SEATTLE — The New York Mets have blazed through the middle months of summer, first fighting back from the brink of irrelevance and then firmly into the National League playoffs, guided by a versatile and ruthless offense. In a crowded senior league lacking the typical top hitters, the Mets’ powerful hitters seemed to be a key advantage – a strength that could set them apart from their playoff rivals.

Since the All-Star break, however, the offense has failed more often than it has succeeded. On Friday night, they suffered a 6-0 loss to the Mariners.

Bryce Miller and three Seattle relief pitchers combined for the shutout. The right-hander Miller combined a downward splitter with heaters over the zone; it’s an effective mix. The Mets’ chances came few and far between: a pair of doubles with two outs early on, a two-on, no-out chance wasted in the seventh inning when the game against the Seattle bullpen was still within reach.

Only two of their eight at-bats with a runner in scoring position came against starter Miller.

“They executed their plan,” said Francisco Lindor. “Hats off.”

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The Mariners at T-Mobile Park are the toughest challenge for a baseball offense this season. The Mets failed in their first attempt.

They are 61-55.

— Tim Britton (@TimBritton) 10 August 2024

Walking from Coors Field to T-Mobile Park today is like walking from the beach to a tax audit. It’s a dizzying shift in mood that would call into question just about any offense.

But Friday night was not the first time in recent weeks that the Mets’ offense has struggled. New York has played 21 games since the All-Star break. In more than half of those games, the Mets have not crossed home plate four times. In a third of those, they have not even reached three.

As with any offensive slump, there is no single culprit. However, Lindor and Brandon Nimmo at the top of the lineup were instrumental in the Mets’ turnaround. Nimmo has been in a slump since the break. Despite a double on Friday, he has a batting average of .164 with a .287 on-base percentage and a pathetic .205 slugging percentage in the second half.

Lindor has an OPS of .531 and just one extra-base hit over the past two weeks.

Let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill here. Lindor and Nimmo won’t be playing like this for much longer, and others in the lineup like Pete Alonso and JD Martinez have looked better lately.

But if you’ve been wondering what a three-game wild-card series might look like in October, there are worse approximations than a weekend in Seattle against Miller, Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo. The Mariners on their home turf are one of the toughest tests in baseball. They entered Friday with a 2.85 ERA, the best in the major leagues by nearly a half-run. They managed to beat that figure on Friday, behind Miller, who is probably their fifth-best starter.

This recent stretch for the Mets has shown how much they rely on their offense to not only be good, but to be a difference-maker. New York doesn’t have Seattle’s stellar rotation or, say, Cleveland’s outstanding bullpen. The Mets’ chances of reaching October and being successful there depend on their lineup. On Saturday, they have another chance at an elite starter in Gilbert.

The lack of offense made it a rough night for Jose Quintana, whose final total – 6 2/3 innings, five earned runs – was as misleading as it gets. After allowing a two-run homer in the second inning, Quintana shut out 14 Mariners in a row through the seventh. A leadoff walk and a pair of softly hit ground balls to the right side helped Seattle score four runs in the inning, three of which went to Quintana.

(Pete Alonso photo: Jason Redmond / Associated Press)