1 lesson learned from each series on the West Coast trip

2) The Mets learned they are very beatable during their series against the Padres

The Mets are not invincible. They probably already knew that although they may not have been willing to admit it. After all, they’ve been beating up most of their opponents this year.

The series loss to the San Diego Padres was humbling. After taking game one, the team folded. The pitching wasn’t good. The offense wasn’t either. All year long, I’ve wondered how the Padres have been so competitive with only a few good starting pitchers and an offense run almost exclusively through Manny Machado. The answer is a little clearer although they still don’t quite feel as powerful as the Mets over a long season.

In a strange way, it was good that the Mets experienced a series loss to the Padres after splitting with the Dodgers. Taking a game helped them understand what is needed to beat one of the best teams in baseball. Dropping the other two showed they will need a lot more to defeat someone like San Diego in a playoff series.

The finale of the series was done without Pete Alonso or Starling Marte in the starting lineup and Bassitt throwing up another dud. As ugly as the score was, it wasn’t something for the team to feel as if they’re behind the Padres in talent. The Mets were on their home field anyway. The Padres were supposed to win. The Mets just didn’t have it. They learned how beatable they can be.