Wild Finish for the NL Wildcard

With only three games left in the season, the New York Mets find themselves tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for the wildcard spot. So who stands a better chance of making the playoffs?

Both teams seemed destined for the playoffs heading into September but suffered a complete collapse. The Mets came up big on Thursday night when they came from behind in the seventh inning and Carlos Beltran knocked in the game-winning run in the ninth. Ryan Braun of the Brewers propelled his team to a win on Thursday with a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning.

The Mets have faltered all too often in pressure situations, so the odds may favor Milwaukee. The Brewer’s ace, CC Sabathia, has been lights out since joining the team and will make at least one appearance in their series against the Chicago Cubs. The Mets take on the Florida Marlins in their final series. The Marlins have been playing well and will be tough. The Mets depleted bullpen will have to step it up if they hope to avoid another late-season disappointment.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Mets and Brewers tied following this weekend. That would force them into a one-game playoff.

Don’t worry: I haven’t forgotten about the Philadelphia Phillies, who are only 1 game ahead of the Mets for the division lead. They, too, will have to perform at a high level this weekend. The big difference is that they’ve been at the top of their game and will end their season against the Washington Nationals, who hold the worst record in the league.

The Mets had their chance to nail down a playoff berth and they blew it. But they still control their own destiny. If they crash and burn for the second September in a row, they have no one to blame but themselves. – Matan Cohen, special to Bobby v. the World