The New York Mets have collapsed yet again; this time it happened on a bigger stage, though. After losing the National League East to the Atlanta Braves right at the end of the season, the Mets found themselves with a fairly favorable matchup in the NL Wild Card round against the San Diego Padres. In typical Mets fashion, though, they fell apart at the worst possible time, and ended up losing to the Padres in three games.
There was a lot that went wrong for New York in this series, and resulted in their swift exit from the playoffs. They were the favorite heading into the series, but they never really made a winning push against San Diego. They managed to extend the series in Game 2, but they didn't even put up a fight in Game 3.
You win and lose as a team, but there are two players on the Mets roster who will shoulder most of the blame for their quick loss to the Padres. Let's identify those two players and see why their struggles hurt their team so dearly in their quick three-game loss to the Padres.
2. Chris Bassitt
Chris Bassitt had been the Mets third best starter all season long, and it wasn't surprising to see him get the ball with New York's season on the line. Bassitt wasn't otherworldly on the mound this season, but he was the Mets most consistent presence on the mound considering he made 30 starts on the season.
Bassitt was counted on to deliver in Game 3 like he had delivered all season long. Bassitt's sold stats (15-9, 3.42 ERA, 167 K, 1.15 WHIP) helped the Mets overcome injuries to Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom throughout the season. Instead, he faltered when his team needed him the most.
Considering that Joe Musgrove gave up just one hit all night long, it was clear the Mets needed more from Chris Bassitt. But he lasted just four innings, giving up three runs on three hits and three walks, while striking out just two batters. Bassitt didn't have his best stuff all night long, and New York paid a steep price for his struggles.
The Game 3 loss doesn't fall solely on Bassitt's shoulders. He wasn't great, but nobody in New York's lineup did anything to help him. Considering it was the playoffs, giving up three runs over four innings isn't the worst thing to happen either. The lineup failed to produce, and the bullpen only let things get more out of hand as the game went on. But Chris Bassitt didn't show up, and that earns him a spot on this list.
1. Max Scherzer
Of course, Bassitt wouldn't have even had to take the mound in Game 3 had Max Scherzer done his job in Game 1. Scherzer is one of the most dominant pitchers in the MLB, and got the start for New York to open the series. His performance set the tone for what ended up being New York's final series of the season.
Max Scherzer was great for the Mets again throughout the season, finishing with an 11-5 record, a 2.29 ERA, and 173 strikeouts. Considering he turned 38 this season, Scherzer has shown virtually no signs of slowing down. He's also been one of the best starting pitchers in recent postseason history.
That reputation Scherzer carries may not hold up as much as it did coming into the playoffs. Scherzer was hit hard by the Padres in Game 1, giving up seven runs (all courtesy of the long ball) through 4.2 innings while striking out only four batters. Given his track record of postseason success, it was extremely surprising to see Scherzer struggle so badly.
Simply put, the Mets needed Scherzer to deliver in this one, and he didn't. They gave him the ball in Game 1 in hopes that he could lead New York to a quick victory, but he didn't. Jacob deGrom was the only starter on the Mets to hold up his end of the bargain in this series, and maybe you can make an argument that he should have gotten the ball to start the series for the Mets.
New York's lineup didn't do much this series, but when it comes to picking specific players that struggled, it becomes pretty murky. The Mets pitching staff should have been able to pick up their lineup considering they have two of the best starters in the game in Scherzer and deGrom, but they couldn't. Losing Game 1 killed San Diego in this series, and that falls on Scherzer.
The hope was that Scherzer and deGrom would deal in their respective outings and lead the Mets to a quick victory. Instead, Scherzer let his team down, and they couldn't pick him up. Now, they head into an offseason looking for answers, and while they may ultimately need to beef up their lineup, their starting rotation will be looked at as the unit that let New York down in this series.
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