoff picture, especially because the American League East-leading Baltimore Orioles await them to finish off the homestand. They then travel back out west to face the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, both of whom currently possess the top two Wild Card spots in the NL.
