ATLANTA — The Mets, the wire-to-almost-wire leaders of the NL East, are on the precipice of having to settle for a wild-card spot.
They got swept by Atlanta, punctuated with a 5-3 loss Sunday night, a stunning series of events in the game and the series that totally turned the division picture. A weekend that began with the Mets looking to clinch a division title on their rival’s home field instead ended with practically the opposite, Atlanta with a magic number of one.
The next loss by the Mets, who host the Nationals this week, or the next win by Atlanta, which visits Miami, will eliminate the Mets from NL East contention. The Mets will get the division championship only if they win their final three games and Atlanta loses its final three.
