The Mets came away with yet another series victory, as their hot second half continues. And their World Series odds continue to get better because of it. 

Entering a new week in the MLB, OddsShark updated their World Series odds, and the Mets came in at +2000. Just like last week they were at +2200, and it was even higher the week of Aug. 6 at +2800. 

The Mets, of course, must first make the playoffs and they currently sit two games back of the second Wild Card slot iwth a little over a month left to play. The Brewers are also there at 64-60, while the Cubs hold that second spot at 66-58. Per FanGraphs, the Mets' Wild Card odds are set at 39.8 percent.

The Mets are in the thick of the Wild Card race -- 2.0 games out of the second spot with 38 games to go. And if they make it to the do-or-die play-in game, it seems that Jacob deGrom is already lined up to start it.

The rotation right now in order has deGrom at the top, followed by Zack Wheeler, Steven Matz, Marcus Stroman, and Noah Syndergaard. 

DeGrom started on Saturday night against the Royals in Kansas City, and if the Mets keep him on an every-fifth-day schedule, his final start of the regular season will be on Sept. 25.

The Mets have come back from the brink to put themselves firmly in Wild Card contention. Here's everything you need to know about the state of the race...

Nationals (67-56, 1.5 games up for first Wild Card)

Next up: vs. Pirates, Monday at 7:05 p.m. (Joe Ross vs. Trevor Williams)
Latest result: 16-8 win over Brewers on Sunday
Current odds to make playoffs: 89.8 percent
Latest news: Struggling reliever Sean Doolittle was placed on the 10-day IL due to a knee injury

Cubs (66-58, 2.0 games up for second Wild Card)

Next up: vs. Giants, Tuesday at 8:05 p.m. (Cole Hamels vs. Tyler Beede)
Latest result: 7-1 win over Pirates on Sunday night. 
Current odds to make playoffs: 75.6 percent
Latest news: Nicholas Castellanos has been on fire since being traded to Chicago

The Mets have reshaped their roster over the last year and change, saying goodbye to some familiar faces (some beloved, some not) in the process. Every week, we'll take a look at how some of those former Mets are performing with their new teams...

Asdrubal Cabrera, Nationals

Cabrera has had a relative resurgence since joining the Nationals, going 9-for-26 with five RBI in eight games. He singled in his only at-bat on Sunday and added two multi-hit games to his ledger in the past week. 

JD Davis pinch-hit for Aaron Altherr in the seventh inning of Sunday's win with a single, but when Mickey Callaway noticed him moving with what he said was not a "smooth gait," the manager's decision on who would take over in left field came down to one person, Amed Rosario. 

"Sometimes you have to do whatever you have to do to win a game and that's what we did tonight," Callaway said. "We knew that this could be a possibility. We were ready to go that route a few days ago. [Rosario's] ability to go out there, and his willingness more than anything, allows you to win games." 

"He's an unselfish player, and we have a bunch of them out there."

The Mets handed it to the Royals in a 11-5 win to take the series in Kansas City on Sunday afternoon. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Sunday's game...

1) Zack Wheeler looked to be cruising in his start today, but he hit a wall in the fifth inning when he allowed three runs to reliniquish the Mets' lead. His day would be done after that frame, with his final line being four runs, three earned on four hits while walking one and striking out two. He would get a no-decision thanks to the Mets' offense.

Pete Alonso was having himself a fine day at the plate in Kansas City on Sunday, and his final at-bat put his name next to some more league history. 

Alonso mashed his 40th homer of the season in the top of the ninth inning, and with that he is now the owner of the most homers ever by a rookie in the National League. He broke Cody Bellinger's 2017 record when he hit 39 homers. 

Michael Conforto has been swinging a hot bat lately, and he didn't waste any time showing the Royals exactly how hot it is. 

On the first pitch from Glenn Sparkman, Conforto lifted a three-run homer for the right field fence to put the Mets up early in the first...

The Mets (63-60, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.0 GB in Wild Card) will finish their series with the Kansas City Royals on Sunday at 2:15 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium. 

Mets Notes

The Mets have won eight of their last 10 series since the All-Star break. They also have a .697 win percentage since that span, which is good for second in the MLB. ...J.D. Davis snapped his 10-game hit streak yesterday during a pinch hit appearance. ...Wilson Ramos is on a 12-game hit streak at the moment. He's hitting .447 during that span.

The Mets (63-60, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.0 GB of second Wild Card) are looking for the series win today against the Royals with Zack Wheeler on the mound. 

Here's what happened on Saturday, in case you missed it....

