For the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, the first 156 games of the regular season were just the opening act for this weekend.
The National League East may be decided beginning Friday in Atlanta, where the Mets are slated to visit the Braves in the opener of a three-game series.
Right-handerJacob deGrom (5-3, 2.93 ERA) is slated to start for the Mets against left-hander Max Fried (13-7, 2.50).
Both teams were off Thursday after a pair of chaotic games against NL East also-rans Wednesday night that ended with the Mets alone atop the division.
Host New York overcame a four-run deficit thanks to Eduardo Escobar, who capped a five-RBI evening with a walk-off 10th-inning single in a 5-4 win over the Miami Marlins.