Mets' Bats Come Up Flat In Second Straight Loss To Marlins

Marlins 4, Mets 1 (LoanDepot Park, Miami, FL)

Mets Record: 22-30 Mets Streak: L2

Mets Last 10: 5-5

WP: Max Meyer (5-0) LP: Freddy Peralta (3-4)

Seat On The Korner:

We select a Star of the Game and virtually invite him to take his Seat on the Korner — just as Ralph Kiner did on WOR-TV Channel 9 during the early days of the New York Mets.

Continuing the tradition of Rheingold Beer sponsoring Kiner’s Korner, this season every seat is proudly presented by The Main Event Restaurant & Sports Bar.

With locations in Plainview and Farmingdale, The Main Event features 80+ HD TVs, fresh daily seafood, and Black Angus certified steaks—so you never have to choose between great food and the big game.

Liam Hicks homered twice as the Marlins beat the Mets 4-1.

Today's Seat on the Korner goes to Marlins' DH Liam Hicks, who went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo homers off of Peralta to put the game out of reach for a struggling Mets' offense. Hicks now has 44 RBI on the season, closing within one of Washington's C.J. Abrams for the league lead.

Need To Know:

• The Mets have now dropped 4 of their past 5 games.

• The Mets recalled RHP Jonathan Pintaro from AAA Syracuse prior to the game. LHP Zach Thornton was sent down in the corresponding move.

• Manager Carlos Mendoza revealed prior to the game that A.J. Minter and Jared Young could both return to the Mets within the next week.

• Mendoza also confirmed that Jonah Tong will stay with the Mets and is in line to start Wednesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds.

• The Mets recorded exactly one run and three hits for a second straight game.

• Max Meyer allowed just one hit and walked three in seven shutout innings, striking out eight batters.

• The Mets are now 2-4 on this seven-game road trip and are 7-5 in this stretch of 16 consecutive games without an off day.

Turning Point:

The Marlins took advantage of some shaky Mets' defense in the second inning to get two men on with one out for Owen Caissie. The young right fielder, who was a key part of Miami's return in the Edward Cabrera trade over the winter, pulled one down the first base line past a diving Mark Vientos to plate both runners. With the struggles the Mets' offense is going through that proved to be plenty of run support for a dominant Max Meyer.

Three Keys:

The Mets' Bats Are Missing In Action

The offense has been non-existent for the Mets the past few days as the absences of Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr and Francisco Alvarez are starting to catch up to them. The Mets have scored exactly one run in each of the past three games and didn't even have a runner in scoring position in this series until Tyrone Taylor's two-out double in the ninth. There is still time for the Mets to make things interesting but they need much more life from their offense to make that happen.

Freddy Peralta's Longest Outing Of The Year

Mets' fans have been vocally frustrated online about the lack of length from Peralta, who the Mets surrendered two top prospects for over the winter. Peralta did the staff a huge service today by going seven innings, tossing a season-high 108 pitches while striking out nine batters. The fact that the Mets will have an off day before Peralta's next turn will help, but getting that kind of length from him was a blessing for a bullpen that has been heavily taxed of late.

Pitch Selection Remains An Issue For The Mets

It it felt like the Mets' hitters are staring at a lot of pitches in the strike zone, you're not the only one to notice. Newsday's Laura Albanese noted during the game that the Mets have swung at pitches inside the strike zone 55 percent of the time or less, which is a great way to get yourself behind against good pitchers.

The Mets' offensive approach has been inconsistent all year but staring at hittable pitches is not exactly a recipe for success. More aggression is needed if the Mets want their bats to wake up from their recent slumber.