Mets stars express belief in turnaround despite woeful road trip

Shortstop Francisco Lindor remains confident the New York Mets can turn things around after their 2-6 road trip dropped them to 21-28 on a season that soon could become a lost cause. 

"I believe in this team," Lindor said following Wednesday's 6-3 loss at the Cleveland Guardians that confirmed a three-game sweep, per Alex Smith of SNY. "I believe in what we have. We just have to play better, bottom line. We have to play better. I have to play better. I have to be a better shortstop, a better offensive player, a better base-runner. I’ve got to improve in every aspect of the game, and I’ve got to continue to push the envelope and continue to push the guys before."

Lindor and company found various ways to lose in Cleveland this week. The Mets suffered a 3-1 defeat on Monday and never held a lead in Tuesday's 7-6 loss even though they hit three home runs. On Wednesday, a 3-0 advantage that New York built by the end of the fourth inning eventually disappeared.  

"I still believe that we have a great group of guys and that we can play the game," Lindor continued. "We’ve just got to play the game the right way and minimize our mistakes." 

Will Sammon of The Athletic noted that Lindor and other core players on the Mets aren't consistently getting the job done at the plate. Mets closer Edwin Diaz was recently demoted due to several on-the-mound meltdowns. Neither power-hitting catcher Francisco Alvarez nor advertised ace Kodai Senga will return from injuries before June. 

The Mets entered Thursday trailing the first-place Philadelphia Phillies by a whopping 14.5 games in the National League East standings. Wild-card contenders have pulled away from the Amazins since New York improved to 18-18 on May 7.

"Realistically, nothing is as bad as it seems; yes, we haven’t won a lot of games, and this has been a really tough road trip," Mets first baseman Pete Alonso added on Wednesday. "...We are all pulling in the same direction. We are all bought in on philosophies, approaches. It’s just a matter of letting the season take its course. Everything will be earned, but I think over the course of the season, things will shake out in a good way for the Mets." 

If Alonso's prediction falls flat, he and others could be part of the franchise's second-consecutive summer fire sale.