The New York Mets were eliminated from the playoffs in a mistake-filled 4-3 loss to the Washington Nationals in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday.
The Mets (26-32) needed to win their three remaining games and receive help from multiple teams to sneak into the final wild-card spot in the expanded playoffs. But New York couldn’t hold a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning of a seven-inning game and missed the postseason for the fourth straight year.
Andrew Stevenson hit two homers — including one inside the park — for the last-place Nationals, and Max Scherzer (5-4) worked six solid innings to finish with a winning record for the 11th consecutive season, tying Los Angeles Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw for the longest active streak in the majors.