WATCH: Carlos Mendoza mouths off plate umpire, gets ejected after dubious strike call on Francisco Alvarez

The New York Mets are fighting for an NL Wild Card spot after a remarkable turnaround following an underwhelming start to the season. Friday's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers showed what was at stake for the Mets.

With the Mets trailing 5-2 in the top of the fourth inning, catcher Francisco Alvarez worked a 3-2 pitch count. Following a low pitch from Frankie Montas, which seemed outside the zone, Alvarez started to walk toward first base. However, to his surprise, the plate umpire called it a strike, ending the inning and leaving runners on first and second base stranded.

While Alvarez jumped in frustration with the call, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza stepped out of the dugout to let his feelings known. The umpire ejected him instantly but Mendoza didn't stop as he rushed toward the bases and mouthed off against the plate umpire in an animated outburst.

The Brewers added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning after Rookie of the Year contender Jackson Chourio's RBI single. The hosts added another run after Brice Turang scored on a wild pitch from Danny Young in the sixth inning, increasing the Brewers' lead to 7-2.

The hosts eventually won the series opener with a comfortable 8-4 score.

Carlos Mendoza focused on managing the team amid weather troubles

The Mets came into Friday's series opener with a half-game lead over the Atlanta Braves who are pursuing the final NL Wild Card spot. Last season's World Series runner-ups the Arizona Diamondbacks are also in the mix.

However, the Mets and the Braves are heading toward a dramatic finish to the season as their series in Atlanta, two games remaining, was postponed due to Hurricane Helene. The remaining two games will now be played after the conclusion of the regular season as a doubleheader on Monday.

Carlos Mendoza didn't pay too much attention to the rescheduled games as the series was expected to be affected by the hurricane.

"My job is to manage the team. We knew there was weather, but you can't predict," Mendoza said.

The Braves, meanwhile, host AL Wild Card contenders the Kansas City Royals for a three-game series.