It has been one hell of a start for the Mets here in the second half.

Before last night, teams with a lead of six or more runs in the eighth inning or later were 314-0 this season.

And then the Mets happened.

Not even the Phillies and their 23 blown saves this season have managed a loss quite like that one (yet, anyway).

Skip ahead to this afternoon with the Mets looking to avoid a disastrous sweep to a 36-56 Pirates team, and they promptly put together one of the worst innings you will see in a game this season.

As fans at Citizens Bank Park waited for the Phillies’ regularly scheduled game against the Marlins to begin, they watched and cheered as the Mets went into full meltdown mode.

If the Mets fail to mount a comeback, they could find themselves up just one game in the NL East standings by day’s end.

Update: How about those Mets? Held ’em scoreless for the next eight innings and pulled off the big 7-6 comeback win.