Bruce: Mets are too good to panic about losing streak
The New York Mets, losers of four straight and eight of their last nine games, haven't recently looked like a club that went to the postseason in each of the past two years - but outfielder Jay Bruce isn't ready to sound the alarm.
New York was swept in three games by the division-rival Washington Nationals this past weekend while missing Yoenis Cespedes, Travis d'Arnaud, and Lucas Duda due to injuries.
Bruce, who has arguably been the Mets' best hitter (.271/.354/.557, six home runs, 14 RBIs), seems convinced things will turn around.
"It's easy to push the panic button, it's easy to say, 'Oh, s--t,' but we are too good for that," Bruce explained to Mike Puma of the New York Post. "We are a legitimate World Series contender, I believe, and I wouldn't just say that. This is a team that is stacked. We just have to be healthy and play well."
Although injuries are a concern, general manager Sandy Alderson attributes the Mets' slide to something else.
"We're just not hitting," Alderson said. "We've had a few guys out, but we should be scoring more runs than we have."
The Mets sit 10th in the NL in runs scored, and have only managed to put 20 runs on the board since Apr. 16 - an average of 2.86 per game. They averaged 4.14 runs per game in 2016.
Fortunately for New York, Cespedes expects to be back in the starting lineup Tuesday when the Mets host the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field.
Cespedes is tied for the team lead in home runs (six), and has already amassed an OPS of 1.008.