MIAMI — The largest problem for the Mets coming into the 2025 season wasn’t beginning pitching, and it wasn’t the NL East.
It was dealing with prosperity.
For the second yr in a row, it got here all the way down to Sport 162. However not like final yr, there have been no heroics, no late-game theatrics and no post-game celebrations. The Mets had been eradicated from postseason rivalry in a 4-0 loss to the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park on Sunday afternoon. The Fish rallied for 4 runs within the fourth inning off of three totally different pitchers, and right-hander Edward Cabrera threw 5 shutout innings.
The Cincinnati Reds clinched the ultimate NL Wild Card spot by nature of proudly owning the head-to-head tiebreaker. Each groups completed the season with 83-79 information.
What ought to have been a affluent season ended as an unmitigated catastrophe. A group that led the division lead by as a lot as 5.5 video games on June 12 collapsed to fall out of the race fully. The costliest payroll within the recreation, a generational slugger in Juan Soto added to an already-deep lineup, and among the finest closers in baseball in Edwin Diaz, and but the Mets will probably be out of motion in October.
Amazingly, the Amazin’s went 38-55 after June 12 to overlook the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, and the seventh time since 2016, the final yr they certified for the playoffs in consecutive seasons — and nonetheless the one time in franchise historical past the group has reached the postseason in back-to-back years.
They wanted assist from the Reds and Milwaukee Brewers, and so they wanted to beat the Fish. The Brewers did their half with a win. The Marlins, nonetheless, made no secret of wanting to finish the Mets’ season.
This was evident within the high of the fifth inning. Miami had a 4-0 lead when the Mets loaded the bases on Cabrera. In what might be his last recreation in a Mets uniform, Pete Alonso smoked a ball 116 MPH off the bat into the glove of Javier Sanoja for the third out. Sanoja was giddy with pleasure after making the catch.
When you’ve the most costly payroll within the recreation, you’re going to have a goal in your again.
The Mets used eight pitchers within the recreation. Supervisor Carlos Mendoza deliberate to be aggressive, sending most of his starters to the bullpen. However the plan backfired within the fourth inning when he eliminated left-hander Brooks Raley with one on and one out, changing him with right-hander Ryne Stanek.
A fireballer with a tough fastball, Stanek has been wildly inconsistent this season, particularly over the second half of the season. Going to him was the fallacious transfer, because the inconsistencies continued. Eric Wagaman, the primary batter he confronted, drove a double to the middle discipline wall to attain Connor Norby and break a scoreless tie. Stanek received the second out, however then got here extra arduous contact and one other RBI double, this one from Brian Navaretto.
Mendoza went to the bullpen once more, this time for right-handed submariner Tyler Rogers — a ground-ball pitcher who’s finest when introduced in for clear innings. It went from dangerous to worse. Sanoja pulled one down the left facet for a triple. Going again to the highest of the order, Xavier Edwards singled up the middle to attain Sanoja.
Nearer Edwin Diaz was then introduced in to cease the bleeding. He was the sixth pitcher used. Left-hander Sean Manaea began the sport, and pitched 1 2/3 innings earlier than the Mets went to right-hander Huascar Brazoban for 3 outs.
Diaz, who can choose out of his contract this winter, pitched two scoreless innings to present the Mets an opportunity to return again. That they had visitors in each inning, however the Marlins continued to close them down.
The Mets went your entire season and not using a comeback win within the eighth inning or later, going 0-70 when trailing within the eighth.
