The Pittsburgh Pirates managed to win a mere three of the last 13 games. That gave the New York Mets all the reasons to be cautiously optimistic heading into their weekend series at PNC Park. But then, they got swept by the Pirates and managed to score only four runs across the series. Frankly, it’s embarrassing.
During the opening game on Friday night, the only bright spot for the NYM was Juan Soto’s 20th home run in the fourth inning. But that couldn’t save the Mets from losing 9-1. Overall, it was nothing short of a disaster to see David Peterson allowing 5 runs in 4.2 innings and Blade Tidwell’s ERA spiking to 10.13.
The second game was no better either. The Pirates, in the second inning itself, notched a 3-1 lead. Later on, they concluded the game with a big six-run eighth inning. All thanks to Andrew McCutchen and Brian Reynolds’ two consecutive two-run doubles. Meanwhile, the Mets pitcher Paul Blackburn gave up three runs on six hits in just one inning. A 9-2 loss in the second game prompted them to call a players-only meeting.
But that didn’t help. If anything, it got worse. The Pirates dominated again, and the Mets eventually suffered a 12-1 blowout. Naturally, we were waiting for the blame game to start, especially towards the coaching staff. But now, the team officials have declared that they will continue to believe in the coaching staff. Yes, despite the embarrassing Pirates’ sweep, the Mets officials have no intention of holding them accountable.
Despite the Mets’ recent skid, team officials continue to believe in the coaching staff (via @martinonyc) https://t.co/L1FTWOfOiE pic.twitter.com/4Fg2X9NMS5
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 30, 2025
Apparently, hitting coaches cannot turn things around if the offense has underperformed.
MLB hitters are not a part of any player development program. In fact, except for the team’s coaches—Eric Chavez and Danny Barnes—most players already work with their private hitting coaches.
Coming to pitching, the rotation has visibly suffered, and the bullpen has taken the load. However, it certainly can’t come to pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, who happens to be one of the most elite ones across the league. Moreover, his assistant, Desi Druschel, and bullpen coach Jose Rosado also excel at their specialties.
Clearly, losing even one of them would do more harm than good. So, what’s the issue then?
Mets’ strategy amid their rotation concerns
For the record, across 12 games, not even a single starter from the Mets’ rotation has managed to record an out in the sixth inning. Injuries have taken over four of the starters. Sean Manaea has started throwing again after his left elbow injury. However, it’s uncertain when he will take his next rehab outing. Meanwhile, Kodai Senga is limited to just playing catch due to his hamstring issues.
Tylor Megill, for elbow issues again, is yet to resume throwing. However, his return is expected soon. Not to forget, Griffin Canning is out for the entire season after an Achilles injury.
Consequently, the Mets have decided to give Blade Tidwell a chance this week against the Milwaukee Brewers. The rotation will now include Paul Blackburn, Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes, and David Peterson. But honestly, this rotation looks shaky as of now.
For Clay Holmes, it’s just his first year as a starter. He still needs to prove his impact. And with Blackburn, who is a depth starter, and Peterson, who is battling with his mechanics, the idea doesn’t look promising.
Then there’s Montas, who hasn’t performed well in the last outing against the Pirates. He was recently back from the injured list and was expected to make an impactful comeback. However, his velocity took a dip, and he lost his command. The Pirates made the most of his poor performance and notched five runs in the first inning.
Looks like their lineup is the concern here. As Brandon Nimmo shared after the NYM’s 9-2 loss this Saturday, “We’re not playing well… We’ve won a couple games, but we haven’t been able to put it together.” So, probably, besides discussing the lapses in meetings, they should suit up and put in the best possible effort. The “WIN NOW” mindset should come back…
The post Mets Officials’ Surprising Reaction to Team’s Slump After Embarrassing Sweep by Pirates Revealed appeared first on EssentiallySports.
