MILWAUKEE — The biggest hits for the New York Mets on Saturday night came off the bats of San Diego players against Arizona Diamondbacks pitchers late in a game being played 1,830 miles away.
Welcome to the final stops along the crazy race for the National League’s final two playoff spots.
As Mets players started to leave a somber clubhouse to board a bus outside American Family Field following an uninspiring 6-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Padres began boosting New York’s playoff odds. In the ninth inning at Chase Field in Arizona, San Diego scored five runs to break a scoreless tie against the Diamondbacks. The Mets lost their third straight game, their first such losing streak since mid-August. Not great. And yet, things could’ve been worse. Since the Diamondbacks also lost, the Mets remain in control.
The chase for the final two playoff spots in the National League remains a wild ride. The Atlanta Braves (88-71) hold a one-game advantage. Tied behind them, there’s the Mets (87-72) and Diamondbacks (88-73). The Mets own the tiebreaker over Arizona.
Sunday was supposed to be the final day of the regular season. It still might be. Also, it might not be. Maybe the Mets will need to play two more games Monday in Atlanta. Maybe they won’t.
So, here’s the good possible scenario for the Mets: If they beat the Brewers and the Diamondbacks lose again to the Padres, New York — despite its recent issues — clinches a playoff spot Sunday.
And here’s the bad possible scenario for the Mets: If the Mets lose or the Diamondbacks win Sunday, New York must travel to Atlanta to play Monday.
Now, the worst possible scenario for the Mets: If the Mets lose and the Diamondbacks win Sunday, the Mets will have to win twice Monday.
Thus, the Mets can’t be eliminated Sunday, but it remains in their best interest to win.
That’s the problematic part.
Because to do that, they have to snap out of a funk and beat the Brewers, the NL Central champion and the team that has thoroughly outplayed the Mets for two consecutive nights (plus more, if we want to count the three-game sweep in April).
The Mets were fortunate the Padres’ bats woke up against the Diamondbacks late Saturday night because the Brewers shut down New York’s offense. Using six pitchers, Milwaukee held the Mets to just two hits.
“Offense, we didn’t do our part,” Mets first baseman Pete Alonso said. “We just need to be better. I do think we had good at-bats, but today our effort wasn’t good enough. Thankfully, we got tomorrow. And we got two more games in Atlanta. It’s a really short runway, but we do have three games, and three games are opportunities for us. In order for us to get where we need to go, we need to capitalize on opportunities.”
The Mets, who have averaged just 2 1/2 runs over their last six games, failed to record another hit after stranding Starling Marte following a leadoff double in the fifth inning. Marte advanced to third base on Luis Torrens’ grounder. But Harrison Bader lined out and Luisangel Acuña flew out to end the threat.
At that point, the Mets trailed just 2-0. It was still a winnable game. But the Brewers then did what the Brewers usually do: get on base, steal bases, hit with runners in scoring position. The Brewers are the only team in 2024 to avoid losing more than three straight games. Milwaukee’s club officials attributed that feat, in part, to a dynamic offense, the kind that can hurt opposing pitchers with small ball, the long ball, good base running, stringing together hits — the list keeps going.
After Sean Manaea delivered his first dud of a start in months and Jose Quintana lasted just 4 1/3 innings, Mets starter David Peterson will be charged Sunday with containing the Brewers and the pressure they create.
The Mets offense lacks that kind of dynamic identity. Some of their best hitters are scuffling at the plate. Alonso is 2 for his last 19. J.D. Martinez hasn’t recorded a hit since Sept. 9. Jesse Winker hasn’t had an extra-base hit since Sept. 4. Neither Martinez nor Winker were in Saturday’s lineup. Instead, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has tried other combinations. It hasn’t worked out much.
“We gotta win,” Mendoza said. “We gotta play better. We gotta get it done. We gotta find a way tomorrow.”
At some point, they can’t keep relying on other teams to deliver the big hits.
(Top photo: Benny Sieu / Imagn Images)
