Jerry: Mets path to playoffs suddenly becoming more difficult

Three straight losses for the Mets have put them on the outside looking in on the playoff race, now sitting 0.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot, currently occupied by the rival Braves.

While Atlanta has hardly played inspiring baseball in recent weeks, the Mets offense suddenly looks dormant after a sweep at the hands of the Mariners, and Jerry Recco says if New York plays down to its competition this week, the deficit in the playoff race could suddenly look much bigger.

"These next six games can sink their season," Jerry said. "You talk about playing down, if they went 2-4 in this stretch…the Padres and Diamondbacks are 3-4 games ahead of them now, which is how well they're playing.

"You look up now, and the Giants are right up on their ass and playing really well. The Cardinals haven't exactly disappeared. It's not a two-team race anymore. You have to fight with the Giants and Braves for that one spot."

The next six games include three apiece against the lowly A's and Marlins, all at home, before the competitions ramps up against the likes of the Orioles, Padres, and Diamondbacks. Jerry says the Mets need to wake up against the bottom feeders of the league to ensure they are still in the race by the end of August.

"You look at the end of the month and you have good teams coming in," Jerry said. "They have to take care of business in these next six games."