If you look at the NL Wild Card standings, they pretty much tell the story of the Mets’ season. Sitting at 82–78, the Mets went into their matchup with the Marlins tonight knowing their playoff hopes were on the line. But they stumbled again. A 6–2 loss to Miami, which opened the door for the Reds to pull even with them. That score wasn’t just bad luck.
The game was another full-on offensive collapse from the Mets. Even their own broadcasters couldn’t help but sound skeptical about NYM’s chance in the postseason. At the center of the criticism isn’t just the players, though; it’s manager Carlos Mendoza who’s taking the brunt of the blame.
“And the Mets’ lack of attention to detail, which has popped up repeatedly during this slow-motion, backwards march over the last three-and-a-half months, comes up to bite them again,” Mets announcer Gary Cohen said. “Here’s a team that is fighting to get to October. What are you going to do in October with an inning like that?” MLB analyst Ron Darling added in the broadcasting booth.
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The Mets’ game is more than just a loss. It’s an epic example of the unreal downfall of all departments at the same time.
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The game started with Francisco Lindor getting things going early, taking Sandy Alcantara deep for a leadoff homer. Juan Soto followed with a single up the middle and, in typical fashion these days, swiped second. After Brandon Nimmo flied out, Pete Alonso ripped a double off the third-base bag to bring Soto home, giving the Mets a quick 2–0 lead.
But after that, the bats went quiet.
They had a few early chances, knocking six hits off Alcantara in the first three innings, but from the fourth through the seventh, the offense managed only a single walk!
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Meanwhile, Brandon Sproat looked sharp through four innings, but the wheels came off in the fifth. He surrendered three straight hits to start the frame. The Marlins then grabbed the lead when Alonso bobbled a tough grounder and had to settle for one out, and Sproat’s night ended after giving up a bloop RBI single to Agustin Ramirez with two outs.
Between these missed offensive opportunities and shaky defense, the Mets showed once again why they’re not ready for October. Something even their own announcers couldn’t help but acknowledge.
The Mets’ playoff scene is just harder
Yes, the Mets were not in a comfortable position when it came to securing a postseason berth. But their latest loss against the Marlins and the Reds’ win against the Brewers might have hammered their last hope.
Just before Friday night’s games, Fangraphs had the Mets at a comfortable 78.1% chance to make the playoffs. But everything flipped fast. After their 6–2 loss to the Marlins and the Reds’ win, New York’s odds crashed to 43.8%. And Cincinnati? They just jumped to 54.5%!
The two teams are now tied in the standings, but there’s a catch.
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The Reds hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. So if both clubs finish with the same record, it’s Cincinnati that gets the October ticket. Seems like nothing is in control of the Mets anymore.
On paper, the Mets still have a shot. But if the Reds take care of business against Milwaukee this final weekend, it won’t matter what New York does against Miami. That’s an unreal downfall, especially for a team carrying baseball’s second-largest payroll at almost $339 million!