Allow me to take you back to September.

The most frustrating thing about the Jets season is that as soon as they lost their quarterback in the opening moments of the season, it became clear that we were going to be watching an exact replica of the previous season.

There was no backup plan - it was going to be an inept offense wasting a great defense game after game.

That’s how it played out and it was enough to drive someone who watched them insane.

And unless things turn around quickly, the first three games of the 2024 season for the Mets seemed an awful lot like a continuation of the 2023 season.

I apologize, but my trademark optimism is slim to none this morning.

But, please, weigh in. If you see any positive takeaways from these first three games not named Francisco Alvarez, I’d love to hear them.

I need to hear them, in fact.

Because Tylor Megill, when the Mets need a pitcher to step up to put an end to a losing streak (and when he needs to step up to get out of an inning), is the same Tylor Megill we’ve seen before. Not even getting to the 5th inning on Sunday, let along getting out of the 5th…and unable to get a key out when he needs it.

On Saturday, Luis Severino didn’t seem to handle adversity well either (Zach Short was unable to make a play at third base that, instead of making a two-out, none on situation in the first led to a man on that then scored), digging holes that he couldn’t get out of and the Mets made themselves baseball’s laughingstock with the way they handled Rhys Hoskins.

They left 8 men on base Saturday and Sunday.

On Friday all they managed at the start of an exciting new season (!) was one hit…and only one man left on but that’s because no one else was on base all day.

The Mets do not look like they want to string a bunch of hits together. Alvarez seems to be the only person going to the plate looking to hit the ball and move guys around the bases instead of swinging for the fences and instead popping the ball up.

This is all too familiar.

Before the season, I told you how the Mets had a chance right off the bat to get rid of some of the early-season bad feelings from last year, after being swept by the Brewers and not really showing up the first Sunday of the season (my first game in person).

Well, 2024 started off with a sweep by the Brewers and zero energy at Citi Field on Sunday.

Here’s the thing about this pitching staff - this is going to have to happen often this season: When you don’t have an ace, per se, you need guys to step up to stop losing streaks. That’s the big thing about an ace - you expect to win every time he’s on the mound.

You don’t have to be that guy on this staff - except when you do.

Someone needs to go out there and pitch lights-out and get this team to feel like they can win. (And I fear that guy is never going to be Megill but maybe we’ll write about that another day.)

Tonight it’s Sean Manaea against the Tigers, who started with a sweep of their own and present a dangerous series. (The weather is also going to be a problem these next three days so we’ll have to watch that.)

It’s still early, obviously. I don’t want to overreact to a three-game losing streak.

But I’ve seen this game before and I know how it ends.

In both football and baseball.

Quick notes from the weekend:

On Saturday after the frustrating Mets game I turned on the Phillies-Braves and saw one of the worst missed strike calls I’ve ever seen. Max Fried threw a pitch right down the middle that would have been strike three and gotten him out of the inning, and instead the inning continued and he didn’t make it out of the first. So, I guess things aren’t perfect everywhere, even with teams like Atlanta that are supposed to be great, so that’s good to keep in mind.
How about this, which I realized on Sunday - after acquiring Jon Berti (who made a great play at third late in the final game of the Yankees sweep over the Astros - hey, the Astros are 0-4, which is worse than the Mets!), the Yankees have Jon Berti and Nick Burdi (who got the win on Sunday). I texted this to my friends and my Yankees fan friend informed me they also have Jose Trevino and Lou Trivino. Fun.
Sunday was my first day trip to Citi Field of the season. New seats this season, lots of new things about Citi Field to sink my teeth into. (Bigger team store! No more Hall of Fame in the rotunda!) I’ll address it all at some point. Sunday I had a burger at Keith’s Grill that has pastrami on top - I’m going to try more of the food offerings around the park this year. It was a nice afternoon with my brother at Citi Field…all that was missing was good Mets baseball.