Mets in a Stretch of Meaningful Games

On the verge of Sepember, the Mets look like their games are actually meaningful, something GM Omar Minaya was looking for before the start of the season. The Mets finished a West Coast swing with two losses to the Giants, but return home after a 5-2 road trip. Not bad for a team that has struggled to win on the road. With the success on the road trip, the Metropolitans find themselves only 1.5 games behind in the Wild Card standings.

Returning to Shea Stadium, the Mets find themselves facing the Phillies, the team atop the log-jammed NL Wild Card race, Tuesday night for a three game series. Friday night, the Mets start a 10-game road trip against the Marlins, Braves, and the Cardinals.

With the position the Mets are in now and the competition they face the rest of the season (all their division rivals and the Rockies), every game is meaningful. How they play in those games will determine when their off-season starts.

Photo by AP via Newsday