NL East standings: Reeling NY Mets prepare for division showdowns, Phillies lurking

The New York Mets find themselves with just a 2 game lead in the NL East after being stung by the pesky Tampa Bay Rays in a weekend sweep that saw the Amazin's outscored 24-9 over the three game set which culminated with a miserable 9-0 shutout loss.

The Mets and Rays have a long tradition of swapping players on the margins, giving the two clubs an increased sense of familiarity despite playing in opposite leagues. The sweep marked the first time the Mets have lost consecutive games since May 20 when the club dropped the first two of a three game set against the now Rafael Devers-less Boston Red Sox.

The disappointing showing against the Rays couldn't have come at a worse time, as the rival Philadelphia Phillies have cut the Mets' lead from 4.5 games to just 2 over the past week. The silver lining is that the once-mighty Atlanta Braves might be running out of time to close the chasm between themselves and the Mets and Phillies atop the division.

The NY Mets find themselves on the razor's edge as they take on their chief rivals over the next 10 games

The Mets will find themselves on the road this week, visiting their arch enemies in Atlanta for three gams starting on Tuesday and then in Philadelphia for a three-game weekend set. They will then welcome the Braves to Queens for a four-game series to start next week.

These next three series will be crucial The Phillies have been incredibly streaky all season, They snapped a five-game losing streak last week, taking two out of three from the NL Central leading Chicago Cubs which then catapulted them to five straight wins and counting. They play the miserable Miami Marlins as a warm up to this weekend's showdown with the Mets and have already taken the first of the four-game set.

Atlanta, meanwhile, hasn't received the boost they thought they would when they welcomed back superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. on May 23. The 27-year-old superstar has done his part, slashing .390/.478/.701 with seven dingers since returning from a torn ACL; however, the Braves are just 7-14 in the 21 games that he's been back. The Mets have the opportunity to truly put their foot on their hated rival's throat and extinguish their wild card hopes over these upcoming matchups.

They'll need to, also, as the red-hot Phillies get a blessing with the cupcake Marlins as their appetizer for this weekend's heavyweight bout against the Mets. Should Philadelphia dispose of last-place Miami as handily as expected, they'll have the opportunity to make up ground and surpass the Mets for the division lead should New York falter against the Braves.

This 10-game stretch will bring the Mets over the halfway mark of the season, with the golden opportunity to capitalize and enter the second half with a commanding division lead. These are the sorts of challenges that can foreshadow greatness, or expose pretenders masquerading as the game's elite. How the Mets respond will tell us a lot about the club's fortitude ahead of the second-half push.

Can they put away the Braves once and for all, while sending a message to the Phillies that they are in a class by themselves atop the NL East? We'll know a whole lot more next week.