The Mets didn’t panic during their opening-week oh-for.
After rebounding from an 0-5 start with three consecutive series victories, the Mets feel good about the direction of the team, Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo told the Daily News on Monday.
“Going through that difficult stretch, it helps really let you know where you’re at,” Alonso said before beginning a three-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field. “For us, getting punched in the mouth like that at the start was really like a reality check, and then it’s like, all right, it’s time to go now.”
The Mets’ offense came out cold during a chilly first week at Citi Field, where they endured three rainouts in addition to a season-opening sweep by the Milwaukee Brewers and back-to-back losses to the Detroit Tigers. In four of those losses, the Mets scored three runs or fewer.
Alonso came up clutch in their first win of the season, hitting a game-tying home run in the ninth inning of an eventual 2-1 win against the Tigers in the second game of an April 4 doubleheader — an exhilarating victory Nimmo says gave the team a much-needed jolt.
The Mets have since taken two out of three in each of their series against the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals, all of whom boast winning records.
“You’re gonna go through ups and downs, and just understanding that will help you in the long run, looking at it more like a marathon than a sprint and helping you to not panic when you go through a stretch like our first stretch,” Nimmo said.
“It looks worse because it’s the beginning of the year and you have nothing to look back on … but if you have a lot of guys, which we do, who have been around for a while, you start to understand it doesn’t just disappear. We’re going to be fine.”
The Mets scored at least five runs in all but one of their six games against Atlanta and Kansas City. The lone exception was a 2-1 victory over the Royals on Sunday.
The 0-5 start was the Mets’ worst since 2005 and third worst in team history. A loss in that nightcap comeback against the Tigers would have marked their worst start in more than 60 years.
“Out of the gate, we were dealing with some adversity,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Monday. “A lot of experienced guys who have been in this league for a long time, they know what it takes. It’s a long season. Just staying consistent, making sure you prepare and you go out and compete, and it’s good to see the guys bouncing back quickly against very good competition.”
The Mets hope to return to the playoffs after a 2023 season in which they finished 75-87 despite World Series aspirations.
They added veterans including Luis Severino, J.D. Martinez and Sean Manaea on short-term deals in the offseason but otherwise return a similar core led by Alonso, Nimmo and Francisco Lindor.
“Our goal is to make it to the postseason and do damage, go on a long run in the postseason, but in order to do that, we have to earn that right in the regular season,” Alonso said. “Being consistent and getting after it day-to-day, that’s the best formula.”
