After big LA set, no letdown for Mets vs. Nats

NEW YORK -- Division titles don’t come easy, not in Queens or anywhere else. But for these Mets, the hardest part might be behind them. On paper anyway, their remaining path to the playoffs appears easier than most.

Few playoff hopefuls entered this holiday weekend as uniquely positioned as the Mets, who opened the softest portion of their schedule with a 7-3 win over the Nationals on Friday night at Citi Field. Pete Alonso’s go-ahead sixth-inning homer off Josiah Gray inched the slugger closer to an all-time record, and the Mets piled on against Washington’s ‘pen to hold serve atop the National League East while the Braves beat Miami.

“We’re on the point where we have to win as many games as possible,” said third baseman Eduardo Escobar, who added a two-run homer and drove in an additional run with a sac fly. “We’re really trying to make a big impact in this next month.”

To finish with a flourish, the Mets know they must stockpile wins against lesser opponents. New York’s remaining opponents entered Friday with a .422 combined winning percentage, by far the lowest among not only contending teams, but throughout MLB. The Mets follow this weekend’s games with Washington with series against the Pirates, Marlins, Cubs and Pirates again -- 16 straight games against third-place or lower opponents whose combined .388 winning percentage equates to a 62-100 pace.

Nine of those games will come in Flushing, where the Mets have now won 14 of 17 and are on pace for their second-best home record in franchise history. Only six of New York’s 29 remaining games are against teams currently above .500, including three at Atlanta in the season’s penultimate series.

That’s good news for the Mets, who are 46-18 against sub-.500 teams and 11-2 against the Nationals at Citi Field since the start of 2021. They are undefeated in four home games against Washington this year, with five more still remaining against the Nats in Queens.

That’s even better news for Alonso, whose 32nd homer was his 22nd in 62 career games against Washington. It also went down as Alonso’s 26th game-winning RBI of 2022, moving him within one of MLB’s single-season record held by Joe Torre (1971) and Willie Mays (1962), per STATS.

“Pete had a big home run for us to kind of get the momentum back,” manager Buck Showalter said. “Certain guys have a different level of concentration when there are teammates out there on base. Pete is in scoring position when he’s in the batter’s box.”

None of which is to imply the Mets intend to take their foot off the gas pedal. Asked Friday if he would consider resting everyday stars Alonso and Francisco Lindor with an eye towards keeping them fresh for October, Showalter rejected the premise outright.

“We’ve got to get to the playoffs first,” Showalter said. “Nobody is assuming anything here. We’re trying to win games.”

Outwardly, that’ll remain the Mets’ position at least until any champagne pops. But their September schedule is a luxury for an ambitious team already in control of its own destiny. It should help, given the Braves’ strength of schedule is also on the lower end (.475 combined opponent winning percentage, tied for seventh-lowest in the Majors) the rest of the way. And even if the Mets won’t admit it publicly, it bodes well for their division chances in the event that they don’t play their best baseball down the stretch.

Take Friday, for instance. Coming off an emotional midweek series win over the first-place Dodgers, the Mets were able to withstand some sloppy infield defense and an uneven David Peterson start, largely on the strength of their superior roster. Even without Edwin Díaz or Adam Ottavino, New York’s ‘pen ensured Washington’s inexperienced lineup had no answer for Escobar and Alonso’s homers. Brandon Nimmo chipped in with his 500th career hit, Mychal Givens recorded five big outs and that was that. New York staved off any potential Dodgers hangover and retained its three-game lead over Atlanta.

The Mets know securing their first NL East title since 2015 will require more nights like Friday, when they simply took care of business.

“It’s big, because you always have those little moments where you kind of get a pulse,” Showalter said, referring to the Dodgers series. “Today, everybody was engaged. The games are dwindling, we’re under 30 now. There has always been a sense of urgency with this group since the first day of spring, and the things they want to accomplish. So it doesn’t surprise me that they continue to be engaged in the competition.”