The party barely got started and now it’s over.
One-hundred-and-one victories didn’t get the Mets a National League East title. And as it turned out, nor did it grant them immunity from an early exit to the postseason.
The cracks in the Mets that seemed most pronounced in the final weeks of the regular season conspired Sunday night, ending the team’s season with a 6-0 loss to the Padres in Game 3 of the wild-card series before a non-sellout of 39,241 at Citi Field.
Joe Musgrove manhandled the Mets with seven shutout innings. The Mets managed all of one hit and two base runners in the defeat. The franchise’s World Series title drought is extended to 36 seasons.
“This is a kick in the balls,” Max Scherzer said.
If Scherzer’s putrid performance in Game 1, when he allowed seven earned runs, wasn’t enough, the Mets got a clunker to close the season from Chris Bassitt, who had control problems.
Bassitt was removed after allowing three earned runs on three hits and three walks over four innings. It was a second straight dud for the right-hander, who failed to complete three innings in Atlanta during the series finale that all but gave the Braves the NL East title.
Bassitt was asked about the shock level of the team’s elimination from the postseason so early.
“No matter where you lose it’s stunning,” Bassitt said. “I’ve lost in this round. I’ve lost in the next round. It doesn’t matter what round you lose in. It just sucks.
“I would say almost every playoff team, they have a really special group and you don’t want to leave. Yeah, everyone that loses from here on out is stunned, and everyone’s just … it’s a terrible, terrible feeling.”
After loading the bases with two outs in the second inning, Bassitt surrendered a two-run single to No. 9 hitter Austin Nola on an 0-2 pitch.
Ha-Seong Kim walked with two outs in the fourth and stole second before Trent Grisham — who homered in Games 1 and 2 — delivered an RBI single that placed the Mets in a 3-0 hole. Manny Machado brought in another run with an RBI single in the fifth against David Peterson.
Musgrove, who was checked by umpires for illegal substances on his cap, glove and behind his ear before the bottom of the sixth — with prompting by Buck Showalter — finished with a one-hitter over seven shutout innings.
Juan Soto poked a single in the eighth against Edwin Diaz for two additional runs, both charged to Mychal Givens.
The Mets scrapped for seven runs in their victory Saturday, but were a mess offensively in the other two games of the series.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had such a blend of good people and good players, and it really creates a bond that you hate to see them not get … everybody thinks they deserve it this time of year,” Showalter said. “They’re a very easy group to pull for — as a fan, as a coach, as a manager, as a teammate, and I just feel for them, it’s not something that’s sharp either. It’s like a dull — it’s not going to go away, but in a lot of ways, you hope it’s a stepping stone that drives you in the offseason. Hopefully we can gain something from the pain.”
The Mets held a small celebration in Milwaukee last month after clinching the postseason berth, because as Scherzer put it, there was a scenario in which they otherwise wouldn’t get to celebrate. Losing the division and wild-card round was that scenario. Now that has come to fruition.
A long offseason awaits the Mets, who face decisions on Diaz, Bassitt and Carlos Carrasco and likely ace Jacob deGrom, who has indicated he plans to opt out of his contract. Taijuan Walker has a player option for next season, but can choose free agency. The Mets have indicated to another free agent, Brandon Nimmo, they would like to extend the relationship beyond this year. Seth Lugo and Adam Ottavino are other key members of the bullpen headed to free agency.
“I’m sure it will be different next year,” Francisco Lindor said. “But we created a culture here that I’m sure will be one of the best in the game for a long time.”
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