Carlos Mendoza’s changes worked for one day, even if the result was another loss.
The struggling Mets lineup broke out for 10 hits and three homers in an 11-6 loss to the A’s on Saturday at Citi Field.
The manager dropped Bo Bichette to the cleanup spot for the first time this year, and moved Luis Robert Jr. to second, with Jorge Polanco in between the two after being held out of the past two games.
“Just wanted to shake some things up.” Mendoza said. “We still have pretty good hitters at the top. I wanted to give them a different look here. Getting Polanco back in the lineup helps.”
The Mets entered Saturday’s contest against the A’s having managed just three runs in the past four games. They hadn’t scored in the previous 17 innings. There was another 17-inning scoreless drought earlier in this young season. The offense has been a major problem through 14 games.
The Mets hit on Saturday. Polanco, Bichette and Francisco Alvarez all went deep.
They cut a 7-1 deficit to 7-6, before Luke Weaver was tattooed for four runs in the eighth to put the game out of reach.
“We were one at-bat away from [going ahead],” Francisco Lindor said. “We started putting together better at-bats as the game went on, but we just didn’t finish the job.”
Some of the hitting issues can be attributed to Juan Soto’s absence with a calf strain, and Polanco has been in and out of the lineup as well due to a case of left Achilles bursitis. But plenty of regulars have struggled, led by Lindor and his .167 batting average.
“I mean, these things happen, especially early in the season. It’s not something that we just fall back on, like it’s part of the game. We’re definitely going to get better and have better at-bats,” Bichette said. “Getting off to a hot start and everything rolling, I wouldn’t say it’s a normal thing.”
“Any team is better with those guys [Soto and Polanco]. But in this league, there’s no excuses. We have to step up and just have better at-bats as a team. I think we’re going to do that.”
Even in defeat, Saturday was a step in the right direction.