LOS ANGELES – A soft bloop that trickled into the left-center field gap represented the Mets' best chance.

Five of New York's last six wins have been comeback victories, furthering an already forgettable run. Every time it seemed like their season was over, they were able to recover. And two hits early in the fifth inning, despite a six-run deficit, gave credence to the idea that another miraculous moment was at hand.

This goal came from José Iglesias. And it was perfectly placed to move Jesse Winker, who led off that inning with a hit of his own, to third base. But Winker, for some inexplicable reason, stopped in no man's land. Easy prey to throw away.

Two pitches later, the inning was over. Her chance was gone. A few hours later, Game 1 ended in a 9-0 loss.

“It’s a long series and it’s one game and we’re going to keep pushing forward,” Winker said. “Obviously the base-running game kind of takes the wind out of a potential rally. I think that’s what hurts the most.”

The last two weeks have been all about resilience. It may be a cliché at this time of year, but this Mets run has surpassed even the most cynical perspective.

Jesse Winker is substituted at third base by Max Muncy in Game 1 of the NLCS. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)

Whether it was Francisco Lindor's two-run home run in the ninth inning that secured him the postseason on the final day of the season. Or Pete Alonso's three-run throw in the final frame of a crucial game in Milwaukee. Or an NLDS-clinching grand slam from Lindor, this team found a way.

They found life in games where they were dead, over and over again. But this? This was the Mets' first real dud in a long time. And that lackluster effort led to the Mets losing a game in this best-of-seven series.

“The guys were ready,” Mets shortstop Lindor said. “The bottom line is that we didn’t play the game any better than them. They played the game better than us.”

New York only managed three singles and a total of six base runners on the night, none of whom scored. They have now contributed nine of the Dodgers' MLB postseason record-breaking 33 consecutive scoreless frames. Many of them were thrown by Jack Flaherty, who shut out the Mets for seven dominant innings.

There were moments when it looked like New York might break through. The top end of the fifth mentioned above was one. Lindor and Alonso each drew a walk the previous inning, and Starling Marte made a 350-foot flyout to the warning track in right. There was simply no distance.

The Mets and their fans have gotten used to balls flying over the wall. They now expect at least one hit like this every evening. That never happened in this game.

“The energy is still there,” Marte said, echoing his teammates' sentiments after the defeat, which would not erase the goodwill they had built.

The good news for the Mets is that a miracle was far less urgent Sunday night. There's a lot at stake in the NLCS. A World Series is on the line and the Mets are eight wins away from their first championship in 38 years.

But for the first time in weeks, the Mets have room to fail. They needed a win on the final day in Atlanta. Then they had to win two of three games on the road against a 93-win Brewers team to extend their season. Then they had a best-of-five series against a Phillies team that was in the league of the NL East.

A loss to the Dodgers puts the Mets in a hole, but a seven-game series leaves them a dud. Such a blowout may make washing up easier. They simply couldn't do anything against Flaherty, who didn't allow a ball to be hit above 101.7 mph all evening.

“He tried to force us to chase, which we managed to do the first time by commanding him,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Then it was just his turn. He figured out his pitches and did a good job.”

The last time New York faced the Dodgers was in May and they were defeated. That was the game in which then-reliever Jorge López threw his glove into the stands, giving the Mets a season-worst 11 games under .500.

Soon after, Grimace threw the first pitch, Iglesias' “OMG” debuted, and this team's incredible run began.

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor strikes out Shohei Ohtani to steal second base in the second inning. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Imagn Images)

This is not the same team that faced the Dodgers all those months ago. This was a club that was collapsing – as evidenced by the seven runs it allowed in the final two frames of that loss. This is a group that doesn't do that.

What the Mets showed on Sunday night in Los Angeles was much more like the old version of a now much better team. Not the club built on great pitching, timely hits and a ton of indelible playoff pumpkin-like plays.

The Mets have made a habit of coming back when it looked like they couldn't get it done. In the season, in the series and in the game. And that's exactly what they have to do again after the disastrous start.

(Top photo of Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Imagn Images)