The Mets are eight games under .500, 16 behind the Atlanta Braves in Eastern Newfoundland and 8 1/2 shy of third place Wild Card after Monday’s 2-1 loss to the Brewers of Milwaukee.
“Winning — it’s not that hard,” Showalter said of the solution to New York’s (35-43) loss, which is 5-16 since June 2. “You have to win – win games. Everything else – like I said, I could bore you with a lot of things going on. Just like we have to go back to how we’ve shown we can play, like we’ve done it in the past t — just because you’ve done something in the past, good or bad, doesn’t mean you don’t become a prisoner of it.
“Things are – it’s always about now. Damn with what happened last year or last week or tonight. You have to get it fixed, and that’s real evidence – I want say, that’s a pretty obvious answer.”
Justin Verlanderwho pitched five scoreless innings but had to fight his way through 59 strikes on 100 pitches, is 2-4 with a 4.11 ERA.
“I don’t think anybody saw that coming, man,” said Verlander, who the Mets signed to a two-year, $86 million contract on Dec. 5. “Disappointing. It’s disappointing for everyone in this room, I know. It’s disappointing for the fans. I just have to – keep trying, you know? If there’s one thing I know that the guys in this room are doing is trying us. Every day we come to the park myself is trying to get better and figure out what’s wrong.
“And I know most of the guys in this room are the same way, and I hope it works out for everyone. But we have to get going — soon.”
There are twelve games left before New York enters the All-Star break and hits the reset button.
“It’s been a long season and obviously the results haven’t been there for most of the guys on the team,” said Drew Smith, who returned the home run in the sixth inning of his first game after a sticky suspension. “And we know that, and we try to be better. I think we will be as the season progresses.”