The Mets snapped an eight-game skid with Pete Alonso’s dramatic 10th-inning, three-run walk-off, signaling a potential season-saving push despite crashing momentum since mid-June. The piece breaks down how pitching depth, bullpen turmoil, and inconsistent offense have strained the club’s championship ambitions, even with a $340 million payroll and a roster loaded with stars. A pivotal late-season stretch now becomes the test of whether the staff — including three rookie starters — can carry the lineup into October, or whether the Mets’ window closes again.

From the rotation’s fatigue to the bullpen’s meltdown (and a still-fragile offense that hasn’t clicked in unison with Lindor and Soto), the Mets face a high-leverage run to the postseason. The narrative centers on resilience, the need for reliable relief, and the question of whether Alonso’s late-game heroics can become a catalyst for steady, playoff-caliber performance over 12 remaining games.