NEW YORK, N.Y.— What in the world has happened to New York baseball?

Much like their crosstown rivals, the New York Mets started the season hot, building a 5.5-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies by June 12. Since then, however, the Metropolitans have stumbled to a dismal 19-31 record and now find themselves trailing the Phillies by the very margin they once enjoyed.

The Mets’ woes can be attributed in large part to the lengthy slumps of their superstar duo—Juan Soto (.200 AVG, 17 H) and Francisco Lindor (.176 AVG, 13 RBI)— over the past month. But should manager Carlos Mendoza shoulder most of the blame for the team’s 1-9 skid in their last 10 games, including seven straight losses?

One of the primary criticisms of Mendoza’s recent managing has been his handling of the bullpen

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