By Deesha Thosar
FOX Sports MLB Writer
NEW YORK — In 10 days, the Mets‘ 2022 season briefly deteriorated.
“It’s one of those things that you can’t do anything but say it was self-inflicted,” supervisor Buck Showalter mentioned.
On Sept. 28 at Citi Field, the Mets celebrated a come-from-behind win in opposition to the Marlins as it supposed they might fly to Atlanta with a one-game lead within the National League East. All they needed to do was once win one sport in opposition to the Braves within the three-game sequence that came about Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 at Truist Park. One win would’ve necessarily ensured that the Mets would earn their first department identify since 2015.
Instead, the worst-case state of affairs came about: They had been swept via the Braves.
And so the Mets flew again to New York with heavy hearts, realizing Atlanta had all yet secured its 5th consecutive NL East crown, yet they nonetheless had a shot within the postseason within the wild-card spherical, the place it is any individual’s sport. The Mets headed into the playoffs with 101 wins, identical because the Braves and the second-most victories in franchise historical past.
“Nobody really cares how you do in the regular season,” outfielder Brandon Nimmo mentioned. “It doesn’t matter when you come to the postseason. Everybody starts new.”
In the Wild-Card Series, the Padres decisively took Game 1, ambushing Max Scherzer with 4 house runs and gaining the threshold within the three-game set. The Mets roared again and took Game 2, chasing left-hander Blake Snell after 3⅓ innings and leaning on their stars to rally the offense. As Showalter has mentioned a couple of instances this season, the entirety the Mets sought after was once correct in entrance of them.
But the Mets misplaced 6-0 to the Padres on Sunday at Citi Field, finishing their season via enjoying simply 3 video games of their first postseason look in six years. The loss — the finality of all of it after the Mets registered 101 wins within the common season — capped a disastrous 10 days for a 2022 membership that fizzled out when it mattered maximum.
“Our goal was to win the World Series, and we failed,” Scherzer mentioned. “I thought we had great chemistry. I really thought we had the makeup to do it. I’ve been on several teams that have gone deep in the postseason. I thought we shared a lot of the same characteristics of those teams. Unfortunately, we got beat.”
Then Scherzer succinctly summed up his feelings: “This is like a kick in the balls.”
Chris Bassitt allowed 3 earned runs on 3 hits and was once got rid of from his get started after 4 innings. He gave the impression thrown off via each the PitchCom instrument in his ear and San Diego’s hitters, who stored stepping out of the field to reduce to rubble with his rhythm. While Bassitt crumbled in two vital outings — he gave up seven earned runs, six hits and 6 walks throughout simply 6⅔ innings in his remaining two begins in opposition to the Braves and Padres blended — it didn’t subject a lot since the Mets offense was once absent.
Padres beat Mets to transport directly to NLDS
The San Diego Padres beat the New York Mets 6-0 in the back of Joe Musgrove’s nice efficiency. Musgrove went seven innings, struck out 5 and allowed only one hit.
Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove restricted the Mets to 1 measly hit throughout seven innings pitched. In the ground of the 6th, Showalter trotted out of the dugout and went instantly to first-base umpire and group leader Alfonso Marquez to request a test on Musgrove. The Mets suspected the pitcher was once the use of an unlawful sticky substance, in all probability on his glossy ear. But after an intensive pat-down yielded no disciplinary motion in opposition to Musgrove, the righty returned to paintings and persevered his assault at the Mets lineup.
“I’m charged with doing what’s best for the New York Mets,” Showalter mentioned. “If it makes me look however it makes me look or whatever, I’m going to do it every time and live with the consequences.”
On Sunday, the ambience at Citi Field briefly went from nervous-but-excited to funereal. The Padres performed higher than the Mets in each division: pitching, hitting, protection, gamesmanship — you title it. The one hit the Mets recorded was once the fewest ever in a postseason sport in franchise historical past. Their earlier low in a playoff sport was once two hits in Game 2 of the 2015 World Series in opposition to the Kansas City Royals.
The crowd, unusually no longer a sell-out at 39,241, began streaming for the exits within the best of the 8th inning. One fan, as he was once leaving, mentioned to the individual subsequent to him that he knew he shouldn’t have come to the sport. They had had sufficient of sitting thru a blowout, down six runs whilst the end line crept nearer. The symbol of Scherzer and Jacob deGrom cheesing, protecting a World Series trophy in combination, didn’t occur this yr. It’s honest to query if, with deGrom’s unfastened company simply round 3 weeks away, it’s going to ever occur.
In addition to deGrom, Nimmo, Edwin Díaz, Bassitt, Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker, Trevor May, Adam Ottavino and Seth Lugo will all input unfastened company this offseason. The chance of the Mets’ roster taking a look very other come spring coaching was once of serious fear for a handful in their famous person avid gamers Sunday.
“It’s not fun hugging guys goodbye,” Scherzer mentioned. “It’s just not fun.”
“It really hurts,” Pete Alonso mentioned. “It’s not just the losing. It’s the disbanding of the group. It just sucks that you know it’s not going to be the same group next year.”
All of which ends up in the query: Can the Mets mirror their 101-win season with a special roster subsequent yr — in all probability with out deGrom, Nimmo, Díaz and different vital avid gamers? On Sunday, many avid gamers stated that they believed they’d the crew to win all of it this yr.
Instead, the chance was once squandered. And now, all they may be able to do is take into consideration the what-ifs and what-could’ve-beens.
For the early-exit Mets, a protracted iciness looms.
Deesha Thosar is an MLB creator for FOX Sports. She prior to now coated the Mets for the New York Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
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