NL Wild Card Standings: Mets get help from the Phillies, 3 more favors please

The New York Mets were declared deceased after Wednesday’s loss only to return the next day to take the series from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Making it more special was that Edwin Diaz adjusted to throwing mostly fastballs in an attempt to sidestep the struggles with his slider.

The win was crucial for the Mets who took the tie-breaker from the Diamondbacks. Deeper in the night, the Philadelphia Phillies took care of business by beating the Atlanta Braves.

Now 3 games back of Atlanta heading into the weekend, the door is wide open to catch them. The Braves and Phillies battle three more times in Philly. The Mets visit the Chicago White Sox who might need to use more relief pitchers than fans they’ll have in the stands.

The NL Wild Card is right there for the Mets to take as long as they get some help

Cheering for the Phillies in the latter part of summer is unfamiliar territory especially when they lead the NL East. The division has been long gone for the Mets. Their concentration is solely on the Wild Card.

They shouldn’t take the White Sox lightly. As putrid as this 31-104 team has been, we’ve seen the Mets make a mess of things at times this year, too. Tylor Megill on the mound on Friday itself doesn’t guarantee a victory. Garrett Crochet is scheduled to pitch on Sunday. That won’t be easy on the bats.

The Mets can only concern themselves with the game they’re in. A sweep of the White Sox is necessary to truly be alive in the race. These are games they cannot let slip away. At best they can hope for the Phillies to split with the Braves. If the Mets do their part and the Phillies do theirs, we head into Labor Day with a 2-game deficit which feels much more acceptable.

The Braves get a break by playing the Colorado Rockies after the Phillies. They also see the Miami Marlins for three and a pair versus the Washington Nationals in September. By the time the Mets and Braves face each other at the end of the month, we’ll need the gap to narrow. It’s an Atlanta home series which is never easy. 

New York showed a lot of guts going 6-4 combined against the Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres, and Diamondbacks with multiple losses blamed on the bullpen. They could have easily swept the Diamondbacks and should have taken one more from San Diego. Regardless of what the Braves do, the Mets must keep their foot on the gas and do their part.