PHILADELPHIA -- If the Mets came into Citizens Bank Park this week still harboring any designs on winning the National League East, the Phillies mostly squashed them with a 1-0 win in Monday’s opener. Philadelphia’s division lead is now eight games with just 18 to play for both teams. Even if the Mets win the final three games of this series, they will still face long odds for an NL East comeback.

The NL Wild Card race, however, is a different story. Despite playing sub-.500 baseball since mid-April, the Mets have a 3 1/2-game lead over the Reds and Giants. Two more fringe contenders, the Diamondbacks and Cardinals, are four games back.

All the Mets need to do is hold off those clubs to earn one of the NL’s final two Wild Card berths. That is by far the most likely outcome for the Me

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