The Mets were never going to end up 161-1, so their second loss of the season — a 5-1 defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field on Saturday night — was no cause for alarm in and of itself.
The Mets, their nine-game winning streak over, remained among the hottest teams in baseball: With an 11-2 record, they had the second-best record in the majors, just behind the 12-2 Boston Red Sox.
And yet, even during the winning streak, subtle cracks in the foundation had begun to appear. Injuries knocked out both of their catchers in recent days and their starting pitchers had the disturbing tendency to last no longer than six innings.