Mets fumble final shot at October: 'It's a failure' - ESPN

MIAMI — In the end, after an unfathomable three-and-a-half month descent that suggested they were more bottom feeder than World Series contender, the New York Mets' assignment on Sunday was simple: Beat the Miami Marlins and October baseball would follow.

The Mets, in fitting fashion for a frustrating year, fumbled the opportunity, falling 4-0 at LoanDepot Park to crush their playoff hopes on the last day of the regular season.

With the Cincinnati Reds losing to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, a win would've sent the Mets backpedaling into the postseason but into the postseason nonetheless as the National League's third and final wild card club. They understood the assignment required to avoid a historic collapse.

It still didn't matter.

The Mets finished tied with the Reds in the standings at 83-79, but the Reds were awarded a ticket to the tournament for the first time since 2020 because they owned the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Reds will start a three-game wild card series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The Mets went home on Sunday scratching their heads.

«It's hard to describe,» Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. «I just got done addressing the team and there's no word to describe what we're going through. It's pain. It's frustration. You name it. We came in with a lot of expectations and here we are going home. Not only did we fall short, we didn't even get into October.»

Said shortstop Francisco Lindor: «It was something that was on us, on me, on the players to get it done and we didn't execute. We didn't do the job.»

Reaching October seemed like a foregone conclusion all summer. Coming off an unexpected run to the NLCS last season, a finish fueled by vibes and clutch moments, the Mets reloaded