The New York Mets lost to the Miami Marlins on Friday night, surrendering their wildcard spot in the playoffs to the Cincinnati Reds. With the loss, the Mets no longer control their own destiny — a shocking turn of events for a team that held the best record in baseball not long ago.
“The New York Mets, losers of six straight, are down 6-0 and facing Jacob deGrom. Since starting 45-24 and owning the best record in MLB, the Mets are 31-47, better than only the Rockies, Twins and Nationals. This isn't a collapse. It's a disintegration,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan posted.
The Mets didn’t just fall out of the playoff race — they made history in the wrong way. Their postseason hopes were sunk by a series of brutal losing streaks throughout the year.
“The Mets lost 7 straight in June. They lost 7 straight again in August. They lost 8 straight in September. The only team in MLB history to have 3 separate 7+ game losing streaks & yet still make the playoffs was the 2006 Cardinals, who went on to win the World Series that year,” Opta Stats posted.
After Friday’s loss, first baseman Pete Alonso spoke about the urgency needed going into the final weekend of the season.
“There's a high sense of urgency every single day, because it's the big leagues and you've got to do whatever you can to win games every day,” Alonso told the media.
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Alonso, a fan favorite in New York, is eager to return to the postseason — but he also hinted that this could be his last stretch with the Mets, as he’s made no commitments regarding his future.
“But again, we'll see what happens. I love it, it's great, but you can't really predict anything. And for me... I am focused on trying to put this thing across the finish line. I haven't really thought about the free agent thing until we're talking about it right now,” Alonso said. “It would be great to stay. But, again, whatever happens, happens. I can't get a crystal ball. I wish I could, but we'll see.”
The situation is now simple for the Mets: they can’t afford to lose another game this weekend. One more loss — unless the Reds also lose both of their remaining games — will eliminate New York from playoff contention.
The urgency Alonso spoke of needs to be on full display Saturday. Their season, and perhaps the end of an era for Pete Alonso in New York, hangs in the balance.