NEW YORK -- On paper, the Mets boast Major League Baseball's most favorable schedule down the stretch, playing their final 16 games against sub-.500 opponents. It's their get-out-of-jail-free card, their golden ticket back to October.
But the last-place Braves are doing their best to ensure reality unfolds a bit differently. Atlanta knocked Noah Syndergaard out of Monday night's series opener in the fourth inning, tagging him for five runs in a 7-3 win over the Mets. The loss didn't cost New York any ground against the Giants, who remained one game behind the Mets in the National League Wild Card race after losing to the Dodgers.