Mets Tie Wild Card with Reds: Upset in MLB

Mets Out of Playoff Zone After Key Loss

After almost six months, the New York Mets have fallen out of the National League playoff zone. Sunday’s loss to the Washington Nationals, the last-place team, marked the end of a difficult week and prolonged a three-month slump that has baffled fans. The 3-2 loss at Citi Field, combined with the Cincinnati Reds’ victory over the Chicago Cubs, knocked the Mets out of a postseason position for the first time since April 5, when the season was just beginning.

That’s the way it’s gone. I can believe it because I’ve seen it. We’ve seen it happen right in front of us.

Brandon Nimmo, Mets left fielder

With six games remaining, both the Mets and the Reds have a record of 80-76. However, Cincinnati has the tiebreaker advantage after winning the season series between both teams. The Mets, who have lost 11 of their last 15 games, finish the regular season with a series of away games against the Chicago Cubs and the Miami Marlins. The Arizona Diamondbacks are also close, just one game behind the Reds and Mets in the National League’s third wild card spot. Arizona has the tiebreaker over both teams.

We just have to win. It’s simple. Winning solves everything right now. We just have to do it. That’s all. We have to solve our problems between the lines. That’s the simple fact.

Pete Alonso, Mets first baseman

The Mets, with a 45-24 record, had the best record in Major League Baseball as of June 12. They looked like a team that would sail into October after reaching the playoffs and defying expectations with a trip to the National League Championship Series in 2024. But this year’s team has produced results inverse to the 2024 version that stumbled at the beginning before a magical summer propelled them deep into October. These Mets, with the most expensive roster in Major League Baseball, have gone 35-52 since June 13. That’s the fourth-worst record in that period, tied with the Chicago White Sox. Only the Nationals, the Minnesota Twins, and the Colorado Rockies have been worse in that 87-game span. According to FanGraphs, they enter their last two series with a 50.1% chance of making the postseason. On June 12, they were given a 96.2% chance.

I can’t pinpoint the reason, other than we haven’t been able to gel as a team for an extended period of time.

Brandon Nimmo

The Mets, after an encouraging series win over the San Diego Padres, who are already qualified for the playoffs, won the first game of the series on Friday thanks to an offensive explosion. But they fell on Saturday in 11 innings on an inside-the-park home run before early errors, along with Jacob Young’s defense, buried them on Sunday. In the first at-bat, Juan Soto, who went 1-2 with two walks, was put out at first base. In the second, Francisco Lindor committed a throwing error that allowed the first run of the game to score.

If we want to be where we want to be, those things cannot happen. Full responsibility for that. I have to get better.

Francisco Lindor

In the third inning, Cedric Mullins failed to reach second base on a line drive he hit down the left field line, a decision that potentially cost the Mets a run. Mullins said he thought Lile caught the ball when it hit the wall. Meanwhile, first base coach Antoan Richardson thought it was called foul. But the ball was ruled good and bounced out of Lile’s glove. Luis Torrens, who was on second base, wasn’t sure if Lile made the catch, so he retreated to tag up and scored on the play as Lile writhed in pain. Mullins, even though his teammates were yelling at him and signaling for him to run to second base, stayed at first base. He was put out moments later when Lindor lined out to first base. Soto then hit what would have been a run-scoring double. In the mound, the Mets deployed Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes as a “piggyback” for the second time in the last week, after both veterans struggled to pitch effectively for a long time in the second half. The duo combined to allow only three runs, all in the second inning against Manaea, in six innings, with the most damage coming from Nasim Nunez, who hit a two-run home run. In the end, the Mets’ $38 million duo was outpitched by the Nationals’ $1.4 million “piggyback,” Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker, who entered Sunday with the highest ERAs in the majors among qualified pitchers this season. They were spurred on by two spectacular catches by Young in center field. The first, a circus catch in which he kicked the ball to himself, robbed Brett Baty of extra bases in the fifth inning. The second took away a possible game-tying home run from Francisco Álvarez in the ninth.

Those were crazy plays. In the stretch we’re in, every win matters. Seeing plays like that made, it definitely deflates you a little bit. We’ve suffered some tough losses. We have one week left. We’re going to do some damage, so that’s what we’re focused on.

Cedric Mullins