If the playoffs started Tuesday, the Mets would not qualify.
Good thing the postseason is a week away yet.
The Reds and Mets are tied for the third and final National League wild-card spot, but Cincinnati has the tiebreaker (4-2) after winning both series this season.
The surging Diamondbacks sit one game behind the Mets and Reds.
The Mets dropped two of three to the lowly Nationals in their final home series of the season and begin Tuesday a three-game set with the Cubs in Chicago.
The weekend series loss dropped the Mets to 4-6 in their last 10 games and officially means they now need help from other teams if they aim to reach the playoffs for a second straight year.
The Post’s Joel Sherman wrote that it would be an “unforgivable disaster” for the Mets to miss the playoffs.
NL Wild Card standings
| Team | Record | Games Back (wild card) | Magic Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs | 88-68 | +8 | clinched |
| San Diego Padres | 86-71 | +5.5 | clinched |
| Cincinnati Reds | 80-76 | E | 6 |
| New York Mets | 80-76 | E | — |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 79-77 | -1 | — |
| San Francisco Giants | 77-80 | -3.5 | — |
| Miami Marlins | 76-80 | -4 | — |
Mets’ magic number (as of Sept. 23): They currently do not have one, given that they do not control their own destiny. However, that can flip quickly given the tightness of the race.
The Cubs and Padres have already clinched a playoff spot.
Here’s a look at the remaining schedules of the teams fighting for the final wild-card spot.
Cincinnati Reds
Sept. 23-25: vs. Pirates
Sept. 26-28: at Brewers
New York Mets
Sept. 23-25: at Cubs
Sept. 26-28: at Marlins
Arizona Diamondbacks
Sept. 23-25: vs. Dodgers
Sept. 26-28: at Padres
San Francisco Giants
Sept. 23-24: Cardinals
Sept. 26-28: Rockies
Miami Marlins
Sept. 23-25: at Phillies
Sept. 26-28: Mets
