PHILADELPHIA The Mets have reached the stage of the season they never hoped to see: one eye on their own game and one eye on the out-of-town scoreboard. Acce s the Mets beat like never before Dont mi s Mike Pumas text me sages from Queens and beyond hes giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Mets. With their division hopes finished, the Mets can transition into ensuring Jeferson Quero Jersey they wrap up the third and final NL wild card, a race that has become more heated than they intended. Four straight lo ses entering Wednesdays game at Citizens Bank Park brought Carlos Mendozas group just two games ahead of the Drew Gilbert-Jos Butt-Wilmer Flores Giants and three games ahead of a Reds club that took a series from the Mets last weekend. The prolonged stretch of poor play from a talented Mets team has led to legitimate concern whether a group that reached the NLCS last season and then added Juan Soto could mi s the postseason. Kevin Herget Jersey