As a Mets fan I’ve experienced my fair share of gut punches over the years, but last night’s tenth inning loss to the Marlins definitely ranks as the worst one this season.

If there’s a way to transform your typical loss into an excruciatingly painful experience, look no further than the New York Mets. They have made losing an art form.

Now, I’m not one of those fans that screams for the manager’s head after every mind-numbing loss. In fact, I’m that annoying fan that affords the manager every single benefit of the doubt.

Ultimately, I hold the players accountable for what happens between the white lines…

When Pete Alonso strikes out with the bases loaded and the tying run on third, I’m not screaming my head off at the manager…

When Seth Lugo walks the bases loaded with the game tied, I’m not screaming my head off at the manager…

That said, I have a confession to make…

Last night, I found myself screaming my head off at the manager.

If there was ever a valid reason for firing a manager based on the decisions he made during one game, Luis Rojas is your Power Ball winner.

All managers should get some slack after a regrettable decision or lapse in judgment during a game. Even the best managers can have a bad day, it happens all the time.

But I found what Luis Rojas did (or did not do) during that brutal loss to the Marlins on Wednesday night, to be so egregious and so demoralizing that I’d have no problem if the Mets decided to fire him before tonight’s series finale in Miami.

The way Rojas executed that tenth inning was beyond questionable… It was dann near unforgivable. Especially when you have the entire season on the line and every game matters.

It all began in the top of the inning when Rojas decided to pinch hit for James McCann with the weak-hitting Patrick Mazeika (.200/.265/.280) and the winning run on third with two outs.

Predictably, Mazeika weakly grounded out to the pitcher, leaving JD Davis stranded in the on-deck circle

It gets worse…

Let me begin by saying I totally loathe the new extra-innings rule that places a runner on second base to begin the inning. I freaking hate it.

So after the Mets fail to score a run in the top of the tenth, Marlins fans are sitting at home (instead of their empty ballpark), licking their chops when Luis Rojas decides to have Edwin Diaz pitch to Bryan De La Cruz with a base open and Lewin Diaz in the on-deck circle.

De La Cruz, of course, is only the hottest hitter the Marlins have and has been a thorn in the Mets’ side since they acquired him before the trade deadline. Conversely, Lewin Diaz has been a complete dud…

Why didn’t he walk De La Cruz??

Here’s my bottom line…

From all accounts, Luis Rojas is the nicest guy in the world. He’s a solid mentor and the players absolutely love him. That’s all fine and dandy, but let’s call this what it is…

Luis Rojas is in way over his head. He is consistently out-managed by the opposing team and many of his decisions go way beyond head-scratching and more often mind-numbing.

Nobody wanted Luis Rojas to succeed more than I did. As a first-time manager I expected him to make mistakes, but my hope was that he’d learn from them and grow into a decent manager.

Unfortunately that hasn’t happened and the team is paying dearly for his overt inexperience, his lack of critical thinking, and his questionable decision-making.

The Luis Rojas experiment has been an abject failure. It’s time to put this bedlam to rest and for the organization to move on.