High-spending Mets assured of first last-place finish since 2003 with 7-6 loss to Nationals

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Stevens, P. (2026, September 26). High-spending Mets assured of first last-place finish since 2003 with 7-6 loss to Nationals. Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/high-spending-mets-assured-of-first-last-place-finish-since-2003-with-7-6-loss-to-nationals/article_6d5f0fca-fd64-521c-9af2-ab585de8b208.html

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Toronto Star · collected 2026-09-26 · by Patrick Stevens

Quick Summary

The New York Mets suffered a 7-6 loss to the Washington Nationals, securing their worst finish since 2003 with a record of 73-87. Despite starting the season with a league-record $358.4 million payroll, the team will end up in last place for the first time since 2002. Josiah Gray earned his first career save for Washington, which has now won nine out of twelve games and is guaranteed to finish fourth in the NL East division.

Written by AI on 2026-10-02, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

The New York Mets were assured of their first last-place finish in the National League East since 2003 after losing to the Washington Nationals by a score of 7-6 on Friday night. This loss seals the Mets' fate despite starting the season with a record-breaking $358.4 million payroll, making it clear that high spending does not guarantee success. The Mets finished the game at 73-87 for the season. Meanwhile, the Nationals secured fourth place in their division, having won nine out of their last twelve games. Notably, Josiah Gray earned his first major league save and home appearance since April 2024 after returning from Tommy John surgery.

Written for “Mets Last Place Finish” on 2026-10-30, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Mets Last Place Finish

Sports · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

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This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Mets beat Nationals 7-1 behind 2 homers from Mauricio and 3-run drive by Ewing Different event

Toronto Star

Hedges 1 of 16 claims Outlet record 64/100

“The articles describe different games between Mets and Nationals played on consecutive days.”

How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

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sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

0 of 11 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

64/100

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Running correction rate · 27 correction(s)

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Who wrote this

Patrick Stevens

5 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 Mauricio connected on a fastball three pitches later for his first home run since May 1.

2026-09-26 · assertive framing · Mets beat Nationals 7-1 behind 2 homers from Mauricio and 3-run drive by Ewing

🔮 New York (73-87), which began the season with a major league record $358.4 million payroll, will finish last for the first time since it was 66-95 in 2002.

2026-09-26 · assertive framing · High-spending Mets assured of first last-place finish since 2003 with 7-6 loss to Nationals

🔮 They’ve already clinched their fourth consecutive NL Central title and will make their eighth postseason appearance in nine years.

2026-09-21 · assertive framing · Steady Brewers savor franchise-record 98th victory as playoffs loom

🔮 “He is as close to full go as he could be,” manager Craig Albernaz said.

2026-09-19 · assertive framing · Orioles activate reliever Félix Bautista from injured list, Albernaz returning, Mancini retires

Also by Patrick Stevens

Mets beat Nationals 7-1 behind 2 homers from Mauricio and 3-run drive by Ewing

2026-09-26 · Toronto Star

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2026-09-21 · Toronto Star

Brewers tie team record with 97th win, beat Orioles 1-0 with help of fly ball lost in sun

2026-09-19 · Toronto Star

Orioles activate reliever Félix Bautista from injured list, Albernaz returning, Mancini retires

2026-09-19 · Toronto Star

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

Topics

Mets Nationals New York Mets WASHINGTON the Washington Nationals

Subjects

Gray PERSON · 2× Mets ORG · 2× Nationals ORG · 2× Bo Bichette PERSON · 1× Carson Benge PERSON · 1× Dylan Crews PERSON · 1× Josiah Gray PERSON · 1× New York Mets ORG · 1× WASHINGTON GPE · 1× the Washington Nationals ORG · 1×

Narrative

The high-spending New York Mets were assured their first last-place finish since 2003, losing to the Washington Nationals 7-6 on Friday night as Josiah Gray earned his first major league save in his first home appearance in more than two years.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-26

🔮 New York (73-87), which began the season with a major league record $358.4 million payroll, will finish last for the first time since it was 66-95 in 2002.

2026-09-26 · Toronto Star

High-spending Mets assured of first last-place finish since 2003 with 7-6 loss to Nationals · assertive framing

Claims (11 extracted, 0 hedged)

Gray → spend → years

Dylan Crews homered for the Nationals (76-84), who have won nine of 12 and are guaranteed fourth in the NL East. asserted

who → homer → East

They have been fourth or fifth for seven straight seasons since winning the 2019 World Series. asserted

They → win → Series

New York (73-87), which began the season with a major league record $358.4 million payroll, will finish last for the first time since it was 66-95 in 2002. asserted

it → begin → 2002

Bo Bichette and Carson Benge homered for the Mets. asserted

Bichette → homer → Mets

Benge became the first Mets rookie with 20 homers and 20 steals in a season. asserted

Benge → become → season

Gray worked around Juan Soto’s two-out walk in the ninth, getting Bichette to hit a soft grounder to the mound to cap his first outing at Nationals Park since April 4, 2024. asserted

Bichette → work → April

An All-Star in 2023, Gray underwent Tommy John surgery the following year and did not return to the major leagues until last week. asserted

Gray → undergo → week

Gus Varland (2-2) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings. asserted

Varland → pitch → innings

Up next New York RHP Jonah Tong (2-2, 4.21 ERA) starts as the series continues Saturday in a game moved up to 12:35 p.m. because of rain forecast later in the day. asserted

series → start → day

LHP Connelly Early (7-5, 3.44), acquired from Boston for Curtis Mead on July 26, will come off the injured list to make his first start for the Nationals. asserted

Early → acquire → Nationals

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