NEW YORK — The Mets left Georgia last weekend knowing full well they lost the opportunity to control their own fate, so when the out-of-town scoreboard read “FINAL” Tuesday night, there was little solace in the fact that the offense that deserted them against Atlanta was now clicking smoothly against the lowly Nationals. Here they were – the Mets’ winningest team in 34 years – taking out a cruising Taijuan Walker in the fourth inning because the game they were playing had turned meaningless before their eyes.
Atlanta defeated the Marlins, 2-1, Tuesday night, clinching the division and securing the Mets’ Wild Card series against either the Padres or the Phillies beginning Friday. The Mets, in turn, made easy work of the Nationals, beating them in Game 1 of a doubleheader, 4-2, and scoring seven quick runs in the first inning of Game 2.
Carlos Carrasco had a good-enough bounce-back performance in Game 1 and Taijuan Walker was downright brilliant in Game 2 before getting the hook about as soon as the Atlanta score became official. Walker, likely the favorite for the Mets’ fourth starter this postseason, allowed no runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings, with no walks and 10 strikeouts.
