This Week in Mets: For the Mets, all of it goes by means of Atlanta — because it ought to

“What twisted individuals we’re. How easy we appear, or faux to be in entrance of others, and the way twisted we’re deep down. How paltry we’re and the way spectacularly we contort ourselves earlier than our personal eyes and the eyes of others. And all for what? To cover what? To make individuals consider what?”
—“2666,” Roberto Bolaño

That is the way it ought to be.

After their dramatic 2-1 win over the Phillies on Sunday evening, the Mets’ path towards a playoff berth is easy.

Go to Atlanta, defeat the long-reigning Remaining Boss of the Nationwide League East, exorcise some lasting franchise demons, and pop champagne within the visiting clubhouse at Truist Park by taking two of three.

Deal with this as the primary playoff collection of the autumn. Sure, due to a 6-1 homestand capped by an impressive collection towards the Phillies, the Mets have offered themselves one thing of a cushion. With only one win in Atlanta, New York would nonetheless management its future over the weekend in Milwaukee — at a time when the Brewers are unlikely to be taking part in for something. (Atlanta hosts the Royals within the last collection of the yr, and Kansas Metropolis will surprisingly have lots on the road in that collection, although that’s as a result of it’s taking part in poorly.)

This, in fact, is the very same state of affairs the Mets have been offered with two seasons in the past. Go to Atlanta for the penultimate collection of the yr, clinch the division with two wins or management your personal future with one. As a substitute, they have been swept that weekend and eradicated the next one in entrance of lower than a packed home at Citi Discipline.

And September collection in Atlanta have lengthy haunted the Mets.

Since 1997, the Mets are 26-44 after Sept. 1 in Atlanta, together with the postseason. When the Mets are above .500, they’re 13-26. When each groups are above .500, New York is 5-21. (It doesn’t fairly really feel this fashion, however the Mets are 19-9 in house video games towards Atlanta in the identical pattern.)

“You’d go into that clubhouse and also you’d get all of the ghosts of the earlier losses,” former Mets GM Steve Phillips instructed me a couple of years again.

That historical past, 2022 excluded, belongs extra to the fan bases than to the gamers really on the sphere. And the Mets have a couple of issues going for them this yr that they sometimes haven’t when making the journey.

The primary is momentum. The ’22 squad was hanging on to the division lead by a thread whereas Atlanta had performed lights-out baseball for the reason that begin of June. That context is reversed this yr: It’s been the Mets who’ve been baseball’s greatest staff for the reason that finish of Could. And it’s New York that has all of the constructive vibes on its facet.

Second, the Mets have the lead getting in. Exterior of 2022, that has seldom been the case for his or her vital late-season conferences. (The Mets have been additionally forward of Atlanta in 2007 after they swept a street collection there within the opening days of September.)

And third, the Mets are a special staff in a single actually vital space, which confirmed itself on Sunday evening: They hit much more house runs. If you happen to bear in mind two issues from that collection sweep, they’re that the Mets starters have been hit arduous and that they have been hit arduous by house runs. Atlanta hit seven house runs to New York’s three. Over half the runs within the collection scored on lengthy balls, and that’s the place Atlanta held an enormous edge all season: In 2022, it hit a league-leading 243 house runs; the Mets have been under the league common at 171. The Mets would have wanted so as to add 2001 Barry Bonds to catch Atlanta in homers.

In 2024, Atlanta has 206 homers and the Mets have 202. Hitting a house run — say within the seventh inning to interrupt a 1-1 tie towards an excellent beginning pitcher — is likely one of the greatest methods to win vital video games late within the common season and into the postseason.

Which, once more, basically begins Tuesday. The Mets have lined up their greatest arms, as has Atlanta. It shouldn’t be some other means.

The exposition

The Mets received a thriller Sunday evening over the Phillies to take three of 4 within the collection and transfer right into a tie with Arizona whereas constructing a two-game lead over Atlanta for a postseason spot. New York is 87-69.

Atlanta took two of three from the Marlins, ending its six-game swing by means of Cincinnati and Miami with a 4-2 report. At 85-71, it sits two video games behind the Mets and Diamondbacks for a wild-card spot.

Milwaukee got here again Sunday to salvage the finale of a four-game house set with these Diamondbacks. It represented an actual missed alternative for the Brewers to make up floor on the Phillies for a first-round bye. As a substitute, at 89-67, they’re three behind Philadelphia with six video games to go.

The pitching possibles

at Atlanta

RHP Luis Severino (11-6, 3.79 ERA) v. RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (7-7, 3.61 ERA)
LHP David Peterson (9-3, 3.08) v. LHP Chris Sale (18-3, 2.38)
LHP Sean Manaea (12-5, 3.29) v. LHP Max Fried (10-10, 3.42)

at Milwaukee

LHP Jose Quintana (10-9, 3.74) v. RHP Colin Rea (12-5, 4.20)
RHP Tylor Megill (4-5, 3.98) v. RHP Frankie Montas (7-11, 4.50)
RHP Luis Severino v. RHP Tobias Myers (8-6, 3.05)

Inside baseball

José Iglesias chuckled for a second. What was he doing this time final yr?

