The Mets clinched a spot in the postseason for the first time in six years, defeating the Brewers 7-2 on Monday night in Milwaukee.
"Well, I think it was a modest celebration," said Mets owner Steve Cohen from the locker room. "And, like I said, it's a first step. And when we go further, there'll be bigger celebrations -- and I think that's the way it should be."
New York entered the game with a magic number of two, meaning any win over the Brewers during their three-game series would punch their ticket to the playoffs.
"This team's been tenacious," Cohen said. "They never gave up the whole year. I mean, this is a special group of guys. They love each other. They're a team that enjoys playing together. And you can see it, and they've been consistent all year, and the results speak for themselves. So, I'm so excited for them -- and the fans, too."
With 13 games remaining in the regular season, the Mets' full focus is now on holding off the Atlanta Braves for the NL East title and what would almost certainly be a bye to the NLDS.
The division-winning teams with the top two records in each league receive a bye to the LDS, and the Mets or Braves are shaping up as the No. 2 seed in the NL with the Los Angeles Dodgers the No. 1 and St. Louis Cardinals No. 3.
If the Mets don't win the NL East, they will very likely be the No. 4 seed in the newly created Wild Card series, hosting each of the potential three games against the No. 5 seed.
When the Mets made the playoffs in 2016, they hosted the Wild Card Game against the San Francisco Giants and lost, 3-0.
The last time the Mets won the NL East was 2015, when they beat the Dodgers in the NLDS, Chicago Cubs in the NLCS, and lost to the Kansas City Royals in the World Series.
