Collins to struggling Mets: ‘Got to lighten up’

11:59 PM ET

NEW YORK — New York Mets manager Terry Collins had a message for his players after Friday’s 6-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies: Lighten up.

After the Mets lost their third straight game, Collins held a rare meeting and implored his players to stop putting so much pressure on themselves.

He even ordered music to be played in the clubhouse, which is generally taboo after losses. When reporters entered the clubhouse postgame, Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name” was blaring over speakers.

The Mets (53-49) went hitless in eight at-bats with runners in scoring position Friday, dropping their season average in those situations to an MLB-worst .202. Pending the outcome of Washington’s game at San Francisco, the Mets have dropped a season-high-matching seven games out of first place in the National League East and two games out of a wild-card spot.

“First of all, we have a good team,” Collins said. “We’re going through a rough time right now. We haven’t hit with runners in scoring position. Everybody knows it. We’ve got to quit rubbing it in our faces every day. We’ve got to lighten it up a little bit. We’ve …

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