Mets’ nine-game win streak ends with a whimper in loss to Reds

A nine-game winning streak that got the Mets firmly into the postseason conversation came to an end Sunday with a 3-1 loss to Cincinnati, but the Mets hit the road still liking their chances.

“We’re in a good playoff spot,” Luis Severino said. “Today was a tough game. We’re not gonna win [them] all. The important thing is to win series.”

That’s how the Mets resurrected their season and they’ll try to keep that going starting Monday in Toronto and then with a trip to Philadelphia.

The loss on Sunday at Citi Field, coupled with Atlanta’s win over Toronto, put the Mets into a tie with the Braves for the final wild-card spot in the National League.

“For us, right now, we’re not worried about who’s winning and losing,” Severino said of the wild-card standings. “Even when we weren’t in the talk for the playoffs, we were just trying to win games. We’ll continue to focus on our team.”

Severino was trying to protect a one-run lead when he gave up his only run of the day in the seventh.

Phil Maton, who has pitched well since coming over from Tampa Bay prior to the trade deadline, gave up a pair of runs in the top of the ninth.

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Cincinnati’s Alexis Diaz — Edwin’s brother — then closed it in the bottom of the inning for the save.

The biggest issue for the Mets on Sunday, though, was the offense, which got just a run in the sixth inning on a two-out RBI single from Starling Marte.

But the top five hitters in the lineup combined to go 0-for-16 with three walks and five strikeouts against rookie right-hander Julian Aguiar and five relievers.

Severino gave the Mets another solid start, as the right-hander gave up one run in 6 ²/₃ innings.

Maton entered with the game tied heading into the ninth and immediately hit Spencer Steer with a pitch.

Ty France followed with an infield single that might have gone for a double to left if not for a diving stab by Mark Vientos, his second defensive gem of the game.

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A grounder to second by Jake Fraley put runners on second and third for Santiago Espinal.

With the infield in, Espinal gave the Reds the lead with a two-run double to left.

The Mets couldn’t rally in the bottom of the inning.

The lineup was quiet all day, beginning against Aguiar, who was making just his fifth major league start.

He’d allowed eight runs in 6 ²/₃ innings in his previous two starts, but pitched 4 ²/₃ shutout innings on Sunday.

“We got in good situations a lot,” Brandon Nimmo said. “We were really close the whole day. It just didn’t pan out.”

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Nimmo nearly gave the Mets the lead in the third inning, but for a second straight game, he hit a towering fly ball that went over the foul pole in right and was ruled foul.

The call was reviewed, but not overturned.

“Where the one landed [Sunday], I really thought it was fair,” Nimmo said. “I understand from [the umpires’] perspective. They’re looking for the ball to disappear behind the foul pole.”

The Mets threatened in the fourth when Vientos opened with a walk and Pete Alonso got hit by a pitch, but Jesse Winker grounded into a force out, Jose Iglesias flied out and Marte grounded out.

Severino faltered in the seventh, hurt by some soft contact.

France reached on an infield hit to open the inning and after Fraley reached on a force out, he moved to second on a wild pitch.

After Severino struck out Santiago Espinal, Noelvi Marte drove in the Reds’ first run with a blooper to right to end Severino’s outing.

“Streaks are gonna come to an end,” Nimmo said of the team’s longest winning streak in over six years. “We’ve been playing really good baseball. We’re gonna continue to try to do that on this road trip. It’s really all been coming together.”

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