Chris Martin exited after tingling in his hands in the eighth inning as Texas beat New York 3-2, with Rangers officials hopeful it’s nothing serious. The club, already shorthanded by IL stints, leaned on Shawn Armstrong to close out the four-out save and move to 3-2 in a tight late-season run. Bochy framed the moment with optimism, but the lingering concern about Martin’s health and the frequency of IL activations casts a shadow over a squad fighting for depth and consistency.

New York’s collapse fears loom after a four‑run cushion evaporates in Philadelphia, leaving the Mets riding a six‑game slide with 15 games left in the season. The plan hinges on stabilizing a rotation fearfully light on experience, sharpening the defense, and getting Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso back to peak production while Juan Soto provides a steady steadying presence. With a return series against Texas looming, every at‑bat becomes a playoff audition for a club clinging to a bullpen of options and a now‑must‑win pace.

The Mets are 0-60 when trailing after the eighth this season, a puzzling stat elevating the season’s frustration. Alonso and Lindor push, but late-inning at-bats often miss the mark and the bullpen hasn’t consistently held leads. Offense starts fast and fades; the team searches for answers in BaBIP, first-pitch strikes, and video, hoping to spark late-game rallies and climb back in the standings.

Ahead of a pivotal stretch, Alonso and Lindor stress that last year’s late-game grit isn’t a guaranteed template. Alvarez, McNeil, and teammates keep battling, while Mendoza promises trust and adjustment as the Mets chase key hits in eighth and ninth innings to reverse a slide that left them eight back of Philadelphia.