The New York Mets remain in the thick of the National League wild-card race with three games left in the regular season. After an 8-2 victory last night against the Chicago Cubs, they hold a one-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds and a two-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks for the league’s final playoff spot.
Amid the race, Mets sluggers Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto made team history. With Lindor’s 30th home run of the season coming last night, both Soto and Lindor have reached 30-30 seasons. It marks only the second time in franchise history that teammates have recorded at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same year, following Darryl Strawberry and Howard Johnson in 1987.
That year, Strawberry finished with 39 home runs and 36 stolen bases while Johnson had 36 home runs and 32 stolen bases. Currently, Lindor sits at 30 home runs and 31 stolen bases, while Soto has 43 homers and 36 steals.
Soto is also chasing a 40-40 season, sitting four steals shy of becoming the first player in Mets history to reach the milestone.
In the meantime, New York will have an easier final series than their competitors, on the road against the Miami Marlins. Cincinnati will face the Cubs, while Arizona will wrap up its schedule against the San Diego Padres.
The Mets’ magic number is three, with the Reds holding the head-to-head tiebreaker. New York needs wins or Cincinnati losses to hang onto the final postseason berth.