NEW YORK – The mass exodus at Citi Field on Thursday night began promptly after Tommy Edman extended the Dodgers' lead in the top of the eighth inning, eventually beating the Mets 10-2. The game was already running for over three hours at this point – and honestly, it felt longer.

“We'll get them tomorrow!” shouted an optimistic fan as he left the scene of another ugly home loss for the Mets this week.

Well, the Mets absolutely need to get the Dodgers tomorrow if they want to continue their season, and they're not prepared for the magic to come to an end.

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“If you don’t have faith, you shouldn’t be here,” shortstop Francisco Lindor said after the loss. “You have to believe, you have to fight for what you want, you have to fight for it.”

The Mets may have proven to be the most resilient team in baseball in recent weeks, but they were simply outscored in three of the first four games of this series against Los Angeles. In that time, the Mets have left 33 runners on base and are 4 for 27 with runners in scoring position. On Thursday, it seemed like the Mets could feel the disparity in talent.

It can be argued that the key reason for the Mets' success in the postseason was the team's infectious energy. That spirit was clearly lacking in Thursday's loss, which was marked by poor pitching and poor situational hitting. That won't do the Mets any favors heading into Game 5, which they need to win if they want to keep the magical “OMG” season alive. Now the Mets have their backs against the wall for what could be the last game for this group of players that has captured the hearts of fans.

“We've been through a lot this year and it's made us who we are now,” said David Peterson, who will compete on Friday.

Of course, it was easy for fans to get excited about this team's history: from 0-5 to the NLCS. But the group of players themselves – and their many gimmicks – have also become the most endearing part of this special season. If the Mets can't pull off a win after two ugly losses in a row, all the fun is over: grimaces, “OMG,” the playoff pumpkin, etc. The Mets aren't ready to write the final chapter of what has been a storybook season for this group.

“This group has responded so well to adversity all year,” first baseman Pete Alonso said. “The character of this team, the only word I can think of for the 2024 Mets other than Grimace, is resiliency. “That’s exactly who we are.”