The Mets evened up the series with the Royals, winning 4-1 thanks to a brilliant performance from Jacob deGrom. >> Read more

Jacob deGrom had another Cy Young caliber start on Saturday in a 4-1 win against the Kansas City Royals, but that's not the hardware he's thinking about. 

Following the game, deGrom said despite his continuing run of excellent play, he's not worried much about winning his second-straight individual award. But the World Series? That's certainly on his mind. 

"Honestly I haven't thought about [the Cy Young] too much," deGrom said. "I'd like to be in the talks for it, but the main goal is to put this team in a position to win. We've been playing good baseball since the All-Star break. Individual things are great, but goal is for the team to make it to the World Series and win that." 

Jacob deGrom shuts Royals down on the hill and Pete Alonso knocks in the winner as the Mets top the Royals, 4-1. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Saturday's game

1) Jacob deGrom had another strong outing for the Mets, allowing only three hits in seven innings of work. At times, deGrom didn't appear to favor the strike zone, but he worked through the Royals lineup and finished his night with his fifth strikeout against Ryan O'Hearn with runners on to protect the lead. His final throw was his 107th pitch of the night. With the win, deGrom is now 8-7 on the year, the first time his record went above .500 since April 9 when he was 2-1 following his third start of the season. 

The Mets (62-60, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.5 GB in Wild Card) will face the Kansas City Royals (44-78, 30 GB in AL Central, 26.5 GB in Wild Card) on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium. 

Mets Notes

J.D. Davis is second in the National League with a .379 batting average and.440 on-base percentage since the All-Star break. Davis is not in the lineup after suffering a calf injury on Friday, however, Mickey Callaway said the issue is only minor and he could pinch hit. ... The Mets placed RHP Robert Gsellman on the 10-day IL with triceps tightness and recalled RHP Walker Lockett from Triple-A Syracuse. ... Wilson Ramos is currently on an 11-game hitting streak, tied for the longest active in the majors. ... Amed Rosario had nine hits between Wednesday and Thursday, which tied a Mets two-day record.

The Mets are down an arm in the bullpen.

Manager Mickey Callaway announced before Saturday's game against the Royals that Robert Gsellman is headed to the IL with triceps tightness.

Callaway had said after Friday's game that Gsellman had not been available to pitch, and now the team will be without him for the immediate future.

The Mets (62-60, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.0 GB of second Wild Card) fell to the Royals 4-1, they continue their three-game series in Kansas City on Saturday night at 7:15 PM. 

Here's what happened on Friday, in case you missed it...

Humid weather conditions in Kansas City frustrated Noah Syndergaard, who failed to reach seven innings for the first time in seven starts. "I felt like i had to battle the elements out there. I don't know what it is about humidity, but we do not get along," Syndergaard said. >> Read more

Noah Syndergaard wasn't just battling the nine hitters in the Royals' lineup on Friday.

He was also battling the conditions.

It was a hot, humid evening in Kansas City, and though Syndergaard did his best to battle through six innings, the conditions ultimately got to him. 

The Mets fell to the Royals 4-1 on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium. >> Box score

Four takeaways from Friday's game

1) Noah Syndergaard was magnificent through the first four innings. He ran into trouble quickly in the fifth, allowing a single and then back-to-back double by Meibrys Viloria and Nicky Lopez. Two runs scored in the fifth, giving the Royals a 2-1 lead. Syndergaard got into another jam in the sixth, but with tow runners on, he struck out Bubba Starling and Ryan O'Hearn to end the threat. Syndergaard went six innings, allowing just two earned on five hits. He had gone at least seven innings in each of his prior six starts.

Michael Conforto gave the Mets an early lead on Friday night. 

In a scoreless top of the third inning, JD Davis singled to reach base, and then made his way to second on a fielder's choice that turned into an error by Whit Merrifield. With Davis on second, Conforto lined a single the other way to put the Mets on the board first.

Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo began his rehab assignment Friday night for the Class A-Advanced St. Lucie Mets.

Serving as the DH and batting second, Nimmo went 1-3 with a walk. His one hit was a line-drive single up the middle.

The outfielder last played for the Mets on May 20, but has since been sidelined with a neck injury.

In recent weeks, the NL Rookie of the Year race has boiled down to a two-man race between Pete Alonso and Padres' shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr.

Now, the field may be narrowed down to one. 

Padres manager Andy Green told reporters on Friday that 20-year-old star is likely done for season, due to a back issue that has landed him on the IL. Green said that an MRI revealed a stress reaction in his back, causing the Padres to sit their young star.

The Mets (62-59, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.0 GB in Wild Card) begin a three-game set with the Kansas City Royals (43-78, 30 GB in AL Central) on Friday night at 8:15 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium.

