Mets' Sean Manaea unravels again in sixth inning: 'Been a kryptonite to me'

Starting pitcher Sean Manaea experienced a troubling trend during Tuesday night's game against the Miami Marlins, failing to excel in the sixth inning for the fifth consecutive outing. This recurring issue has raised concerns for the Mets, as Manaea had been pitching flawlessly through the first five innings, retiring the first 15 batters in a row.

Despite only throwing 52 pitches in the first five innings, Manaea allowed five straight hits in the sixth inning, tallying seven, eight, and nine pitches before his team's bullpen sealed the 7-5 victory.

Interim manager Andy Green expressed his surprise at Manaea's sudden decline, stating, "You're perfect through five innings and barely over 50 pitches and I don't know how many pitches he threw in the sixth, but it was seven, eight, nine pitches and five hits after being efficient... It happened fast and that's, I'm sure, tough for him to have such a good outing going and it kinda being soiled from nine pitches."

Manaea himself admitted that it was difficult to pinpoint the cause of his struggles, attributing it to the Marlins' ability to adjust and put good swings on the ball.

The 34-year-old's mental state has also been affected by the recurring sixth-inning setbacks. "It’s been the last five, six games, it’s kinda hard not to think about," Manaea said. "I mean at this point it’s just mental. I don’t really know what’s going on, I feel like I’m making some good pitches but one day I’ll figure it out." New York hopes Manaea can overcome this mental block and regain his form, as his performance in the fifth inning showed great potential for him to be a valuable asset for the team next season.