LOS ANGELES — The future can seem perfect, filled with pennants and parades. A roster has so many young and talented players, bound to get even better, with so many years ahead. For the Mets, this feels like the start of something.
Yet what if this is it? The Miracle Mets of 1969 never won another World Series. The swashbuckling champions of 1986 never won another pennant. The Mets of Mike Piazza and, later, Jose Reyes, never quite scaled the mountain.
So enjoy this. Savor it. The Mets earned a spot in the National League Championship Series on Thursday when three meticulously developed pitchers cut down the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-2.