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The New York Mets suffered their 10th consecutive loss on April 18, 2026, falling 5-3 to the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park in a game that highlighted ongoing struggles on both offense, and defense. The defeat extended the franchise-worst losing streak to start a season since 1962 and left the Mets with a 4-14 record through their first 18 games.

Miami took an early lead in the second inning when Jake Burger hit a two-run home run off Mets starter Joey Lucchesi, giving the Marlins a 2-0 advantage. Lucchesi recovered to retire the side in order in the third and fourth innings, but the Mets offense failed to generate meaningful pressure against Marlins pitcher Edward Cabrera, who worked six innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out seven.

New York finally broke through in the top of the fifth inning when Francisco Lindor doubled to lead off the frame and scored on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Nimmo, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The Mets appeared to gain momentum when Mark Vientos followed with an RBI single to make it 2-2, but Miami answered immediately in the bottom of the inning with a two-run double by Jazz Chisholm Jr., restoring a two-run lead at 4-2.

The Marlins added an insurance run in the sixth inning when Nick Fortes drove in Burger with a sacrifice fly off Mets reliever David Robertson, making it 5-2. New York threatened in the eighth when Nimmo led off with a double and advanced to third on a groundout, but Robertson struck out the side to end the inning and preserve the Marlins’ lead.

In the ninth inning, Mets closer Edwin Díaz entered with the team trailing by three runs. After retiring the first two batters, Díaz issued a walk to Luis Arráez and surrendered a single to Jacob Stallings, loading the bases with no outs. However, Díaz induced a ground ball to shortstop Francisco Lindor, who flipped to second baseman Jeff McNeil for the force out at second. McNeil then threw to first baseman Pete Alonso to complete the inning-ending double play, preserving the 5-3 Marlins victory.

The final out was broadcast on the Mets’ radio network by play-by-play announcer Howie Rose, who called the sequence: “Lindor to McNeil to Alonso — double play! That’s the third out, and the Marlins win it 5-3. Ten straight losses for the Mets.” The call quickly circulated on social media, particularly in the r/baseball subreddit, where users highlighted the irony of hearing the broadcast call of the final out of another defeat.

Through 18 games, the Mets are batting .218 as a team, tied for 28th in Major League Baseball, and have scored just 68 runs — the second-fewest in the National League. Their starting rotation has posted a collective 5.82 ERA, while the bullpen has blown five saves in 12 opportunities. Defensively, New York has committed 18 errors, the most in MLB.

Manager Carlos Mendoza addressed the streak after the game, acknowledging the frustration but emphasizing process over results. “We’re not where we want to be, obviously,” Mendoza said. “But we keep showing up, we keep competing, and we keep trying to fix the things You can control. The guys in that locker room know what’s at stake, and they’re not giving up.”

Individually, Francisco Lindor remains the team’s most consistent hitter, batting .286 with three home runs and 12 RBIs, while Pete Alonso leads the team with four home runs despite a .190 batting average. Brandon Nimmo is hitting .250 with a team-high .366 on-base percentage, but the lack of production behind him in the lineup has limited his opportunities to score.

Looking ahead, the Mets are scheduled to begin a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on April 19, 2026. Atlanta enters the series with an 11-7 record and has won seven of its last ten games. New York will look to end its losing streak against a Braves rotation led by Spencer Strider and Chris Sale, who have combined for a 2.10 ERA over their last four starts.