Edward Cabrera pitched five scoreless innings as the host Miami Marlins eliminated the New York Mets from playoff contention with a 4-0 victory in Sunday afternoon’s season finale.
Miami scored four runs off three pitchers in a crucial fourth inning.
The Mets, with the second most expensive payroll in the majors at $341 million per Spotrac, finished 83-79. They caved in after being 20 wins above .500 in mid-June.
Because the Reds lost to the Brewers on Sunday, the Mets would’ve made the playoffs with a win. But since the Mets lost, the Reds qualified as the third and final National League wild-card team.
Meanwhile, Miami (79-83), which has the lowest payroll in baseball at $67 million, improved by 17 wins over last year, when they finished 62-100.
Cabrera, who struck out seven, allowed just two hits and worked around five walks.
The Mets started Sean Manaea, who pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings. With their season on the line, Manager Carlos Mendoza had a quick hook all day, and that led to disaster for New York in the fourth.
Reliever Brooks Raley started that inning, and he got one out and allowed a single. Mendoza went to Ryne Stanek, who got one out but allowed RBI doubles to Eric Wagaman and Brian Navarreto.
Mendoza then brought in Tyler Rogers, who allowed Javier Sanoja’s RBI triple and Xavier Edwards’ run-scoring single for a 4-0 Marlins lead.
The Mets had a golden chance in the fifth as Cabrera walked three, loading the bases with two outs.
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough opted to stick with Cabrera. Mets slugger Pete Alonso swung at a first-pitch, 98-mph fastball and lined it 116 mph to left. But Javier Sanoja, listed at 5-foot-7, reached up to grab the liner and end the threat.
After the catch, Sanoja did a couple of high steps and joyously flipped the ball into the outfield stands. Alonso stared in disbelief, and Cabrera screamed into his glove.
The game ended with Mets star Francisco Lindor grounding into a double play.
