Carlos Mendoza reacts to 'inconsistent' Mets after third straight loss, dwindling NL East hopes

Monday's 1-0 loss at the Phillies brings the Mets' NL East deficit to eight games as three more chances remain in New York's final regular-season series with Philadelphia.

"Look, we've been pretty inconsistent," said manager Carlos Mendoza, whose team has lost four of its past five games as it clings to the third wild card. "We put ourselves in this position, which we're still right there.

"Obviously, the goal is to win the division… But we've got to keep going. We've got to turn the page here. We've got to be ready for another game tomorrow and continue to get the job done. But overall, the inconsistency and here we are in this position."

New York (76-68) totaled five hits against the Phillies (84-60), who scored one run — Nick Castellanos' second-inning RBI single — in a tough-luck loss for rookie RHP Nolan McLean.

"I think it's just having a hard time putting everything together for quite a bit," Mendoza said of the Mets' inconsistent 2025 season. "We got out of the gate and everything was working. And then, at times — whether it was the starting pitching or runners in scoring position offensively, we haven't been able to play good defense at times.

"So, I feel like we haven't done that consistently and here we are. But continue to trust the guys, I know we have a lot of talent and we're going to turn the page."

18 games remain for New York, continuing with Tuesday's 6:45 p.m. start on SNY, and Mendoza maintains his confidence in the Mets' ability to make a turnaround.

"Very confident," he said. "This is a team that's been through a lot, and we'll find a way — we'll find a way to get the job done.

"We've got to keep fighting. We've got to continue to work. But I trust those guys. There's a lot of experience there, there's a lot of talent and I'm pretty confident that we'll get to where we want to get."