Mets Clinch Wild Card Spot in Playoffs

N E W   Y O R K, Sept. 28 -- Yes, the Mets sprayed each other with champagne.It seemed almost obligatory.

“In some respects,” Al Leiter said, “it’s a bit frustrating because coming out of spring training we anticipated this.”

They were happy to be going to the playoffs for the secondstraight year, a first in the team’s history. Still, the Mets feelthey could have played better this year and won the National League East.

That’s why there was no wild celebration when they beat theBraves 6-2 Wednesday night, a day after Atlanta clinched its ninthstraight division title.

“It’s good just to get it over with,” Mike Piazza said.

Rick Reed (11-5) limited Atlanta to four hits in eight innings,Derek Bell made a spectacular catch in right field, pinch-hitterDarryl Hamilton singled in the go-ahead run in the fifth andEdgardo Alfonzo hit a two-run homer on the next pitch for a 4-1lead.

“This is just one step,” Reed said, “Last year, it was atough battle for us. Once we won the game in Cincinnati, a lot ofsteam was let out.”

Ready For the Next Step

Last year, New York needed to beat the Reds in a tiebreakerplayoff on the day after the regular season was scheduled to end.This time, the Mets clinched with four games to spare, eliminatingLos Angeles, its final wild card rival.

“We’ve been at this step before,” said Reed, who struck out seven and walked one. “We’ve been to the next step. We have to get to the step after that.”

After the Mets beat Arizona in the first round of last year’splayoffs, Atlanta eliminated New York 4-2 in the NL championshipseries. For 11 months, the Mets have been thinking about that.

They even clinched before the crosstown New York Yankees, whohave lost 11 of their last 14, delaying them from ensuring theirsixth straight trip to the post-season.

The Mets will begin the playoffs Oct. 4 at San Francisco or St.Louis. The Braves start a day earlier against the Giants orCardinals. Match-ups will depend on final records.