NEW YORK — With the Mets' margin for error growing slimmer by the day, the smallest details could cost the club down the stretch at the most important point of the season.
And while the Mets have long controlled their own destiny in the National League playoff race, that is no longer the case with another painstaking loss on Saturday. With the Mets looking to dig out of one of their deepest ruts, they carried a two-run lead over the Rangers into the eighth inning.
A catcher's interference call opened the door and Edwin Diaz could not stop the Mets' misery from boiling over.
Diaz gave up three hits and a walk between the eighth and ninth innings as the Mets folded down the stretch in a 3-2 loss in front of 41,752 fans on Saturday afternoon at Citi Field.
With Diaz trying to protect a 2-