The notion that the Mets might be in a position to make a run at the National League wild-card race seemed wildly farfetched Tuesday night.
They got just four hits, made a pair of costly errors and generally looked like a team that was still on London time in a 4-2 loss to the last-place Marlins.
And it came in front of another small crowd at Citi Field, where the Mets have played poorly all season.
For a team that wants to stay away from a second straight trade deadline sell-off, the Mets sure didn’t play like it, which bothered Francisco Lindor.
“Any loss hurts, but especially since it felt like we were flat,” Lindor said. “Even the crowd was [flat] because we didn’t give them anything to get going. The vibes, I didn’t like it. We all have to do a better job of bringing energy. We tried, but it didn’t happen.”
Carlos Mendoza pointed to the team’s brief outburst in the bottom of the second as evidence his players weren’t impacted by the odd schedule they’ve dealt with, including the added days off, for the two-game series against the Phillies in London.
Lindor wasn’t as sure, saying the effects of the trip “maybe” had an impact Tuesday.
“We had a lot of off days and we’re not used to this,’’ Lindor said. “But you’ve got to deal with it.”
It spoiled the return of Francisco Alvarez from the thumb surgery that had sidelined him since April.
And it was also a shaky start to the homestand, as well as a 12-game stretch in which the Mets don’t play a team with a record over .500.
But after winning four of five — and facing a team that had lost six of its previous seven — the Mets’ bats, and crowd, were silent against lefty Jesus Luzardo and the Marlins’ bullpen.
Tylor Megill gave up a run in the second before the Mets got going in the bottom of the inning.
J.D. Martinez led off by getting hit by an 0-2 pitch and Starling Marte singled to left to set up Mark Vientos, who ripped a two-run double down the left-field line.
Vientos advanced to third on an Alvarez groundout — but that proved to be it.
After Luzardo hit a second batter in the inning on an 0-2 pitch — this time Jose Iglesias — Lindor lined out to left to keep it a one-run game.
Megill faltered in the fifth, hurt by long at-bats and shaky defense.
Megill gave up a booming RBI double to left-center to Bryan De La Cruz that bounced off a diving Harrison Bader’s glove.
Anderson scored to tie the game.
Megill got Josh Bell to fly to shallow left before Jake Burger hit a smash to third, where Vientos made a nice stop, but an errant throw took Pete Alonso off the bag to allow the go-ahead run to score.
“It feels like every time we make an error, they make us pay,” Mendoza said. “When we give up extra outs, extra bases, we haven’t been able to overcome it.’’
Danny Young replaced Megill — who struck out eight in 4 ²/₃ innings — and whiffed Sanchez to end the inning.
Luzardo settled down quickly.
Following Lindor’s lineout to end the second, the lefty faced one batter over the minimum until Marte singled with two outs in the sixth to end Luzardo’s night.
Pinch-hitter DJ Stewart drew a leadoff walk in the seventh and was replaced by pinch-runner Tyrone Taylor, but Alvarez flied out.
Mendoza then went to Jeff McNeil to pinch hit for Iglesias against righty Anthony Bender, but Miami manager Skip Schumaker went to left-hander Andrew Nardi, who struck out McNeil for the second out and Lindor then flied to right.
Martinez sent one to the warning track in right for the second time to end the eighth against Tanner Scott, briefly getting a rise out of the Citi Field crowd.
A throwing error by Alvarez on Nick Lopez’s steal of second led to an unearned run off Adam Ottavino and Scott picked up a two-inning save.