So much has changed in a short time. So much remains the same.

A year ago it was the Mets who stumbled in the early going of the season and Atlanta that broke from the gates quickly. This season, it’s been the other way around. What hasn’t changed: Atlanta remains – as it long has been – a major thorn in the Mets’ side.

Atlanta didn’t let the Mets pull out of their near two-week long nosedive on Monday by handing them a 3-2 defeat before 38,593 on an unseasonably hot night at Citi Field.

The Mets have lost nine of their last 10 games. That includes going 0-4 against Atlanta, as well as 1-2 against Philadelphia.

“(When) you’re playing (Atlanta), you’re playing the Phillies, they all hurt,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Our job is to go out there and find a way to get the job done and right now we’re not doing it.”

And it’s not like Atlanta played an awesome game, either. The’s pitching, headlined by seven innings of two-run ball from starter Spencer Schwellenbach, was excellent. It’s lineup was 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and it left 11 men on base.

The Mets’ moment of truth came in the eighth inning with the Mets down 3-2. Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo had back-to-back two-out singles to put runners at the corners and bring up Juan Soto.

Soto had provided all the Mets offense to that point with a two-run home run – his 17th – in the sixth inning. Atlanta brought in lefty Dylan Lee. He and Soto staged an eight-pitch battle, but the southpaw emerged victorious by getting the Mets superstar to strike out swinging on a full-count slider.

“I have a plan and try to execute it,” Soto said. “I try my best to get on base and try to get Pete (Alonso to bat) with bases loaded or first and second, but it didn't happen. . . . He made really good pitches on the corners and I just (swung) through the last one. (He) made a really good one and it just got me right there.”

This long stretch of losing has become taxing enough that even Mendoza – the eternal optimist – was frayed enough to do some finger-pointing at the bottom of the batting order even though No. 9 hitter Brett Baty had two of the team’s six hits.

“We're relying so much on our top guys and we have a lot of guys in the bottom of the lineup that are going through it right now,” he said. “When that happens, once you get past the fourth or fifth batter, we’re having a hard time creating opportunities and creating chances for us and it's hard to score like that.

“When we're playing well (it was) how deep our lineup was,” he added. “Now, like I said, we got few guys that are struggling.”

Mendoza also pointed out that ineffective starting pitching during this stretch is having an impact because the club is often playing from behind.

“It's a combination of a lot of things, especially when you're chasing a lot, and it feels like during this stretch we're getting down early in games and then the at-bats are pretty much completely different,” Mendoza said. “I don't think (they’re) pressing. It's just the situation . . . during this stretch (where) we've been playing from behind.”

Added Soto: “(In) the season it’s going to be ups and downs. Things happen – as a team we’re all trying to come through in big situations and try to put some runs up.”

They were behind again Monday. Starter Paul Blackburn allowed 10 Atlanta hitters to reach base on six hits, three walks and a hit batter – and allowed the game’s first three runs – over 4 2/3 innings. Given the traffic, it was a minor miracle Atlanta got only three runs.

The Mets’ relief corps proved the best part of their game with 4 1/3 scoreless innings to keep the team in the game.

“Everybody that came out of that bullpen gave us a chance,” Mendoza said, “and we couldn’t push those runs across.”

Mark Vientos was eligible to come off the injured list from his June 2 right hamstring strain on Monday however the Mets don’t think he’s ready. Manager Carlos Mendoza said he will play nine innings at third base Tuesday night for Triple-A Syracuse and then be its DH the following afternoon. He now is most likely to rejoin the team Friday in Pittsburgh . . . Righthander Kodai Senga might be ahead of schedule in his recovery from the strained right hamstring. He played catch from the bullpen mound and with the “decent intensity” he sought. . . . Infielder Luisangel Acuna, as well as righthander Tyler Zuber, were optioned to Syracuse. The organization wants Acuna to play every day. . . The Mets signed lefthanded reliever Richard Lovelady to a major league contract and added him to the active roster. They transferred Jose Siri to the 60-day IL.