The New York Mets' struggles deepened on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field, as their losing streak stretched to a painful nine games—their longest such skid since 2004. The 12-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs was a familiar story of early deficits and missed opportunities, despite a brief offensive spark.

For the second consecutive start, right-hander Kodai Senga was roughed up early. The Cubs jumped on him for four runs in the first inning, putting the Mets in an immediate hole. However, in a rare sign of life, the New York offense counterpunched in the top of the second. After scoring just three runs over their previous 39 innings, the Mets strung together key hits, including a Marcus Semien double and a Tyrone Taylor two-run single, to claw back within a run.

That momentum was short-lived. Senga, whose command has been elusive, surrendered a monstrous two-run homer in the bottom of the second and was pulled in the fourth inning after lasting just 3.1 frames. His ERA ballooned to 8.83 after he was charged with seven runs (six earned).

From there, the game unraveled. Shoddy defense, including a costly error by Brett Baty, helped the Cubs extend their lead. While Sean Manaea provided two scoreless innings of relief, he too was tagged for three runs in the seventh before Ian Happ launched a 411-foot, two-run homer in the eighth to seal the blowout.

The lone silver lining in another tough loss was the flicker of offensive production. The Mets recorded their eight hardest-hit balls of the game during that second-inning rally, a potential building block for a lineup that has been searching for consistency. For a team and its fans, any sign of fight is a welcome sight, even in a losing effort.