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Francisco Lindor defends manager Carlos Mendoza

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor (12) plays during a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

CHICAGO — The losses are piling up for the New York Mets, and Francisco Lindor thinks the criticism surrounding the team is about to get very loud.

It’s already pretty noisy.

New York dropped its 11th consecutive game when closer Devin Williams blew a ninth-inning lead in a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs in 10 innings Sunday. It’s the longest slide for the club since it lost 11 in a row from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8 in 2004.

“We’ve just got to stick together and stay within ourself and fight,” Lindor said. “Fight.”

Led by Lindor and Juan Soto, the Mets began the season with World Series aspirations. They had an opening-day payroll of $352.2 million, tops in the majors.

Soto strained his right calf during a 10-3 victory at San Francisco on April 3 — the beginning of a four-game win streak that lifted New York to a 7-4 record.

That seems like a long time ago.

The Mets have been outscored 62-19 during their losing streak. They are batting .145 with runners in scoring position during the skid after going 0 for 9 in those situations in the series finale against the Cubs.

“We didn’t hit that many balls hard today,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “So yeah, we’ve got to get better at-bats, for sure.”

The Mets became the first team to lose 11 or more games in a row in April since the 2022 Cincinnati Reds. The last 12-game slide for the franchise was in August 2002.

Only four teams have reached the postseason after going through a double-digit losing streak.

“I think it does compound as you continue to lose, but that’s for us to stop it and get ourselves going on the right track,” Mets pitcher David Peterson said.

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