Getting shut out twice in three NLCS games often raises a few warning signs. That’s why the Mets — and especially manager Carlos Mendoza — were forced into crisis mode after Wednesday night’s 8-0 loss at Citi Field.

October is no time for patience. Loyalty can be tested in a short series, especially when elimination looms and things get desperate.

Or you play for the Mets, a franchise that doesn’t often reach the brink of a World Series.

So it was no surprise that Francisco Alvarez found himself under the magnifying glass during the 24 hours leading up to Thursday’s crucial Game 4, from Mendoza’s interrogation to the young catcher himself sitting behind the lectern that afternoon.

In short, Alvarez not only looked terrible after Wednesday’s loss, he also looked broken. Alvarez whiffed three times (all looking) and also made a throwing error that gave the Dodgers the two unearned runs in the second inning.

Overall, his body of work in October was also brutal, as Alvarez hit .143 (5-for-35) with zero extra base hits and 13 strikeouts. Naturally, the benching became a topic of conversation, but one that Mendoza aggressively pushed back on.

“This is a man who can change the outcome of a game with one stroke,” Mendoza said. “He just needs to relax a little bit here. But we know the potential there offensively. The other thing about Alvy is that he is 22 years old. He has a lot on his plate, especially when it comes to preparation and game planning.”

All true. And here’s something Mendoza won’t say: Alvarez has a lot of company. He’s not the only one responsible for the Mets’ futility against LA’s suddenly impenetrable pitching staff. Just the most convenient culprit, after a sub-par regular season and its playoff problems.

Other than Francisco Lindor going deep to start Game 2, and Mark Vientos following with a grand slam, the Mets have done virtually nothing in this NLCS, hitting .189 (18-for-95) with four extra base hits. That’s slightly worse than what they’ve done with runners in scoring position, a robust .211 (4-for-19).

Alvarez didn’t help, that’s for sure. The bat that flew out of his hands with a swing Wednesday night was emblematic of where his head has been this month, with little indication that it would pop out. And with his Major League career spanning a whopping 228 games, Alvarez doesn’t have the experience of his teammates to lean on.

You know what could relieve some of that pressure? The other eight guys do some damage. Mendoza shuffled some of Thursday’s lineup to account for Dodgers starter (and last winter’s Mets target) Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s significant reverse splits by sticking with JD Martinez at DH, Harrison Bader over Tyrone Taylor in centerfield and moving Pete Alonso to third, stacking he and Mark Vientos, the two lanky right bats.

It’s not what anyone would describe as a radical makeover, and the only reason the failed Martinez was back had to do with Yamamoto’s much better success against lefties (.193 BA, .526 OPS compared to .263 and .744 from the other side). The little-used Martinez went 4-for-16 (all singles) with six strikeouts heading into Thursday’s Game 4, but Mendoza was banking on the lightning-in-a-bottle strategy.

The same goes for Bader, who has barely played in these playoffs other than as a late-inning defensive replacement. When Mendoza was asked about that decision, the manager didn’t go into much detail with his explanation, tying it to Bader’s three at-bats against Yamamoto on April 19 at Dodger Stadium. There are small samples, and then there are microscopic bites, and the Bader-Yamamoto match falls into the latter category (though he did go 3-for-3 with a double that day).

Besides, you never know with Bader. Two years ago, Bader seemed to channel Reggie Jackson for the Yankees, hitting five home runs in 30 at-bats over the first two playoff rounds. These Mets will take what they can get, and perhaps this is the moment when a roll of the dice on Bader pays off.

As for other options, Mendoza has been reluctant to trade Iglesias for Jeff McNeil – don’t ignore the OMG vibe here – and we’re not buying backup Luis Torrens as a viable replacement for Alvarez’s high-impact potential. Torrens’ fame comes from his knack for gunning down would-be base stealers, but he has had zero at-bats this postseason and his last hit came on Labor Day before going 0-for-16 since that September 2 win. the Red Sox.

Add in Alvarez’s chemistry with Game 4 starter Jose Quintana (2.87 ERA, .207 opponent batting average) and Mendoza’s choice doesn’t feel all that controversial. He’s had a good hand so far this season, so it wouldn’t be the first time the manager’s faith has been rewarded if things break like that for the Mets.

“If he didn’t want me to play today, I kind of understand that because I didn’t do well yesterday and the last three or four days,” Alvarez said before Game 4. “But he gives me the confidence. And today there is another day. I can get a different result and turn everything around today.”

The Mets as a whole should feel the same way.

David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a Baseball Hall of Fame voter and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.