The idea of arriving in Atlanta for the penultimate series of the regular season with a slim chance of a playoff berth was probably easier for the Mets to swallow when they last left Atlanta in April.
Now the Mets get a bonus package.
They are in the driver's seat.
The final business before the highly anticipated series came on Sunday night, with the Mets recording a bullpen shutout victory in a 2-1 win over the Phillies in front of a sellout crowd of 43,139 at Citi Field in their regular season home finale.
The next stop is Atlanta, where they could clinch a National League wild card.
Edwin Diaz got the final out with two saves to keep the team within two games of the Braves for the No. 3 National League wild card.
Two wins from three games at Truist Park (as the Mets hold the tiebreaker based on head-to-head matches against the Braves) will guarantee the Mets their second postseason appearance in three years.
The second wild card spot in the National League (tied with Arizona) is still up for grabs for the Mets.
If winning three of four games against the Phillies wasn't enough, there was also the satisfaction of forcing their hated rivals to celebrate their NL East championship elsewhere (Philadelphia needed to win one or lose to the Mets to clinch the title).
On the night, Phil Matton, Jose Butto and Diaz pitched four scoreless innings in relief, and Brandon Nimmo hit a game-winning home run off Zack Wheeler in the sixth inning as the Mets finished their homestand with a 6-1 record.
Pete Alonso is set to become a free agent after this season and in what may be his final home game for the Mets, but he received a standing ovation when he came to bat in the first inning.
The Mets slugger raised his helmet to greet the crowd before being called for the strikeout. Alonso was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Tyler Megill had pitch count issues and left the game after just four innings, giving up one run on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
It was only the second time in his last four starts that Megill (who threw 83 pitches) was limited to just four innings.
Megill threw 35 pitches in the first inning, allowing one run and taking advantage of a bases-loaded situation.
Trea Turner singled and advanced to second base on a wild pitch, then Alec Bohm hit an RBI single to give the Phillies a 1–0 lead.
Following Bohm's hit, Nick Castellanos singled and Bryson Stott walked, loading the bases before J.T. Realmuto was ejected.
Tyrone Taylor hit a one-run single in the second inning to tie the score at 1-1. Mark Vientos doubled against Wheeler with two outs and then Taylor scored.
A swinging bunt by Luis Ángel Acuña put runners on first and third with two outs, but Wheeler fought back to strike out José Iglesias (who extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a first-inning single).
Megill got out of trouble in the fourth inning by giving up a single to Castellanos with two outs, getting Johan Rojas out and walking Brandon Marsh with two outs.
Nimmo soared to Wheeler's first pitch in the top of the sixth, driving it over the right-field fence to give the Mets a 2-1 lead.
The home run was Nimmo's 22nd of the season and third in the last six games.
