Knowing they’d need some bullpen arms to pull off an unprecedented run to the playoffs, the Mets took on the remainder of Maton’s $6.25 million salary in an attempt to improve their odds.

LOS ANGELES -- Mets right-hander Phil Maton is a self-described pessimist by nature, but it’s a trait that pays off as a reliever. As things began to unravel during the sixth inning of the Mets’ 7-3 ...