VEGAS-BOUND: Ike Davis strikes out during an 0-for-3 performance in a 10-inning loss to the Marlins that may have been the last straw as the Mets sent the slump-ridden first baseman to Triple-A.
It was a day of absolute ugliness at Citi Field, and it ended with an organizational bloodletting.
After the Mets dropped their second straight game to the atrocious Marlins — this one an 8-4, 10-inning disaster — manager Terry Collins delivered a stern postgame message to his team and general manager Sandy Alderson dropped a postgame guillotine on three players, including Ike Davis.
The struggling first baseman was finally demoted to Triple-A Las Vegas, shipped to the minors for the first time since he was first recalled in 2010. Davis’ season has been an utter disaster: He’s hitting .161 with five homers, 66 strikeouts and a .500 OPS in 55 games. Yesterday, Collins pinch-hit for Davis for the second straight day. Now he won’t have him at all.
“At some point you just have to say to yourself, ‘This is not in his best interests,’ ” Alderson said. “I was one of his biggest supporters, and I just felt that at some point we’ve got to get him out of here and hopefully he’ll be back in a short period of time, but he needs to go there.”
He added, “I think first and foremost, Ike needs to get his confidence back.”
Whether this is the correct move or not, this is the darkest day of the 26-year-old, former first-round pick’s career. After the second game of the Subway Series on May 28, the Mets told Davis and struggling shortstop Ruben Tejada they could face imminent demotions, with one source saying at the time it was “likely” they would have been sent down if the Mets had lost that night.
In the next nine games, including yesterday’s 0-for-3, Davis responded by going just 6-for-31 with nine strikeouts and one homer. He declined to talk with reporters after yesterday’s news was announced.
“I’m frustrated for him,” Daniel Murphy said. “But ID’s a professional and we’ll see him again.”
Backup outfielder Mike Baxter and lefty reliever Robert Carson also were demoted. First baseman Josh Satin, outfielder Collin Cowgill and lefty reliever Josh Edgin were recalled from Triple-A.
It’s possible Murphy will shift from second base to first base, but Satin also could play there. If Murphy plays first, Jordany Valdespin may receive an extended second-base audition.
Including the callups of reliever David Aardsma and outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis this weekend (Collin McHugh was demoted and Rick Ankiel was designated for assignment), the Mets changed five players on their roster within 36 hours.
Despite the complete mess the Mets are in, Alderson said Collins and his coaches are not in jeopardy.
“This is not a staff issue,” the GM said. “This is a player issue.”
One day after losing a 20-inning game in which they went a franchise-worst 0-for-19 with runners in scoring position, they blew a 4-1 lead yesterday. Valdespin unacceptably was caught stealing third with two outs in the first inning, Murphy committed an error that allowed the go-ahead run in the 10th inning and Baxter struck out while bunting foul. The Mets are 0-5 against the Marlins (18-44) in the past 10 days.
Asked if this was his low point as Mets manager, Collins said, “It’s certainly pretty close.”
Collins spoke to his team in the clubhouse after the game.
“I just addressed the guys, what it takes to play here,” he said. “You’ve earned the right to be here, but you have to earn the right to stay here.”
The Mets sit at 23-35, baseball’s third-worst record, ahead of only the Marlins and Astros.
“We knew that it was going to be challenging,” David Wright said. “But I think that needless to say, we’ve underperformed.”
—Additional reporting by Mike Pumaand Kevin Kernan
mark.hale@nypost.com