The thought of arriving in Atlanta for the penultimate collection of the common season with only a mathematical likelihood for the playoffs doubtless would have been palatable to the Mets once they final departed that metropolis in April.
Now the Mets get the bonus bundle.
They’re within the driver’s seat.
The final piece of enterprise earlier than the much-anticipated collection was dealt with Sunday evening, when the Mets bought a shutdown bullpen efficiency in a 2-1 victory over the Phillies earlier than a sellout crowd of 43,139 at Citi Area within the regular-season dwelling finale.
Subsequent cease is Atlanta, with a Nationwide League wild card there for the taking.
As Edwin Diaz accomplished the ultimate out of his two-inning save, the two-game lead over the Braves for the NL’s third wild card was safe.
Two victories in three video games at Truist Park (for the reason that Mets would maintain the tiebreaker based mostly on head-to-head with the Braves) will assure the Mets their second postseason look in three years.
Nonetheless in play for the Mets is the NL’s second wild card (for which they’re tied with Arizona).
And if successful three of 4 towards the Phillies wasn’t sufficiently big, there was the satisfaction of letting a hated rival take its NL East-title celebration elsewhere (Philadelphia wants one victory or a Mets loss to clinch).
Phil Maton, Jose Butto and Diaz mixed for 4 scoreless innings of aid on this evening — Brandon Nimmo launched a go-ahead homer towards Zack Wheeler within the sixth — because the Mets accomplished a 6-1 homestand.
Pete Alonso, in probably his last dwelling sport with the Mets — he’s set to hit free company after the season — obtained a standing ovation upon coming to the plate within the first inning.
The Mets slugger raised his helmet to acknowledge the gang earlier than taking a known as third strike. Alonso went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Tylor Megill bumped into pitch-count bother and was eliminated after solely 4 innings by which he allowed one run on 4 hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
It was the second time in his final 4 begins that Megill (who threw 83 pitches) lasted solely 4 innings.
Megill wanted 35 pitches by a primary inning by which he allowed one run and left the bases loaded.
Alec Bohm delivered an RBI single to offer the Phillies a 1-0 lead after Trea Turner had singled and reached second on a wild pitch.
Nick Castellanos singled following Bohm’s hit and Bryson Stott walked to load the bases earlier than J.T. Realmuto was retired.
Tyrone Taylor stroked an RBI single within the second to tie it 1-1. Mark Vientos stroked a two-out double towards Wheeler earlier than Taylor delivered.
Luisangel Acuna’s swinging bunt put runners on the corners with two outs however Wheeler rallied to strike out Jose Iglesias (whose single within the first inning prolonged his hitting streak to 16 video games).
Megill escaped bother within the fourth by retiring Johan Rojas after surrendering a two-out single to Castellanos and strolling Brandon Marsh with two outs.
Nimmo jumped on Wheeler’s first pitch within the sixth inning and cleared the right-field fence to offer the Mets a 2-1 lead.
The homer was Nimmo’s twenty second of the season and third in his final six video games.
