Mets takeaways from Sunday's season-finale loss to Phillies, including Buck Showalter's standing ovation
The Mets couldn't complete a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, falling 9-1 on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.
Here are five things to know...
1. The game took on a different feeling before the first pitch was even thrown, as Buck Showalter announced that he would not be returning as Mets manager in 2024. After saying that the team's new leadership wanted to go in a different direction, Showalter received a standing ovation from his players and the fans as he turned in the lineup card.
2. Phillies pitching held the Mets’ bats quiet for the first couple of innings, but Tim Locastro put the home team on the board in the bottom of the third, blasting a solo shot to left field off of Nick Nelson. The home run was the second of the season for Locastro, who has been injury-plagued during his time as a Met.
3. Jose Butto, once again getting a chance to start, was solid yet again. The righty held the Phillies to just one run over the first five innings, but Alec Bohm got to him for a solo shot in the sixth.
Butto went six innings while allowing just two earned runs. He stuck out four and walked two, finishing his season with a 3.64 ERA, At the very least, Butto has put himself in the conversation to be part of the Mets' rotation next season, though free agency could change that picture dramatically.
The Mets' bullpen struggled to keep things close late, as the combination of Denyi Reyes and Anthony Kay allowed six runs in the ninth, including a Brandon Marsh three-run homer.
4. Overall, it was a very quiet day for the Mets offense. The Mets had just two hits as a team -- the Locastro homer and a Ronny Mauricio single.
Pete Alonso went 0-for-3, finishing the season with a .217 average to go along with 46 homers and 118 RBI.
Alonso also received a standing ovation ahead of his final at-bat, as his future with the club is reportedly up in the air.
5. It sounds less and less likely that the Mets-Marlins Sept. 28 suspended game will be resumed, meaning the Mets season is over. A new era of Mets baseball will begin on Monday at noon, when David Stearns is introduced as president of baseball operations and a new managerial search gets underway.
