Lindor defends manager Mendoza after Mets drop 11th straight game

CHICAGO (AP) — The losses are piling up for the New York Mets, and Francisco Lindor thinks the criticism surrounding the team is about to get very loud. It's already pretty noisy. New York dropped its 11th consecutive game when closer Devin Williams blew a ninth-inning lead in a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs in 10 innings Sunday. It's the longest slide for the club since it lost 11 in a row from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8 in 2004. "We've just got to stick together and stay within ourself and fight," Lindor said. "Fight." Led by Lindor and Juan Soto, the Mets began the season with World Series aspirations. They had an opening-day payroll of $352.2 million, tops in the majors. Soto strained his right calf during a 10-3 victory at San Francisco on April 3 — the beginning of a four-game win streak that lifted New York to a 7-4 record. That seems like a long time ago. The Mets have been outscored 62-19 during their losing streak. They are batting .145 with runners in scoring position during the skid after going 0 for 9 in those situations in the series finale against the Cubs. "We didn't hit that many balls hard today," manager Carlos Mendoza said. "So yeah, we've got to get better at-bats, for sure." The Mets became the first team to lose 11 or more games in a row in April since the 2022 Cincinnati Reds. The last 12-game slide for the franchise was in August 2002. Only four teams have reached the postseason after going through a double-digit losing streak, including the Cleveland Guardians last year and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017. "I think it does compound as you continue to lose, but that's for us to stop it and get ourselves going on the right track," Mets pitcher David Peterson said. Most of the noise Lindor mentioned likely will focus on Mendoza, who was hired in November 2023. But president of baseball operations David Stearns backed Mendoza on Friday, and Lindor offered a strident defense of his manager after Sunday's loss. "Mendy's our guy. He's our leader," the All-Star shortstop said. "He's in control and he's done a tremendous job. We just haven't executed. It would be unfair to put everything on him because at the end of the day he has gotten the ship in the right direction. The people that are paddling, we've got to paddle and execute." Even with the team's struggles at the plate, New York was in position to salvage the finale of its six-game trip. The Mets had a 1-0 lead before Williams gave up pinch-hitter Michael Conforto's tying double in the ninth. Craig Kimbrel was saddled with the loss when Nico Hoerner drove in Pete Crow-Armstrong with a sacrifice fly in the 10th. The 31-year-old Williams signed a $51 million, three-year contract with the Mets in free agency. "I'm really, really disappointed," Williams said. "They gave me a lead. It's my job to hold it, and I made a mistake. It cost us the game today." The Mets are off Monday before beginning a nine-game homestand Tuesday night against the Minnesota Twins. Soto is expected to return at some point during the homestand, but Lindor & Co. know the slugger can only help so much. "It's going to lengthen our lineup, but even when he comes, we've still got to get it done," Lindor said. "It would be unfair to just throw everything on him. As a team, we've got to come together and execute." ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB