The bullpens loom large as the New York Mets open their final regular season series against the Miami Marlins.

Francisco Lindor blasted a solo shot in the top of the first inning during Friday's matchup between the Mets and Marlins.

While they're now one game ahead of the Cincinnati Reds for the third and final wild card spot with three games left, they also have a confusing Clay Holmes situation. New York brought the veteran out of the bullpen on Wednesday and Sunday after using him as a starter for his first 30 appearances of the season.

The New York Mets and Miami Marlins meet Friday to kick off each team's final 3-game series of the regular season.

The New York Mets’ postseason hopes took a serious hit Friday night as a 6-2 loss to the Miami Marlins, combined with the Cincinnati Reds’ win over the Milwaukee Brewers, knocked New York out of the National League’s final wild-card spot with just two games remaining.

With their starting rotation in shambles heading into the final weekend of the regular season, the New York Mets have decided who will start for them on Saturda

The Cincinnati Reds have put themselves in position to earn their first playoff berth since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season while keeping the free-spending New York Mets out of the postseason. Cincinnati’s 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers and New York’s 6-2 loss to the Miami Marlins on Friday enabled the Reds to tie the Mets for the National League’s third and final wild-card playoff berth.

All that is to say that the Mets cannot finish tied with either team and finish in playoff positioning, so they need to finish at least one game ahead of both teams. The Mets, who have had exactly one (1) winning road trip all season,