MIAMI _ The 2016 Miami Marlins are officially eliminated from postseason contention.
The team's 5-2 loss to the New York Mets on Wednesday ensured it is mathematically impossible for the Marlins to qualify for the playoffs, making final what in recent weeks became an inevitability. This was the latest the Marlins were eligible for the postseason since 2003, when they won the World Series.
Manager Don Mattingly, asked about his team on the mathematical brink Tuesday night, couldn't and wouldn't get into it. The Marlins are still very much struggling with the sudden death of Jose Fernandez over the weekend.
"It's a tough time to talk about that, it seems like," Mattingly said. "Just really proud of our guys, the way they're continuing to play and get ready. Still dealing with stuff and still having meetings on a daily basis about what's going to happen next and things like that. So there's still stuff going on.
"And again, I'm just proud of our guys the way they're playing and staying after it, and basically trying to compartmentalize what they're dealing with and play a game. It's hard to put the whole season in perspective right now because of what's going on."
At some point Wednesday, between the funeral procession that saw Fernandez's body leave Marlins Park for the last time in the afternoon and the last home game of the season that night, Mattingly wanted to talk with his players.
Team meetings, formal or otherwise, have been commonplace in recent days. They have been about dealing with Fernandez's death and the logistics and still-raw emotion that come with it.
The meeting Mattingly sought Wednesday was only indirectly about Fernandez. The past few days have been something like hell, yes, but Mattingly wanted to remind his guys that they had a game to play. And it mattered. The Mets are competing for a National League wild card, and for the Marlins to respect the sport they play _ the sport Fernandez loved _ they needed to put forth their best effort, no matter how physically or emotionally beaten down they felt.
Third baseman Martin Prado started that off with a two-run home run in the first inning. The Mets countered with a pair of two-run blasts of their own, from first baseman James Loney in the second inning and from right fielder Jay Bruce in the fifth.
Right-hander Jose Urena, who lasted five innings and gave up five runs, finished his sophomore season with a 6.13 ERA. His New York counterpart, rookie righty Seth Lugo, held the Marlins to two runs in 5 1/3 innings.
Miami, at 78-80, will need to win all three of its games against the Nationals this weekend to finish above .500. The Marlins have not had a winning season since 2009.
But first, the Marlins are off from baseball Thursday. They will attend a private funeral for Fernandez.
"Tomorrow closes one chapter," said pitcher Tom Koehler, "and starts a new one."
