Mets Remain Confident Despite Fifth Straight Loss, Head to LA to Face red-hot Dodgers

The New York Mets’ offense has gone cold. A 1-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Sunday extended New York’s losing streak to five games, leaving the Mets heading to Los Angeles with serious questions to answer.

The lone run of the game came on a third-inning solo homer by Nick Kurtz off Freddy Peralta. It was the only blemish on an otherwise strong start from the Mets’ ace, who allowed just one run on four hits over six innings, striking out six.

“For some reason they weren’t swinging at the low changeups,” Peralta said. “But we made adjustments and we got better as the game was moving on.”

The problem is a lineup that has scored just nine runs over the five-game slide. Saturday’s six-run output offered brief hope, but the Mets have been shut out twice in their last three games and were outscored 33-12 during the six-game homestand.

The absence of Juan Soto has compounded the struggles. Without their star acquisition in the lineup, New York has managed just four hits on Sunday, half of them from Francisco Lindor.

“Nobody will deny the absence of Soto in the lineup, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have the capacity to score runs,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “We have the resources necessary to get hits and score runs and we will do it.”

Despite the slide, the clubhouse remains steadfast. Lindor and Bo Bichette both spoke of bad luck and the need for better at-bats, but stopped short of panic.

“This team is really talented so we’re gonna score runs,” Bichette said. “We’ll be alright.”

Peralta echoed that sentiment. “I know we are way better than this and we have a great team,” he said. “The time is gonna come.”

The Mets now head to Dodger Stadium to face a Los Angeles team that has won seven of its last eight. It’s a formidable test, but with 150 games remaining, New York is running out of time to find its rhythm.