Mets Hit Rock Bottom vs. Bucs

If this isn't rock bottom, then what is?

The New York Mets may have hit rock bottom when they got swept by the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend, culminating in a humiliating 12-1 smackdown on Sunday.

The Mets didn't just get swept, they got annihilated. The combined score of all three games reads like a football score: Pirates 30 - Mets 4. Let's hope the Steelers-Jets score isn't this ugly in a few months.

The minus-26 run differential is the worst such stat in a three-game series in Mets history, according to SNY. And this came against the lowest-scoring team in the National League.

The Mets' problem is clearly pitching. From injuries to the starting rotation to an overworked bullpen, nothing is going right right now for New York.

In the three games, Mets pitchers were charged with 29 runs, or an ERA of 9.67. Whether it was Frankie Montas, who gave up five runs in the first inning on Sunday, or Paul Blackburn, who couldn't get anyone out in his only inning on Saturday, or David Peterso,n who gave up a season high six runs on Friday. Nobody had an answer.

The Mets need some serious help in the pitching department, and it needs to come from outside in a serious move. Not a free agent signing like Richard Lovelady, who has given up four runs in just two outings with the Mets for a glorious 9.82 ERA. No, the Mets need to find serious relief help and a serious starting pitcher before it's too late.

Luis Severino might be available from the A's. Sandy Alcantra is a name that has been floated around from Miami. Would the Mets be willing to bite the bullet on a Jacob deGrom reunion? David Stearns and Steve Cohen need to get bold to save the season.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:
The Yankees are doing just fine, thank you! The Bronx Bombers took care of business against the A's over the weekend, winning two of three. Aaron Judge hit two bombs on Sunday to give him 30 on the year. For a man who hit 62 homers a couple yof ears ago, this has been the quietest road to 30 homers one can remember.

The Yankees have now won three of their last four, and may have gotten past some of their struggles during a brutal 12-game stretch where they went 3-9.

Oh, and the Subway Series is coming up on the 4th of July!

DIVISIONAL and WILD CARD RACES

It's getting interesting as we hit July on Tuesday. The AL East, NL East, NL Central, and NL West are all virtually up for grabs. The Rays are 1.5 games back of the Yankees, with the Blue Jays not far behind by three games.

In the NL East, the Phillies lead the Mets by 1.5 games. The Amazin's are lucky it's not more, the Phillies are only 5-5 in their last 10 games.

In the NL Central, five games separate four teams: the Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals, and Reds.

As for Wild Card, one can say at least nine teams in the AL and eight teams in the NL have a legit shot at one of the three wild card slots. That makes trades harder to come by as teams like the Royals, Red Sox, Twins, Braves, and D-Backs still might feel they have a shot if they get hot.