Manaea’s line told the story of both dominance and decline, 4.2 innings, four runs (all earned), three hits, one walk, and two hit batters. He struck out eight in his first 50 pitches but none in his final 41. His ERA now sits at 5.15, and August has been brutal, posting a 7.91 ERA across 19.2 innings, allowing four or more runs in four consecutive starts.

The outing followed a trend that has plagued both Manaea and the Mets’ rotation, strong beginnings that collapse in the middle innings. The Nationals tied the game in the fourth when CJ Abrams reached on a strikeout-passed ball and later scored. In the fifth, a Brady House single and a misplay by Pete Alonso set the table. Manaea hit Abrams, allowed a sacrifice fly to Paul DeJong, and walked Andres Chaparro to load the bases. Reliever Tyler Rogers then surrendered a two-run single to Riley Adams, flipping a 3-2 Mets lead into a 4-3 deficit.

After the game, Manaea admitted he had no clear answers for the recurring breakdowns.

“I wouldn’t say fatigued, I feel good. I really have no explanation for why I’m hitting that wall.”

The issue isn’t isolated, as Kodai Senga has faced similar struggles, Clay Holmes has not pitched six innings since June 7, and Frankie Montas has already been moved out of the rotation.

Offensively, the Mets had early success. Francisco Lindor opened the game with his franchise-record eighth leadoff homer of the season, and Starling Marte added a solo shot in the third. Hayden Senger’s first career RBI, a sacrifice fly, pushed the lead to 3-0. But after the fourth inning, the bats disappeared, 14 of their final 16 hitters were retired, and the Nationals’ bullpen closed the door.

The loss dropped the Mets to 67-60, clinging to the NL’s final Wild Card spot by just half a game over the Reds (67-61). Only 35 games remain, and a daunting stretch lies ahead of the Mets, including series against the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, and Cincinnati Reds.