The demons of 2007 and 2008 have been excised. The New York Mets are heading back to the playoffs as NL East champions for the first time since 2006 after a 7-2 win over the Reds on Saturday.
The Mets haven’t fallen out of first place since August 3rd, and have been in first for 97 days to Washington’s 50 days. They’re staring down a probable matchup with the Dodgers in the NLDS, a daunting task considering the presence of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke at the top of the Los Angeles rotation.
As for the Nationals, their tumultuous, disappointing season comes to a closer far earlier than they expected. The reigning preseason champions once again fell short of their ultimate goal, but you have to give the Mets credit here – they were simply the better team over the course of the season.
