The punch has landed cleanly, squarely on the jaw.

The Mets are stunned and wobbly. How will they respond?

They find themselves in their first really difficult stretch of the season. Injuries are piling up. So are the losses.

They have dropped a season-high five straight games to the Rays and Braves following Wednesday night’s 5-0 loss in Atlanta, and still have another eight in a row against the rival Braves and Phillies.