The Mets entered Philadelphia for a three game series last night, sitting 2.5 games behind the Phillies for the seventh seed in the National League. A sweep of the three games could have, unbelievably, propelled them into a playoff spot with a little more than two weeks left in the season. It goes without saying that, if the Mets want to make it to October, this was a huge series for them to take.
They had to send the maligned Rick Porcello out to the mound for Game 1 because they have nobody else at this point.