Mets set dubious record in latest blowout loss to Pirates

The New York Mets have been heading in the right direction all year, but they've certainly wound up on the wrong side of the record books recently.

After their 8-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, the Mets became the first team in MLB history to lose three straight games by six or more runs to a club with at least 30 fewer wins, according to Stats Perform.

The loss to the lowly Pirates, who improved to 50-84 on Tuesday, follows back-to-back losses to the Washington Nationals by a score of 7-1. The Mets dropped to 85-51 but still lead the NL East, while the Nats sit in the basement of the division at 48-87.

Holding a seven-game lead in the division as recently as mid-August, the Mets are now in a precarious position. Following five defeats in its last eight games, New York is now tied atop the division with the defending champion Atlanta Braves.

The Mets' three-game series against the Pirates concludes Wednesday with a doubleheader at PNC Park. Chris Bassitt and Jacob deGrom are New York's scheduled starters.