More From Mike Vaccaro The best part of Carlos Mendozas 120-game tenure as a big-league manager has been the way he conducted himself in April and May, the inherent skill with which he seemed Alexis Lafreniere Jersey to understand the long season, the highs and lows that affect every team, winning streaks and losing streaks, the calm with which he kept his players from sliding too deeply into the weeds even as they slid 11 games under .500 a couple of times. The second-best part of Carlos Mendozas 120-game tenure as a big-league manager has been the way he conducted himself in June and July, the inherent skill with which he seemed to understand the long season, the highs and lows that affect every team, winning streaks and losing streaks, the calm with which he kept his players from scaling too high into the clouds even as they crawled seven games over .500 a couple of times. Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) cannot field a single by Oakland Athletics third baseman Darell Hernaiz during the fifth inning at Citi Field on Aug. 13, 2024. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con The third-best part will be what happens now, in the coming weeks, if the Mets can figure out a way to untangle themselves from a slump that seized them suddenly in Seattle and apparently . They took the first step at doing that Wednesday night at Citi Field, and ending a four-game long streak. We know where were at, Mendoza said a few hours before, while his team was still proce sing a 9-4 lo s Tuesday that inspired reliever and winning pitcher Austin Adams to an extended spasm of sheer V-J Day-level bli s (more on A-squared later). I dont thing theres a soft spot on the schedule, Mendoza said. Look at the As record the last five, six weeks, look at the pitching theyve gotten. Any team can beat you. Youve got to bring your A game every day, regardle s whether were facing the As or the Yankees. Mets third base coach Mike Sarbaugh, left, confers with manager Carlos Mendoza in the third inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. AP Both of the locals did a masterful job the previous two nights underlining the growing realities that a) while there are more good and very good teams than most years there isnt a singular fearsome power and b) even the teams that seem to be playing out the string dont always play that way when theyre playing you . And so the Yankees Monday night and then had to slither and slide their way through a treacherous ninth inning to avoid an unthinkable repeat, and the Mets got good and thumped by the As Tuesday. Who was it that used to say, Thats baseball, Suzyn? Well, this is baseball in 2024 unle s, at the moment, you happen to play for the Diamondbacks and the Padres, the first which won Wednesday for the 14th time in 16 games, the second which won for the 19th time in their last 23. Fifteen minutes ago the Mets were engaged with those two teams in what seemed bound to be a raucous four-teams-for-three-spots struggle in the NL wild card; now those two have left the Braves and the Mets in their dust and the Mets entered Wednesday night in the familiar position of by two games after Atlanta righted itself for now in San Francisco. The baseball season can be crazy sometimes, and sometimes it can drag you under like an unexpected patch of quicksand. There was no better story than the tiny-market Pirates, who just two weeks ago were right there with the Dbacks, Padres, Braves and Mets and lost Wednesday for the 10th straight game and 12th in their last 14. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) looks out from the dugout against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning at Nationals Park. Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports Carlos Mendoza argues with umpire Jeremie Rehak. Robert Sabo for NY Post It can go sideways on you quick. And so it is Mendozas task to keep this what it still is a modest but ill-timed slide and prevent it from what it could be with a few more days of carele sne s: a calamity. Our guys know we need to get as many wins as po sible, Mendoza said. They know where were at. Where they were at prior to the feel-good win was not only losing but looking bad while doing it, and getting . A few of the Mets were rankled by that. It would be more helpful to do something about it. Like winning 9-1. Thats a preferable response. Delivering insights on all things Amazins Sign up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+ Thank you By clicking above you agree to the and . Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Theyve been there before [this season] and gotten through, found a way, Mendoza said. Weve got to embrace it and keep going. Well get hot. Now would be a good time for that. And now would be a good time for Mendoza to replicate what he did between mid-May and mid-June, when he stayed calm amid rough waters and helped steer the Mets back on course. There was a lot of season left back then. Theres a lot le s runway now. Brandon Prust Jersey