Mets Notes

In Thursday's win over Atlanta, Amed Rosario and Pete Alonso became the first Mets ever to both record five hits in the same game. ... The Mets's 23 hits on Thursday were tied for the second most in team history for a nine-inning game. ... The Mets are 10-4 against the AL this season, the highest interleague win percentage for any NL team.

Where it matters most, the Mets' trade for Marcus Stroman has worked out. 

In Stroman's first three starts with the Mets, the team is 3-0. 

But Stroman hasn't exactly excelled. His three stats include 15.2 innings of work, a 1-0 record, nine earned runs surrendered with an ERA of 5.17. 

The Mets had 23 hits in their Thursday win over the Atlanta Braves. It wasn't a must win, but after dropping the first two games of the three-game set, it was a big one.

With a sentence like that, most could assume the score wasn't close, however, it was a 10-8 game mostly due to do the performance of reliever Drew Gagnon. 

Marcus Stroman recovered from 33 first-inning pitches to 5.1 frames of work for the win. Luis Avilan and Brad Brach then held the Braves at bay... then Gagnon. Not his best outing, as he allowed four home runs, including a two-run shot to make the game way-too-close for comfort late. Three of those game in the ninth inning. 

The Mets (62-59, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.0 GB of second Wild Card) begin a three-game set against the Royals in Kansas City at 8:15 PM on SNY. 

Here's what happened on Thursday, in case you missed it...

The Mets had 23 hits to salvage a win in their three-game series against the Braves, but somehow things got tight at the end thanks to Drew Gagnon. >> Read more

The Mets have come back from the brink to put themselves firmly in Wild Card contention. Here's everything you need to know about the state of the race...

Nationals (65-55, 1.5 games up for first Wild Card)

Next up: vs. Brewers, Friday at 7:05 p.m. (Patrick Corbin vs. Adrian Houser)
Latest result: 17-7 win over Reds on Wednesday
Current odds to make playoffs: 86.5 percent
Latest news: Max Scherzer is 'itching' to return from his injury

Cubs (64-57, 1.0 game up for second Wild Card)

Next up: @ Pirates, Friday at 7:05 p.m. (Kyle Hendricks vs. Joe Musgrove)
Latest result: 7-5 loss to Phillies on Thursday, swept in three-game set. 
Current odds to make playoffs: 72.1 percent
Latest news: Bryce Harper hit a walk-off grand slam to cap a six-run ninth inning by the Phillies, stunning the Cubs on Thursday. 

Amed Rosario and Pete Alonso made Mets history on Thursday night.

During Thursday's 10-8 win over the Braves, Rosario and Alonso each recorded five hits, the first time two Mets have ever done that in the same game. 

Rosario went 5-6 on the night with four runs scored, providing a spark at the top of the lineup and upping his season average to .289.

"He has really upped his game on top of what he did last season," Mickey Callaway said after the game. "He is continuing to develop, like we talked about the last couple years, right in front of our eyes, and he's becoming a great hitter. What he's done the last few months is spectacular."

The Mets escaped Atlanta with a 10-8 series finale over the win thanks to an early offensive outburst. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Thursday's game

1) Pete Alonso and Amed Rosario led an early offensive outburst for the Mets, as New York scored three runs in the first two innings. In the first, Rosario doubled and Joe Panik singled, which helped the Mets cash in three runs on Alonso's 39th home run. In the next inning, Rosario tripled after Ronald Acuna missed a liner with a dive. That scored Marcus Stroman and then Wilson Ramos plated two more runs with a single to right field later in the second. 

In total, both Alonso and Rosario had five hits and Alonso tallied six RBI. 

The Mets are hoping to leave their three-game set against the Atlanta Braves with at least one win.

Wrapping up the series on Thursday, Pete Alonso put the Mets in a great position to do so before the Braves even recorded an out. 

In the top of the first at SunTrust Park, Alonso sent a pitch from Julio Teheran over the outfield wall in dead center field, 451 feet away from home plate. 

Another night, another milestone for Pete Alonso.

In the top of the first inning, Amed Rosario and Joe Panik both recorded hits to get things started, setting the stage for Alonso, who slammed a three-run home run to dead center, splashing down well beyond the fence to give the Mets a 3-0 lead.

The blast was Alonso's 39th home run of the season, tying Cody Bellinger's 2017 mark for the most home runs by a rookie in National League history. 

The Mets (61-59, 10.0 GB in NL East, 3.0 GB in Wild Card) wrap up a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves (72-50, 6.0 GA in NL East) on Thursday night at 7:20 p.m. at SunTrust Park.

