The Mets were still within striking distance when Carlos Mendoza decided to call to the bullpen in the fourth inning for right-hander Adam Ottavino.

It was the pitching, though, that told the story of the night. Manager Carlos Mendoza pulled David Peterson from a two-run game after 3 2/3 innings and 64 pitches. Peterson clearly was not in top form — he had allowed eight hits and four runs and had another runner on base — but it nonetheless represented a very quick hook.

Red October, here we come. The Phillies dismantled the Mets on Friday, 12-2, punching their ticket to the postseason for the third consecutive season.

The Mets have counted on one quality start after another during this surge into the lead for a wild-card berth, but Friday they received NQ (as in non-quality) and were NC (as in non-competitive). David Peterson’s worst start of the season coupled with underwhelming relief ended the Mets’ winning streak at four games with a 12-2 loss to the Phillies before 41,