The New York Mets and their fans have resigned themselves to their 2023 fate, but that does not make the complete shellacking the Atlanta Braves gave them Saturday any less excruciating. They sunk to new lows after a 21-3 loss at Citi Field.

The Mets allowed runs in every inning but the third, including an eight-run barrage in the ninth. A beatdown of that nature will sting no matter who it comes against, but this was the worst purveyor of pain New York could have asked for. Not only are the Braves a divisional foe, they are also a cruel reminder of the Mets' own recent failures.

They leaped over them at the end of last season to claim National League East supremacy and have become one of the best-run organizations in all of baseball, despite spending far less than Steve Cohen and company. While New York attempted to build an empire atop stacks of bills, the Braves have been able to lock up their players to long-term deals that have proven to be quite team-friendly thus far.

This is not the time to pour on the Mets, though. Ozzie Albies (team-high six RBIs), Matt Olson and former pitcher Allan Winans did enough of that already. Twitter tried to process the carnage but couldn't help but notice that the final score seemed more at home in another sport.

While the Mets have been an easy punching bag this season, better days should be ahead following the influx of prospects they acquired ahead of the MLB trade deadline. For the Braves, it is all business. They have played themselves into World Series or bust territory and cannot afford to lose their aggressive edge.

Olson belted two dingers to regain the home run lead over Shohei Ohtani, while Ronald Acuna Jr. continued to pad his MVP case (2-for-3, one RBI). This was the first game of a doubleheader, so New York can only hope that the Braves ran out of ammo for the second matchup.