You can fault the shaky starting pitching. You can criticize the thin bullpen. You can get on general manager David Stearns uneven year and manager Carlos Mendozas shaky late-game moves. All are fair game. All Dale Berra Jersey are warranted. But the reason have happened , the reason nobody could have forecast, and one that will linger into the offseason, is the Mets core. This, after all, was supposed to be this teams strength, Juan Soto joining Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil to form one of the best lineups in the sport. A quintet of established veterans that could carry the Mets into the postseason and beyond. Instead, they have been inconsistent. Their overall numbers look pretty good. But they feel empty. And while last nights come-from behind win over the Cubs coupled with the Reds lo s to the Pirates moved the Mets back into the final NL wild-card spot, it cant hide the fact that the club is because it has been one of the worst teams in baseball over the last three-plus months. Jared Triolo Jersey