Why the Mets’ playoff run really starts now
For all intents and purposes, the Mets’ postseason starts Tuesday night — when Clay Holmes toes the Citi Field rubber and begins his 152nd inning of pitching in 2025, further shattering his previous career-high of 70.
Pete Alonso’s walk-off heroics on Sunday, combined with Monday night’s results, gives the Mets a 1 ½-game lead over the Diamondbacks and two-game leads on the Giants and Reds for the final National League wild-card spot.
Beginning Tuesday, the Mets will play 12 games over 13 days and sprint all the way to their Sept. 28 finale against the Marlins. Perhaps the Mets will know their playoff fate before then. Perhaps they’ll win enough — or, based on how the last four months have gone, lose enough — to get an answer to the pressing question of whether they’ll keep playing into October.
A lot can happen over two weeks of baseball in the final stretch of the marathon. They just weren’t supposed to be in this position in the first place.
