PHILADELPHIA -- Despite a wave of injuries that threatened to undermine the Mets' season, their National League pennant defense continues. In beating the Phillies, 5-3, on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park, the Mets clinched both their second consecutive postseason and the right to host the NL Wild Card Game this Wednesday at Citi Field.
The Mets will play either the Cardinals or the Giants in New York, pending the outcomes of those teams' remaining games. The winner of the actual NL Wild Card Game will move on to play the Cubs in a best-of-five NL Division Series beginning Friday at Wrigley Field.