Mets' Stars Struggle, Rotation in Turmoil

The New York Mets have lost eight of their last nine games, dropping behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East and facing increased pressure in the postseason race. Offensive struggles have been led by underperformances from Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Juan Soto, who has posted a .177 batting average since the All-Star break and faced criticism for both his play and attitude. Soto's lone recent highlight was a ninth-inning home run to break up a near no-hitter against the Guardians, but this has been viewed as insufficient. Boomer Esiason and others have publicly questioned Soto's leadership, increasing scrutiny on the star player. Manager Carlos Mendoza has expressed hope for improvement but suggested that Frankie Montas's continued poor starts may cost him his place in the rotation. The Mets' combination of inconsistent offense and pitching struggles threatens their playoff hopes unless their top players rebound quickly.