September 30, 2007: Mets Lose Division Title
From The Met Wiki
| Date: September 30, 2007 |
| Mets starter: Tom Glavine |
| Mets: 1 |
| Flordia Marlins: 8 |
| Winning pitcher: Logan Kensing |
| Key player(s): Cody Ross, Dan Uggla |
| Key play: Marlins' 7 runs in 1st |
Coming into the final game of the year, the Mets found themselves in a tie with the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the National League East Division. Tom Glavine took the mound against the Marlins in hope of extending the Mets' season at least another day. However, Glavine was knocked out in the first inning and the Marlins rolled to an 8-1 win to eliminate the Mets from a post-season berth.
Glavine walked Hanley Ramirez to start the game. Following a force play, Tom gave up five consecutive hits for four Florida runs. Among the hits were Miguel Cabrera's single to bring home Dan Uggla and a two-run double by Cody Ross on which Glavine's own error allowed Ross himself to score. With the bases loaded, Tom hit Dontrelle Willis with a pitch to force home another run. Jorge Sosa came in to relieve Glavine and gave up a two-run double to Uggla. The Marlins had a seven-run lead before the Mets came to bat.
The Mets scored in the bottom of the first when Luis Castillo came home on Willis's wild pitch. Later in the inning, the Mets loaded the bases with two out. Ramon Castro came up and hit a long fly ball to left field that was caught at the wall by Florida left-fielder Ross. In the third, the Mets loaded the bases again on three walks by Willis before reliever Logan Kensing got Paul Lo Duca for an inning-ending ground out.
Florida added a run when Alejandro de Aza doubled off Scott Schoeneweis to score Ross in the fifth. Joe Smith came in to relieve Schoeneweis and struck out two batters to end the inning. Smith and Pedro Feliciano then combined to strike out the side in the top of the sixth.
The bullpen's performance wasn't enough to inspire the Mets, who managed to get only two hits over the final six innings. Marlins' reliever Kevin Gregg closed out the game with a strikeout of Castillo in the ninth. Minutes later, the news of the Phillies' 6-1 win over the Washington Nationals was reported. After leading the Eastern Division by seven games just two weeks earlier, the Mets' season was over without post-season play.
