Mets Sleep with the Fishes as Reds Had Nothing Brewing, Ending a Disappointing Playoff-Less Season

Marlins 4 Mets 0  (loanDepot Park, Miami, FL)

Mets record: 83-79

Mets streak: Lost 1

L10 : 5-5

WP - Edwin Cabrera (8-7)

LP - Brooks Raley (3-1)

Seat on the Korner: Edward Cabrera

We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.

Today’s coveted Seat goes to Marlins starter Edward Cabrera, who closed out his season in style against the Mets. Cabrera, who debuted for Miami in 2021, just finished the best year of his young career, logging a career-high 137 2/3 innings over 26 starts while posting a 3.53 ERA. Mets fans remember his rough outing at the end of August, when he gave up six runs (five earned) in four innings before landing on the injured list, and his September 23 return, when he allowed three runs on five hits in four frames. But today was a different story. Cabrera delivered five strong innings, holding the Mets to just two hits while working around five walks and striking out seven. The effort earned him his eighth win of the season and, fittingly, the final Seat on the Korner of 2025.

Need to Know

• Mets faced a must-win scenario today and a Reds loss. The Brewers helped the Mets out by beating the Reds, but the Mets failed to capitalize on the opportunity.

• The Mets finished their final road trip of the season, a six-game trip (3-3) to Chicago (2-1) and Miami (1-2).

• The Mets finished 34-47 on the road this year, compared to 43-38 last season.

• The Mets concluded their regular season schedule with three games in the NL East., New York finished 25-27 against the division this season, compared to 30-22 last season.

• Francisco Lindor has safely hit in 15 of his last 16 games,batting .316 (19-60) with 18 runs, three doubles, five homers, nine RBI, nine walks, and three steals.

• Juan Soto has set a franchise record with 127 walks this season...His 127 walks lead the major leagues...He recorded his sixth season with 100+ walks and became the second Mets player to break the 100 walk barrier...John Olerud owned the previous franchise recorded when he recorded 125 walks during the 1999 season...Soto has five seasons of 120+ walks, the fifth-most such seasons in Major League history…Only Barry Bonds (11), Babe

  Ruth (10), Eddie Yost (8) and Ted Williams (8) have had more such season

• Pete Alonso appeared in all 162 Mets games this year...Last season,

  he became the second Mets player to appear in every single game, joining Félix Millán (1975) - not including 2020...John Olerud appeared in 162 of 163 games during the 1999...Last year marked the third time in his career he has appeared in 160 or more games (also, 2019 & 2022)...

• Pete Alonso has appeared in 416 consecutive games, which is the second-longest streak in the majors (Matt Olson - 782

  games, 5/2/21-current)...His streak of 415 consecutive games is the longest in team history.

• Sean Manaea made his sixth career start against Miami, but it was a short one. He lasted just 1 1/3 innings before Carlos Mendoza pulled him after issuing two walks in the second inning. His final line: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 3 K, 2 BB. In six career appearances vs. the Marlins, Manaea now holds a 2–2 record with a 5.09 ERA (16 ER in 28.1 IP)

• Edwin Diaz recorded the most outs of any Met pitcher today, yes you read that correctly.

• With a 79-83 record this season, the Miami Marlins are 17 games better than in 2024 (62-100), marking the largest year-over-year win improvement in a non-shortened season in club history, surpassing the previous mark of 15 games (3x, 2022-23, 2013-14, 1999-2000).

• The Mets finished the season 83-79, compared to last seasons 89-73 mark.

• Pete Alonso wasted no time announcing he will opt out of his contract and re-enter free agency, while it is a no brainer based on his season, not sure today was the day to let that be known.

  
  

Turning Point

Had the Mets generated any offense at all, the turning point might have been something off the field — namely, whoever mapped out the Mets’ pitching plan. Sean Manaea, who struck out three, walked two but hadn’t allowed a hit, was pulled after just 1 1/3 innings. Then came a quick hook for Huascar Brazobán (after a single inning and one hit) and another for Brooks Raley after just 10 pitches. But all of that became secondary once the top of the fifth inning unfolded. The Mets loaded the bases on three walks, setting the stage for a potential breakthrough. Francisco Álvarez struck out for the first out, Ronny Maurcio walked even if he didn't know it, Tyrone Taylor went down on a foul tip for the second out ,Franciso Lindor and then Juan Soto drew a walk to load the bases. With the inning hanging and the season in the balance, Pete Alonso ripped a rocket into the left-center gap — 115.9 mph off the bat, which was the hardest hit ball by a Met all season long, 348 feet, with a launch angle of 14 degrees. It looked destined to clear the bases, but Javier Sanoja ran it down and made the catch, ending the inning and keeping the Mets off the board. That grab was the true turning point, slamming the door on the Mets’ best chance to change the game.

Three Keys

2-4 Put The Mets in The Red

While the Mets failed to win today, the real difference-maker came long before the final weekend. New York’s inability to handle Cincinnati in head-to-head play ultimately sank them. The Mets went just 2–4 against the Reds this season, handing Cincinnati the crucial tiebreaker. Back in July, the Mets dropped two of three at Citi Field, including a costly 8–4 loss on July 18 and a 5–2 defeat on July 19, before salvaging the finale 3–2 on July 20. Then in September, the Mets opened a critical series in Cincinnati with a 5–4 win on September 5, but fell flat the next two nights — a 6–3 loss on September 6 and a crushing 3–2 defeat on September 7. Those missed opportunities meant that when the teams finished tied, it was the Reds — not the Mets — who owned the edge. In the end, it wasn’t just Sunday in Miami that doomed the Mets, it was Cincinnati in July and September.

The Fourth Inning Meltdown

The bottom of the fourth was where the game truly got away. After three quick innings, the Mets’ bullpen carousel opened the door. Ryne Stanek replaced Brooks Raley and immediately allowed four straight run-scoring hits: an RBI double by Eric Wagaman, another RBI double by Brian Navarreto, a triple by Sanoja, and an RBI single by Xavier Edwards. In the blink of an eye, a scoreless tie turned into a 4–0 Marlins advantage — all the offense they would need.

Strikeouts and Empty Swings

For all the Mets’ traffic on the bases, they simply couldn’t finish the job. New York struck out 11 times on the afternoon, including back-to-back punchouts by Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez to waste a rally in the eighth. The Mets had plenty of baserunners — but no timely hits to match. The loss completed another epic collapse for a franchise that has many in their history . After holding the best record in Major League Baseball on June 13, the Mets went 38-55 the rest of the way to miss the playoffs.