Sept. 30 (Bloomberg) -- On the day when the New York Mets needed Tom Glavine the most, he turned in one of the worst starts of his career.

Glavine couldn't finish the first inning, allowing a career-high seven runs. He retired just one of the first nine Florida Marlins batters before being replaced, his shortest outing in 18 years. The Mets lost 8-1 to miss the playoffs in one of the biggest collapses in baseball history.

``It wasn't the way I wanted to pitch,'' Glavine told reporters at Shea Stadium. ``I had a couple ground balls that went in the hole, a couple of bloopers that fell in, and the next thing you know, everything goes haywire.''

For the 41-year-old left-hander with 303 victories, it might also be his last start for the Mets, if not his career. He can become a free agent after the season and might not return for his 22nd year in Major League Baseball.

``I'll go home and figure out what I want to do after I have time to sit down with my family,'' Glavine said. ``This game is going to have no bearing on whether or not I play next year.''

Glavine went 13-8 with a 4.45 earned run average this season, his fifth with New York. He got his milestone 300th win on Aug. 5, the 23rd pitcher to reach that mark.

Glavine spent 16 seasons with the Atlanta Braves, where he won two Cy Young awards as the best pitcher in the league and the 1995 World Series. He has said that, if he pitches next year, it would be in New York or Atlanta.

New York lost 12 of its last 17 games -- including six of its last seven at home -- to squander the National League East Division title. The Philadelphia Phillies won the division by beating the Washington Nationals 6-1.

Seven-Game Lead

The Mets are the only team to blow a seven-game lead with 17 games remaining, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, baseball's statistician. Their breakdown ranks with the 1964 Philadelphia Phillies, who squandered a 6 1/2-game advantage with 12 to go, as the biggest September collapses in baseball history.

Glavine started the game by walking Hanley Ramirez. After Dan Uggla's groundball forced Ramirez at second, Jeremy Hermida hit a single to right field and Cabrera laced a single to left field to score Uggla.

Cody Ross drove in two runs with a double, then scored when Glavine overthrew third base and the subsequent throw home got away from catcher Ramon Castro. Florida loaded the bases after a pair of singles and a walk.

Glavine was removed from the game after hitting pitcher Dontrelle Willis, forcing in the fifth run. The sellout crowd of 54,453 fans booed Glavine as he walked to the dugout.

Hits Willis

``I made a bad throw, and after that it's regroup and try to get out of the inning,'' Glavine said. ``The pitch to Dontrelle was a changeup that got away from me. It's a pitch I was struggling with my past three starts.''

Today's performance was Glavine's shortest since he failed to retire the first four batters he faced in a May 1989 game with Atlanta. The seven runs matched a June 1996 game, also with the Braves, for the most he has given up in any inning.

Mets manager Willie Randolph said Glavine was one of the team's leaders during the season and just had a bad game.

``Just because he's a 300-game winner doesn't mean he can't have an off game,'' Randolph said. ``It could have happened to anyone.''

To contact the reporters on this story: Danielle Sessa at Shea Stadium in New York at dsessa@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: September 30, 2007 20:39 EDT