The New York Mets are learning an expensive lesson: money cannot buy wins. Despite fielding the second-costliest roster in baseball, the team extended its losing streak to 11 games Sunday with a 2-1 defeat to the Chicago Cubs that completed a third consecutive series sweep.
New York controlled the game through eight innings, holding a 1-0 lead entering the ninth. Then the Cubs pulled ahead in brutal fashion. Michael Conforto, a former Mets outfielder, tied the game with a run-scoring hit. In the 10th, Pete Crow-Armstrong, another ex-Met, scored the winning run on Nico Hoerner's sacrifice fly.
"This feeling sucks," shortstop Francisco Lindor said in the clubhouse. "It's not a good feeling."
The 11-game losing streak matches the franchise's longest drought since 2002. Over that span, the Mets have managed just 19 runs, a stunning offensive collapse that has left manager Carlos Mendoza searching for answers.
"Eleven losses, that's a lot, whether it's in April or at any point in the season," Mendoza said. "Nobody's going to feel sorry for us. We've got to find a way."
The current disaster comes on the heels of last season's even more spectacular implosion. The Mets held the best record in baseball early in 2025 before tumbling into complete rebuild mode. General manager David Stearns dismantled the roster, cutting loose veterans and replacing much of the coaching staff.
The retooled team, however, has proven even worse. At 7-15, the Mets now own the worst record across all of Major League Baseball.
There is one potential lifeline. Juan Soto, the team's best player, is expected back from injury within days. But Lindor cautioned against expecting miracles.
"Even when he comes, we've still got to get it done," Lindor said. "It would be unfair to just throw everything on him."
Author James Rodriguez: "A $381 million payroll should not be producing the worst record in baseball, and Stearns' offseason overhaul is looking like a spectacular miscalculation."
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