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This weekend saw the New York Mets fold their National League East division lead to the Atlanta Braves. After being swept in a three-game series in Atlanta, the Mets now trail the Braves by 1.5 games with just three games left in the season. It is almost certain that the Braves will take home the NL East.
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"Break out the brooms!" - Atlanta Braves
On September 1, the Mets held a three-game lead ahead of the Braves. Although this is not a large lead by any means, New York was set to play some of the worst teams in the MLB this month. This included the Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins, and Oakland Athletics. However, the Mets managed to lose at least one game to all of these teams.
At the start of the season, many believed that the New York Mets would easily win the NL East. At the end of May, New York held a 10.5 game lead over Atlanta, and it appeared the division was theirs. However, the Atlanta Braves have gone on a tear since and chipped away at the Mets' division lead.
This is definitely one of the reasons behind the New York Mets ultimately losing their NL East lead. Losing three straight to Atlanta with your top arms on the mound hurts as well. Team morale is most likely at a season-low for the Mets.
However, manager Buck Showalter still believes in the Mets and says the team still has fight left in them. When asked about the state of the team, Showalter said:
“I am proud of everything they have done. This is not conditional. It’s unconditional, the support, and if I know these guys they will rebound and make somebody feel their pain.”
Can the New York Mets still win the National League East?
If the Mets want to win the National League East, they will have to sweep the Washington Nationals in their last series of the season. The Atlanta Braves also have to lose three straight to the Marlins, which is unlikely. However, they did just lose their first game to them so anything is possible.
"Final: Marlins 4, #Braves 0." - Atlanta Braves
The New York Mets still have the first Wild Card spot under lock and would play the Philadelphia Phillies. So although it is very small, there is still a chance for them to win the NL East.
