The New York Mets had to show up to play on Saturday — not only to keep pace in a still-tight NL East but to keep their manager, Mickey Callaway, off the chopping block for another day.

The complete opposite of that scenario played out and the Mets’ offense was utterly lifeless (one hit, three bases-on-balls) in their 2-0 loss to the worst team in baseball, the Marlins (box score).

The Mets saw their bullpen take the reins and thrive after Steven Matz left after 3.2 innings, but that was the only bright spot in a loss that drops them to 20-24 on the season.

Marlins’ right-handers Pablo Lopez (seven innings, seven strikeouts, two walks), Tayron Guerrero (1.1 innings), and lefty Adam Conley (final two-thirds of the ninth; save) combined to keep the Mets hitless after Jeff McNeil‘s leadoff double in the top of the first.

Pitching

Steven Matz made his first start since spending 10 days on the injured list (forearm nerve irritation; May 9). Over his three previous starts (18.2 innings), the 27-year-old left-hander had a 2.89 ERA with 13 strikeouts and three walks.

Surely, the Long Island native (Ward Melville) was looking to fall back into that groove versus baseball’s current bottom-feeders, the Miami Marlins. Things didn’t get off to a great start.

Miami centerfielder Jon Berti hit a leadoff rocket (101.3 mph, 25-degree launch angle, 371 feet) to right field, giving the Marlins an early 1-0 lead, and Starlin Castro beat out a two-out infield hit, but Matz recovered to get Jorge Alfaro looking at a 79 mph curveball.

Matz retired Martin Prado, Harold Ramirez (another curve-induced strikeout), and Miguel Rojas in a clean second frame, but ran into more trouble in the third.

After issuing a one-out walk to Berti, who advanced to second on Garrett Cooper‘s groundout, Brian Anderson drove him home with a single to left, putting Miami ahead 2-0.

Alfaro led off the fourth with a base hit. Matz struck out Prado and Ramirez, walked Miguel Rojas after Alfaro stole second base, and gave up a single to his counterpart, Pablo Lopez, to load the bases.

Mets skipper Mickey Callaway alluded to limiting Matz’ workload to 75-80 pitches pre-game, and at 81 on the afternoon through 3.2 innings (five hits, two earned runs, six strikeouts, two walks), that was the end of Steven Matz’ day.

Tyler Bashlor came on and struck out Berti on three pitches — the last a nasty whiff-inducing 84 mph slider — to escape the jam and save Matz’ ERA, which now stands at 3.96 on the season.

Bashlor, 26, came back out for the fifth and worked around a one-out walk to record a clean inning, lowering his ERA to 1.17 over 7.2 innings pitched this season (nine strikeouts, four walks, 0.83 WHIP).

Robert Gsellman worked flawlessly through the sixth and seventh and brought his ERA down to 2.63 on the season. The 25-year-old righty is becoming a force in the Mets’ ‘pen.

Edwin Diaz pitched a clean eighth inning, striking out Starlin Castro on three pitches, the last one an impressive 88 mph slider.

Offense

Jeff McNeil (abdominal tightness) returned to the lineup on Sunday with a leadoff double down the line in left field but that was all the Mets would get off Marlins’ 23-year-old right-hander, Pablo Lopez.

Lopez retired the next 14 batters he faced, racking up five strikeouts along the way (Amed Rosario, Robinson Cano, Wilson Ramos twice, Todd Frazier), before issuing a two-out walk to Frazier in the fifth, who was left stranded after Juan Lagares‘ swinging strikeout.

McNeil fouled off eight pitches in a 12-pitch battle with Lopez, resulting in a one-out walk and the Mets’ third baserunner of the afternoon, but Rosario grounded into a 6-4-3, inning-ending double play to erase him.

Lopez set down the Mets in order again in the seventh, retiring Pete Alonso, Cano, and Ramos on just six pitches, finishing his day allowing just one hit, two walks and striking out seven on 92 pitches (60 strikes).

Right-hander Tayron Guerrero took the ball for Miami in the eighth and issued a leadoff walk to Brandon Nimmo, but Frazier struck out and Lagares grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to kill even the slightest semblance of a rally.

Guerrero came back out for the ninth and struck out pinch-hitter J.D. Davis, and left-hander Adam Conley set down McNeil and Rosario to close it out.

On Deck

Noah Syndergaard (3-3, 4.74 ERA) takes on right-hander Sandy Alcantara (1-4, 5.11 ERA) in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Marlins Park (1:10 PM start time).

The game will be televised on WPIX and broadcast on WCBS 880 AM.