It is not easy being a Mets fan — in fact, it often makes little sense at all. Consider that the team collapsed in September 2007, then, for good measure, did the same thing in 2008, each time being eliminated at home on the final day of the season.

In the second instance, the defeat also brought down the curtain on Shea Stadium, which meant a ballpark full of devastated fans had to suck it up, stick around for another hour or two and give Shea its proper goodbye. The fans performed a whole lot better that day than did the Mets.

The Mets then moved across the parking lot to a new Citi Field, where they have proceeded to post a losing record every season they have played there. They were 70-92 in 2009, did a little better in 2010, and then retreated, winning no more than 77 games the past three seasons. This year is no better. After Tuesday, the Mets were 23-28, which projects to a record of 73-89 at season’s end.

Not good, although very much in the tradition of a 52-year-old franchise that has had a lot more failure than success. Twice in those 52 years, the Mets have had seven straight years of losing records; once, the futility lasted for six. So if the Mets keep it up, they will go into the 2015 season edging dangerously close to their franchise record for continuous lousy baseball.