Sunday's 7-1 loss at the Philadelphia Phillies was the Mets' eighth defeat in the past nine games. The finale of New York's third straight series loss saw left-hander David Peterson last four innings, done in by a five-run fourth where the Phillies (47-31) batted around, while the Mets (46-32) went scoreless through seven.
The combination leaves New York a game behind Philadelphia in the National League East Division entering this week's four-game series against the Atlanta Braves, which starts with Monday's 7:10 p.m. opener at Citi Field, and manager Carlos Mendoza aware of the strain on his bullpen.