What Mets hope to 'protect' after Mariners sweep

"Keeping good vibes" became a mantra embraced by New York Mets players this summer as the club emerged as a legitimate playoff contender following its 22-33 start to the season.

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor echoed that rallying cry shortly after a 12-1 loss at the Seattle Mariners on Sunday night finished off a three-game sweep that resulted in a 4-6 road trip for New York.

"We understand we're still in a good position for the goal that we had of being in the playoffs," Lindor explained, as shared by Garrett Stepien of SNY. "We've just got to compete. We've got to compete. We put ourselves in a position where we are in the playoff hunt. We've just got to keep that, stay there, no matter what. Protect what we have here, protect the vibes and continue to play the game. We've got to compete, day in and day out."

Going back to Aug. 2, the Mets dropped two games at the 52-66 Los Angeles Angels before they suffered a loss at the even worse Colorado Rockies (44-75). New York ultimately saved its worst play of the trip for Seattle, as the visitors were outscored to the tune of 22-1 across three consecutive losses.

"You've got to turn the page," Lindor said about enjoying an off day before the Mets host the Oakland Athletics (50-69) on Tuesday night. "You can't dwell (on) what happened. We've got a good team. We've got to continue to push. We've got to continue to strive to be better. We've got to focus on what we did right, learn from what we did wrong and come back after the off day and play the game better."

Clubhouse leaders such as Lindor and outfielder Brandon Nimmo were previously credited for guiding the Mets out of their springtime funk that threatened to make the team a seller ahead of the July 30 MLB trade deadline. As much as New York could regret not winning at least one additional contest across its past 10, the club nevertheless began Monday sitting just a half-game back of the rival Atlanta Braves in the battle for the National League's final wild-card playoff spot.

As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the 61-57 Mets at +190 betting odds to qualify for the postseason.

First-year Mets manager Carlos Mendoza insisted after Sunday's thrashing in Seattle his team would "flush this one out" ahead of returning to Citi Field. While Mendoza could earn Manager of the Year Award votes if he helps the Mets enjoy some October baseball, he'll first need key contributors such as Lindor, Nimmo and others to produce more than a single run over three games against Oakland.