(Photo credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

The New York Mets have done something that's been done only five times in the franchise's 63-year history.

And somehow, the Mets still control their destiny in the race for the final wild-card spot in the National League.

The Mets will look to snap their latest long losing streak Saturday afternoon when they host the Texas Rangers in the middle contest of a three-game series.

Rookie right-hander Brandon Sproat (0-1, 4.50 ERA) is slated to start for the Mets against veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin (7-9, 4.36).

The Mets continued skidding Friday night after the Rangers chased rookie Jonah Tong during a six-run first inning on their way to an 8-3 victory, Texas' fifth win in a row.

The loss was the seventh straight for the Mets (76-72), tying a season high set twice previously -- all in the last three months. New York led the majors with a 45-24 record through June 12 before beginning a seven-game losing streak the next day.

The Mets also dropped seven in a row from Aug 3-10. The three losing streaks of at least seven games are the most for New York since 1980.

The Mets also endured at least three losing streaks lasting as many as seven games in 1962, 1963 and 1965.

Yet despite the losing, the Mets are in sole possession of the NL's third and final wild-card berth. New York is a half-game ahead of the San Francisco Giants.

'We want to be in the playoffs, and we're not playing playoff baseball right now,' Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo said. 'We've got to come in (Saturday) expecting things to change and keep giving it your best effort. No one's going to feel sorry for you, no one's going to back down, and you've got people chasing you. So we've just got to come in (Saturday) and be ready to try and go 1-0.'

A piecemeal lineup has helped the Rangers (78-70) methodically climb back into the American League playoff race. The lopsided win Friday improved Texas to a major-league-best 15-4 since Aug. 22 -- a span in which the double-play combination of second baseman Marcus Semien (left foot) and shortstop Corey Seager (appendectomy) have been placed on the injured list.

The Rangers' six-run first inning Friday included five RBIs from players who weren't with the club prior to mid-August. Alejandro Osuna had a run-scoring single while Cody Freeman (single) and Michael Helman (double) had two-run hits.

Dylan Moore, who made his Rangers debut on Aug. 29, hit a two-run, pinch-hit homer in the seventh inning.

The win allowed Texas to remain two games behind the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners in the race for the AL West crown as well as the final wild-card berth.

'It's an entire team effort of trying to win,' said Rangers starter Jacob deGrom, who earned the win Friday after tossing seven solid innings in his first start at Citi Field since he left the Mets following the 2022 season. 'We are right in it now. We just have to keep going.'

Sproat lost his major league debut last Sunday after yielding three runs over six innings as the Mets fell to the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2.

Corbin didn't factor into the decision Sunday after allowing one run over 5 2/3 innings in the Rangers' 4-2 win over the Astros. He is 8-13 with a 5.07 ERA in 30 career games (29 starts) against the Mets.

--Field Level Media