Mets now must get job done in make-or-break stretch vs. big boys

The fun portion of the baseball season at Citi Field ended Thursday night.The Mets slaughtered the Nationals 10-0, which made it 20-1 across the last two nights, which made it 11-2 in 13 games on the year against their former tormenters from the District. They scored nine runs in a fourth inning that had 34,196 people (and one purple creature) dancing in the aisles and roaring at peak volume.

They got another seven shutout innings out of erstwhile bust Jose Quintana, his string of scoreless innings now sitting at 22 ²/₃. They even got another two hits and a second straight tack-on home run from Luisangel Acuna, who is on pace to be the greatest player who ever lived (small-sample-size division).The Braves, Diamondbacks and Padres all won so it wasn’t a perfect day, but once the scoreboard started spinning like a pinball machine there wasn’t much complaint. And now, the bell lap. Now, a 10-game stretch to end the season against two playoff teams (Philly and Milwaukee) bookending another team trying to extend its spell over the Mets for the better part of a third straight decade (Atlanta).

The varsity schedule kicks in Thursday night, four home games against the Phillies. Brandon Nimmo, for one, is ready.At the end of an interview with SNY’s Steve Gelbs, Nimmo — a three-run homer for him, too, after so many frustrating at-bats since the All-Star break — offered up exactly the kind of platitude you’d expect given the coming challenge: “We’re ready to go,” he said, smiling as ever.

“This is gonna be playoff baseball!” There were still plenty of fans loitering inside the yard.They were jazzed.

One leather-lunged screamer in front of the press box shrieked: “OMG, LGM!” And then Nimmo turned it into a tent revival.He turned away from Gelbs and he turned toward the stands and he utilized his best Billy Sunday voice: “Mets fans, we need you guys to fill this place up! This place needs to be rocking on Thursday, Friday, Saturday a...