Stock Up, Stock Down: All-Star week, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox

Stock Down: Mets close first half with two losses

As bad as the first half has been for the New York Mets, things were looking up as they closed out the first half on the West Coast. After sweeping the National League West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks, they opened a key three-game series with the San Diego Padres by rallying for a 7-5 win in 10 innings. For the steps they took forward in the first four games on the trip, they took big steps backward in the final two games at Petco Park.

In Game 2, Blake Snell was dominant for the Padres, striking out 11 in six innings and allowing just one hit in a 3-1 San Diego win. Sunday, the Padres closed out the series by using two home runs from Manny Machado off of Max Scherzer. The New York right-hander allowed six hits, five runs, walked three, and struck out seven in five innings, but it was two pitches to San Diego’s third baseman that was the difference in a 6-2 loss. Joe Musgrove was dealing for the Friars, scattering three hits and sticking out seven of his own in six innings.

The Mets return home to kick off the second half with three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and three against the White Sox. New York’s only path to the postseason because of their first-half struggles is one of the three Wild Card spots and they are currently seven games back and needing to jump four teams to get into the playoffs. That’s not what they had envisioned when the season began.

Right now, the Mets would be buyers at the deadline. However, a tough start to the second half of the season could change their plans and they could begin to sell off some pieces that they are not counting on having in 2024.