The bases were loaded. Mark Vientos was up. Then the bases were unloaded and the Mets were soon on their way to tying the National League Championship Series at one game apiece. Sound familiar? A Mets fan could get used to clutch postseason grand slams when not squirming uncomfortably while crossing fingers, toes and everything else that a sizable lead doesn’t shrink, let alone vanish. The emotional whirlwind is all part of the rich tapestry of October baseball that continues to make for a month like few others in Mets history. Greg and Jeff come up for air long enough to savor it before going back to alternately high-fiving and worrying their heads off.

The bases were loaded. Francisco Lindor was up. Then the bases were unloaded and the Mets were soon on their way to the National League Championship Series. Greg and Jeff relive the latest Greatest Moment in New York Mets History; discern among excitement, anxiety and this strange thing that must be confidence; and say goodbye to a team of rivals by pointing them to the ever-expanding couch of vanquished postseason opponents.

Atlanta to Milwaukee to Atlanta to Milwaukee to Philadelphia to, at last, Citi Field. The New York Mets are coming home to play Games Three and Four of the National League Division Series with one win in their pockets and two on the table for the taking. The NLDS in progress, featuring two intensely familiar rivals, has represented gripping baseball, and sure enough, Greg and Jeff are holding on for a helluva ride the rest of the way.

The Mets being in the postseason is an all too rare phenomenon that no Mets fan wants to end. Good thing Pete Alonso made sure this feeling like no other would continue. Greg and Jeff marvel at the Polar Bear’s “most memorable” moment and the vital contributions of several key teammates in overcoming Milwaukee in the Wild Card Series and bringing on Philadelphia for the Division Series.

Greg and Jeff put on the Champagne goggles and toast the 2024 postseason-bound New York Mets.

Backs and other anatomy up against the wall, the Mets had to win their final game in Milwaukee to have a reason to go to Atlanta with their heads held high and their playoff chances better than slim, and they did it. Greg and Jeff revel in the revival of Met fortunes, featuring much love for Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez, David Peterson and J.D. Martinez. Not so much love for Rob Manfred, but what else is new?

On a show where parallels to 1969 are invoked repeatedly, Greg and Jeff conclude it’s quite possible the 2024 Mets aren’t miraculous so much as they are good. Whatever they are, they have entered the final week of their season positioned to do Amazin’ things, and when set against how this season began, we can understand why we just brought the word “miracle” into the conversation.

National League Town remembers Ed Kranepool, a Met presence like no other. We also look ahead to the next steps of a playoff chase that couldn’t be much tighter; share a few things we learned from an afternoon at the library; and toast a very happy couple

We’re in the month that matters with games that matter, assuming you’re the kind of person who aligns your shirts or your thoughts to bring your team luck. The Mets are making September matter deeply thanks to, among other things, airtight defense, which Greg and Jeff salute...as they do Francisco Lindor (something that’s become a habit). The question ultimately permeating National League Town’s discourse most this week is less “how will Jeff McNeil’s absence impact the depth of the lineup?” and more “how could a wonderful young couple plan their wedding without consulting the Mets’ schedule?”

August encompassed a heckuva schedule, yet the Mets survived it quite well. After two West Coast road trips, the club finds itself in the thick of a September playoff race, which means Greg and Jeff find themselves on the edge of their seats rather than nodding off on the couch.