Marlins end season on a high note, dash Mets’ playoff hopes
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said before this weekend’s season-ending series against the Mets that the Marlins “would love nothing more” than to make their National League East rival miss the playoffs.
The Marlins did just that Sunday, spoiling the Mets’ postseason hopes while punctuating their own season with a victory.
Behind five shutout innings from Edward Cabrera and a four-run burst in the fourth, the Marlins blanked the Mets 4-0 at loanDepot park to finish 2025 with a 79-83 record — a 17-game improvement from last year.
“Finishing this way, winning our last series here at home, proud of our guys and the way they approached this weekend after the disappointment earlier in the week in Philadelphia,” McCullough said.
“We’re all going to have to say goodbye to each other for a little while, but we’re leaving here with a good taste in our mouth and a lot of confidence heading into an important offseason for the guys in there and our staff to continue to look to get better. We know next season nothing is guaranteed. Nice to finish this way.”
The Mets needed to win Sunday to have a chance at claiming the final NL wild card. They lost two of three to the Marlins this weekend, and as a result, the season series between the teams. The Marlins also eliminated the Mets from postseason contention on the final day of the regular season in 2007 and 2008.
Two days after scoring all six of their runs in the fifth inning, the Marlins seized control Sunday with another offensive outburst — this time in the fourth.
Eric Wagaman’s RBI double into gap in left center off right-hander Ryne Stanek scored Connor Norby from first base for a 1-0 lead. Norby had singled to left with one out after working a full count.
Then with two outs, Brian Navarreto clubbed an RBI double off the center-field wall for a 2-0 lead, bringing home Wagaman. Javier Sanoja followed with an RBI triple down the left-field line off right-hander Tyler Rogers. Xavier Edwards then singled for a 4-0 lead. The Marlins scored three of their four runs with two outs.
“To see Eric come up with a big hit there. Navaretto has been a great story,” McCullough said. “Sanoja, what has he not done this year except play right field and catch? And Xavier, he finished the season really strong.”
That was all the offense the Marlins needed with Cabrera on the mound. The right-hander allowed only two hits while striking out seven.
Cabrera walked five, including three in a span of four batters in the fifth inning to load the bases, but got Pete Alonso to line out to left for the third out.
Sunday was Cabrera’s second outing after returning from the injured list. He was placed there with an elbow sprain after his start against the Mets on Aug. 30 when he allowed five earned runs in four innings. It looked unlikely that Cabrera would return to pitch this season, and the possibility of Tommy John surgery was discussed.
Cabrera said Sunday it was important to him to return this season.
“I was very happy to come back,” he said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “Any difficult situation, you have to continue battling. Once things get hard, you have to keep your head up high and do your best. That’s what I did, and I was able to get back. I’m happy for that.”
Cabrera ended the season with single-season career highs for starts (26), innings (137 2/3) and strikeouts (150).
“Cabbie really all season long took some big steps in his trajectory as a starting pitcher,” McCullough said. Of Cabrera’s return from the injured list, he said,
“To come back and feel healthy and flash the stuff he has prior to the shutdown, he was able to pick up where he left off and finish what was overall a really terrific season in so many aspects for Cabbie.
“His commitment to filling up the strike zone. His willingness to open up his arsenal and utilize his curveball and slider. … He just is believing more and more in what it’s going to take for him to be successful,” McCullough noted.
This story was originally published September 28, 2025 at 8:07 PM.