Mets' Outfielder Shares Honest Assessment on Slump Amid Homer

Was Harrison Bader's home run on Saturday the end of his offensive woes?

Sep 7, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader (44) hits a solo home run in the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The New York Mets kept the good times rolling on Saturday.

New York picked up their seventh shutout win over the Cincinnati Reds (4-0) and have now won nine straight games for the first time since 2018.

The Mets now have a one game lead on the Atlanta Braves in the third and final NL Wild Card spot with 20 games left to play. They're also just half a game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second position, as the NL's playoff positioning looks like it's going to come down to the wire.

This Mets' outfielder, who entered Saturday's game against the Reds in a major offensive slump, came up clutch by starting their four-run sixth inning that propelled New York to a win.

Harrison Bader came into the day mired in a 0-for-15 stretch at the plate over his last seven games. With one swing of the bat he broke that drought with authority by slugging a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning, which gave the Mets a 1-0 lead they would not relinquish.

Bader spoke to reporters after the Mets' win about how he had to stay positive at the plate despite his offensive woes.

"With playing meaningful baseball in September, this is so far beyond and bigger than any individual and bigger than myself, regardless of what my numbers might be in the past 40, 50 at-bats."

Harrison Bader on keeping a "winning mentality" amid recent struggles: pic.twitter.com/TU8Kfx3LUS

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 8, 2024

Manager Carlos Mendoza also spoke about Bader's struggles at the plate and said that the Mets outfielder has been "working really hard" to get back into an offensive groove.

Bader is now batting .243 with a .672 OPS, 11 home runs and 47 RBIs in 362 at-bats.

The Mets and Bader hope that his home run against Cincinnati was the start of much better production at the plate. New York needs all the help they can get as they aim to clinch a postseason spot during the last three weeks of the regular season.