“I don’t bear in mind,” he stated. “Most likely singing?”

That checks out. Iglesias spent the 2023 season out of baseball, sad however accepting of the concept his big-league profession could have been over. As a substitute, after signing a minor-league cope with the Mets final December, the 34-year-old has loved probably the most fruitful season of his baseball life.

Since developing on the finish of Could, he’s been a sparkplug together with his power, a .300 hitter, a postgame musical artist, and some of the memorable elements of an more and more memorable Mets season. His position has solely grown of late, with the damage to Jeff McNeil thrusting Iglesias into on a regular basis motion and Francisco Lindor’s again damage pushing him to the leadoff spot.

Final week, I caught up with Iglesias for an abbreviated Q&A.

How frightened have been you final yr that you wouldn’t get one other alternative like this?

I used to be very upset. I don’t suppose the phrase is frightened. I used to be not frightened. I had a tremendous profession. I used to be very blessed for all the things I’ve performed and I don’t remorse something in my profession in any respect. I performed over a decade and performed nicely. I used to be very upset and upset about not getting a possibility to play the sport I like. The Mets noticed a match, they gave me a shot and a possibility, and I’m grabbing it with two arms.

You’ve performed a very long time, nevertheless it’s been some time because you performed a playoff sport. (Iglesias final performed within the postseason with the 2013 Tigers.) How a lot would you prefer to be in that ambiance once more and taking part in an enormous position for this staff?

That’s the explanation you play. The playoffs are particular. Numerous guys within the room haven’t skilled that. Once they get a style of it, you turn out to be hooked on it. I undoubtedly miss being within the playoffs. It’s particular, man. It’s particular to be within the playoffs. It’s the kind of ambiance you wish to be in.

How unusual has it been to be this lengthy? That Tigers staff was so good and also you have been younger.

Torii Hunter at all times stated each time you get within the playoffs, get pleasure from it. You by no means know if you’re going to be again.

Within the playoff video games and within the huge leagues normally, particularly so late within the season with the extent of focus, each play issues much more. All of them matter all yr lengthy, however now it’s turn out to be the place it at all times comes all the way down to that one play or one pitch. That spotlight to element is vital late within the season.

Carlos Mendoza stated that’s one thing you specifically have been hammering house with different gamers.

You’ve bought to handle your power, and also you’ve bought to play the sport arduous. Personally, and I do know the opposite guys on this clubhouse have the identical thoughts about it, we’re simply going to provide all the things we’ve bought till the tip and see the place we stand.

Has this been probably the most enjoyable you’ve had in baseball?

In my complete profession. I’ve been with totally different groups and totally different conditions. However all the things going by means of, the music, the power, the staff, the signal, the staff successful and clicking as a gaggle — I’m simply glad. I’m glad to contribute and really humble about this nice alternative. I’m taking full benefit of it.

Harm updates

Pink = 60-day IL
Orange = 15-day IL
Blue = 10-day IL

• Francisco Lindor could possibly be again on Tuesday. He obtained an injection in his sore again on Thursday, took batting apply on Friday and carried out baseball actions over the weekend.
• Kodai Senga is not going to be again this week. Senga felt discomfort in his triceps after his one-inning rehab begin for Syracuse on Saturday. The fitting-hander will proceed throwing and will finally be an element within the postseason.
• Christian Scott will bear Tommy John surgical procedure. He’s performed till the 2026 season.

Wild-card schedule

San Diego (89-67): at Los Angeles³, at Arizona³
Arizona (87-69): v. San Francisco³, v. San Diego³
Atlanta (85-73): v. New York³, v. Kansas Metropolis³

Tiebreakers

The Mets maintain the tiebreaker over each the Padres and Diamondbacks. The winner of this week’s collection in Atlanta may even personal that tiebreaker.

(For the actually optimistic, the Phillies personal the tiebreaker over the Mets for the division.)

Final week in Mets

A observe on the epigraph

I have to admit I altered Bolaño a contact, eliminating a “we Mexicans” from that line. I like how this fashion it suits the Mets fan base in the meanwhile.

Earlier this summer season, the Instances compiled its greatest books of the twenty first century. My high 10, for anybody , is:

1. “Swansong 1945,” Walter Kempowski
2. “2666,” Roberto Bolaño
3. “The Corrections,” Jonathan Franzen
4. “Exhalation,” Ted Chiang
5. “Oblivion,” David Foster Wallace
6. “Evicted,” Matthew Desmond
7. “Leaving the Atocha Station,” Ben Lerner
8. “Define,” Rachel Cusk
9. “Regular Folks,” Sally Rooney
10. “Skippy Dies,” Paul Murray

Trivia time

When’s the final time the Mets received the season collection over an Atlanta staff that completed above .500?

HINT: It was the primary full season for a sure Mets supervisor.

(I’ll reply to the right reply within the feedback.)

(Picture of Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso: Jim McIsaac / Getty Photos)