NL Wild Card Standings: Mets playoff hopes hinging more on Diamondbacks collapse

The New York Mets lost and the Atlanta Braves won therefore pushing the pair of NL East rivals into a tie yet again for the third NL Wild Card spot. The Diamondbacks lost yet again as well, leaving them just a game ahead of the Mets and Braves. They do business with the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday who’ll be on the prowl for a sweep.

This was the weekend when the Mets had a chance to put the most distance between them and the Braves. While not over yet with the Braves still dealing with two more against the Los Angeles Dodgers, handily beating them in the first two doesn’t help matters much.

Instead, it’s a Diamondbacks collapse we’ll need to hope for most. At 6-6 this month with a team ERA of 6.26, the most prolific offense in baseball hasn’t been able to make up for the lack of pitching success nearly enough. The Diamondbacks collapsing is the most important event for the Mets' playoff hopes.

The Mets need to do their part to take advantage of a slowed down Diamondbacks team

The Mets and Diamondbacks have similar schedules to finish off the year. Each entered this weekend with 7 against a division leader. They each catch a break this week with the Mets playing the Washington Nationals and the Diamondbacks taking on the Colorado Rockies. If there is one difference to find, it’s in the penultimate series when the Mets have to play the Braves and the Diamondbacks host the San Francisco Giants.

A purposeful effort from the opponent is going to be a difference-maker for these teams. For example, that final series for the Mets in Milwaukee could be one where we see a bunch of backups. It’ll be far more important for the Brewers to keep their players healthy and align their rotation for the playoffs. Arizona might not get the same luxury with the San Diego Padres in their final three. Because the Padres won’t get a bye and might still be playing to guarantee themselves home field in the Wild Card round, they’ll need to put out their best squad.

For as far as the Diamondbacks have fallen, they are still playing .500 baseball this month. The Mets have been on an incredible stretch that might not feel so superb despite only losing 3 times all month. The Mets are proving the point that they belong in the playoff race. Arizona, despite their struggles, reminds us constantly that they might fade slightly but aren’t going to go away.

The Mets have left little room for error. Winning a whole bunch in September has helped. Now they’ll just need the Diamondbacks to lose even more.