Mets Made Rough Road Trip Even Harder

Any road trip that involves a stop on the West Coast is difficult for East Coast teams; the long flight, the time difference, etc. Most average teams, like the Mets, would be happy being at .500 for the trip. Well, with the Mets poor performance over the last two games in San Diego, they have made it quite difficult to get close to that not-so-lofty goal.

Let’s face it, the Padres are not a good team. The Mets needed to at least win two of the games, if not an outright sweep. A sweep would have allowed them to win just one game each in Seattle and Milwaukee so they could be 5-5 for the trip.

But the Mets managed to win just one game in San Diego. Now the Mets will have to win one of the series with the Mariners and Brewers. That is a tall order — both of these teams are in the thick of their respective playoff races, although Milwaukee has been slumping of late after a sizzling start.

Much like Petco Park (and Citi Field, for that matter), Safeco Field is not a hitters ballpark. So the Mets have to hope their pitching holds up and the offense can come up with key hits when the game is on the line, something it could not do in those two losses against the Padres.

And since Miller Park is pretty good place for hitters, the Mets bats will have to keep up with the potent Brewers offense.

Whatever happens, these next seven games will be difficult for the Mets and could determine their fate for the rest of the season. A good showing could convince Sandy Alderson to acquire a bat or two and make a playoff push. Otherwise they could be sellers and we would have to watch the Mets play out the string, again.