Mets vs. Phillies: NLDS matchups, predictions and preview

PHILADELPHIA — Whenever the Mets dry off from the champagne showers, they will need to sober up in the face of the class of the NL East. The Phillies await in an NLDS matchup that begins Saturday at Citizens Bank Park, the next step for a Mets club that has slayed some demons in Atlanta and Milwaukee. Rob Thomson’s crew has its starting pitching lined up and its bullpen fully loaded.The Mets, who did not have a top-tier starting option for Game 1 and are stunningly turning to Kodai Senga, will begin in a hole — which is nothing new for this group.  They lost their first five games, were 11 games under .500 on June 2 and appeared to be on the verge of elimination twice in the past week.

Instead, they jolted the Braves in the ninth on Monday and astonished the Brewers in the ninth on Thursday. The Phillies, who moved into first in the division on May 3 and never relented, winning the NL East by six games, were far less dramatic. Follow The Post’s coverage of the Mets in the postseason:The Post’s Mark W.Sanchez takes a look at how the Mets and Phillies match up for the playoff showdown: Both are among the stronger teams in baseball at working their way on base, but the Phillies are among the strongest.

Bryce Harper (.373 OBP) lives on base, and Philadelphia boasts three other qualifiers (Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and Alec Bohm) who finished the season above a .330 OBP.The only Met to do so was Francisco Lindor (.344 OBP). Edge: Phillies Both can slug, the Mets finishing with the sixth-most home runs and the Phillies seventh.

Especially at Citizens Bank Park, there is potential for plenty of game-changing moon shots.Has Pete Alonso, Thursday’s hero, awoken? Can Mark Vientos establish himself as an October performer? Will Harper and Schwarber’s playoff legends grow? Edge: Even The Mets are quite proud of their baserunning, successful on 82.8 percent of their steal attempts for the second-best efficiency in franchise history.

The Phillies, th...