Since June 17, the New York Mets have averaged 1.4 runs in games rookie sensation Steven Matz has not started, underscoring the glaring need for general manager Sandy Alderson to acquire a bat like, say, Gerardo Parra of the Milwaukee Brewers.
The team's struggles at the plate go beyond this weak stretch, as the Mets rank 27th in MLB with 290 runs scored, better than only the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners—two last-place teams and a club just a game-and-a-half in front of the bottom-dwellers.