Florida Ends Mets’ Wild Card Hopes in Shea’s Last Game

Mets collapse, the sequel.Doomed by a dreadful bullpen that failed them again today, the New York Mets completed their second consecutive September slide with a 4-2 loss to Florida that knocked them out of playoff contention in the final game at Shea Stadium.Scott Schoeneweis and Luis Ayala served up back-to-back homers in the eighth inning that put the pesky Marlins ahead, and New York (89-73) lost out to Milwaukee (90-72) for the NL wild card on the last day of the season.Next up, a gloomy scene at Shea.The Mets brought in former greats from Tom Seaver to Dwight Gooden for closing ceremonies after the game that were sure to feel much more like a funeral than a party.As the Mets played Florida, the Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1, earning the league’s last postseason spot. The Mets went home for the winter, another bitter offseason ahead.It was an eerily similar scenario to last year, when New York lost at home to Florida on the final day of season, ending their playoff hopes.That defeat finished one of baseball’s biggest meltdowns — the Mets had led the NL East by seven games with 17 to play before they went 5-12 down the stretch. This time, they held first place by a season-high 3½ games with 17 remaining before going 7-10 the rest of the way.New York wasted Carlos Beltran’s tying, two-run homer in the sixth, a useful start by Oliver Perez on short rest and another clutch catch by Endy Chavez. Carlos Delgado flied out to deep left with two on to end the eighth, and former Mets prospect Matt Lindstrom retired Ryan Church on a flyout to the edge of the center-field warning track with a runner on to close it out.Pinch-hitter Wes Helms homered off Schoeneweis (2-6) to start the eighth, snapping a 2-all tie. Dan Uggla connected against Ayala.The Mets pulled into a tie with Milwaukee for the wild card yesterday, thanks to Johan Santana’s three-hit shutout on three days’ rest and the Brewers’ 7-3 loss to Chicago.But a day later, New York was out.

Florida Ends Mets’ Wild Card Hopes in Shea’s Last Game

Florida Ends Mets’ Wild Card Hopes in Shea’s Last Game

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