The struggling New York Mets are running out of answers offensively, and things are not about to get easier as they prepare to face one of baseball’s most dominant young pitchers. The Mets will attempt to end their four-game losing streak on Tuesday night when they continue their series against the surging Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field, but standing in their way is breakout right-hander Chase Burns, who has quickly become one of the hottest starters in Major League Baseball.
New York enters the matchup in the middle of a brutal offensive slump, having scored just four total runs during its current losing streak. The Mets’ struggles deepened Monday night when they fell 7-2 to Cincinnati, marking their sixth loss in the last seven games. Once viewed as a team beginning to regain momentum earlier this month, the Mets have suddenly watched their season spiral backward amid injuries, inconsistent hitting, and bullpen problems.
The situation has become even more complicated due to the team’s growing injury concerns. Superstar outfielder Juan Soto missed his second straight game because of illness, leaving an already depleted lineup even thinner. Meanwhile, several key players from New York’s Opening Day roster remain sidelined, including catcher Francisco Alvarez, shortstop Francisco Lindor, first baseman Jorge Polanco, and center fielder Luis Robert Jr.. Of that group, Polanco appears to be the closest to returning, but the Mets continue searching for offensive production in the meantime.
The decline has been dramatic. Earlier in May, New York looked like a club beginning to turn its season around after winning 11 of 16 games while outscoring opponents 86-58 during that stretch. Since then, however, the offense has completely cooled off. Over the past seven games, the Mets have been outscored 35-16 and have managed only 11 extra-base hits during that span.
Monday’s loss perfectly reflected those struggles. Despite collecting nine hits, New York produced only two runs. Cleanup hitter Marcus Semien provided a rare spark with a sixth-inning home run, while Brett Baty doubled in the seventh before eventually scoring. But overall, the lineup once again lacked power and timely hitting.
Manager Carlos Mendoza openly acknowledged the issue after the game, noting that singles alone are not enough to consistently manufacture offense at the major league level. The Mets’ inability to drive the ball and produce extra-base hits has become one of the biggest reasons for their recent collapse.
While New York continues searching for offense, Cincinnati’s bats are heating up at exactly the right time. The Reds have now scored at least seven runs in three of their last four games after previously struggling for much of May. Their lineup once again delivered early pressure in Monday’s series opener, with JJ Bleday continuing his impressive surge since arriving in Cincinnati. Bleday launched his seventh home run in just 25 games with the Reds, while Spencer Steer and Tyler Stephenson each delivered key RBI hits during a decisive fourth inning.
The Reds’ recent offensive resurgence has provided even more support for Burns, who has emerged as one of baseball’s breakout stars this season. The 23-year-old right-hander enters Tuesday’s game with a stellar 6-1 record and a dazzling 1.83 ERA. Even more impressive, Burns has gone undefeated in his last seven starts, posting a 5-0 record with a microscopic 1.27 ERA and 46 strikeouts across 42 2/3 innings during that stretch.
His latest performance came against the Philadelphia Phillies, when he allowed just one run while striking out nine over six dominant innings in a 4-1 Reds victory. Burns has overpowered hitters with electric velocity, sharp command, and the confidence of a veteran despite being only 23 years old.
Tuesday will mark Burns’ first career appearance against the Mets, while New York counters with left-hander David Peterson. Peterson has quietly won his last three decisions and is coming off a strong outing against the Washington Nationals, where he surrendered just one run over five innings in a narrow 2-1 victory.
Still, with the Mets’ offense stuck in a deep slump and Burns pitching at an elite level, New York faces another difficult challenge as pressure continues mounting during an increasingly frustrating season.
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