Mets Notes

The Mets have lost three straight games, but have still won 15 of their last 19. ... The Braves have taken eight of their last 10 matchups with the Mets. ... The Mets have not been swept in a three-game series by the Braves since May 1-3, 2018. ... Wilson Ramos is on a nine-game hitting streak, batting .400 with 10 RBI during the stretch.

Mets INF/OF Jeff McNeil injured his hamstring on Aug. 13 against the Braves. Here are the latest updates...

Aug. 15, 4:07 PM:

A day after being placed on the IL, McNeil was out before Thursday night's game in Atlanta jogging and doing agility drills, reports MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.

Mets prospect Carlos Cortes is heating up in St. Lucie, should open next season with Double-A Binghamton, and could reach the Mets by 2021...

The Skinny

Height: 5-foot-8

Weight: 197 lbs

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Mets had come back late again, this time turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead against the Braves in the seventh inning in Atlanta on Wednesday night. And then Mickey Callaway made a move that pulled defeat from the jaws of victory. 

With Steven Matz cruising -- having retired 14 Braves in a row -- he was pulled in favor of Seth Lugo entering the bottom of the seventh. That move alone was curious enough, but when you dig deeper, things look so much worse than they do on the surface. Here are four reasons why...

Matz had thrown just 79 pitches

Steven Matz gave the Mets six very strong innings on Wednesday night in Atlanta, holding the Braves to just two hits.

Heading into the seventh inning, the left-hander had retired 14 straight batters and thrown just 79 pitches. He'd also allowed just two hits and one earned run.

Yet, when the bottom of the seventh rolled around, Matz stayed in the dugout. Mickey Callaway elected to make a pitching change, bringing in Seth Lugo with a one-run lead. 

The Mets fell to the Braves 6-4 on Wednesday night at SunTrust Park. >> Box score

Six Takeaways from Wednesday's game...

1) Steven Matz was tremendous for the Mets on Wednesday night. He got into some trouble in the second inning, allowing an RBI double to Ender Inciarte, but outside of that inning, he made easy work of the Braves' lineup. The lefty allowed just two hits, striking out five. His night came to a close after six innings and 79 pitches, a questionable decision by Mickey Callaway to turn things over to the pen. Matz also helped himself with two hits of his own.

Matt Harvey has found a new team.

According to a report from MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the right-hander is joining the Athletics on a minor-league deal.

The former Met was designated for assignment by the Angels on July 19, and after going unclaimed on waivers, became a free agent. 

The Mets (61-58, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.0 GB in Wild Card) continue a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves (71-50, 6.0 GA in NL East) on Wednesday night at 7:20 p.m. at SunTrust Park.

Mets Notes

The Mets placed Jeff McNeil on the 10-day IL before Wednesday's game. ... Ruben Tejada is making his first appearance in the Mets lineup since the 2015 postseason. ... The Mets are just 4-7 against the Braves this season, but still have a winning record overall against the NL East.

Jed Lowrie is advancing as he continues rehabbing the assortment of injuries that have kept him out all season, with Brodie Van Wagenen saying Wednesday that a rehab assignment could be in the cards in the not-too-distant future.

According to Van Wagenen, Lowrie is "running, hitting, and fielding ground balls," and recently started facing live pitching during simulated games.

As far as Lowrie returning this season, Van Wagenen said "it's absolutely our hope and expectation that he can."

Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen was on hand in Atlanta before the team's second game against the Braves on Wednesday to deliver some promising news about his injured players. 

One of them was Brandon Nimmo, who has been out since May 20 as he's dealing with a bulging disc in his neck. Nimmo has been working hard to get back on the field, and Van Wagenen noted that day may be coming "very soon."

"Same story," Van Wagenen told reporters about where Nimmo is at in his rehab. "He took live at-bats today. He's been progressing well and we could see him in a rehab game very soon, as early as the next few days. But we'll keep a close eye on him and hopefully he can get back out there in the very near future."

Overshadowing the Mets' loss to the Braves on Tuesday night in Atlanta was the sight of Jeff McNeil pulling up lame and grabbing his hamstring after trying to leg out an infield hit in the ninth inning.

McNeil walked off the field with a noticeable limp and said after the game that he "felt a little snag" and was hoping it was just a cramp.

But while the Mets got good news after McNeil's MRI, he has been placed on the 10-day IL. 

Before dropping their last two games, the Mets had won 15 of 16 to vault themselves firmly into the playoff race -- getting as close as a half game back of the second Wild Card spot.

The Mets are now 61-58 and 2.0 games back of the second Wild Card spot, and their playoff odds (per FanGraphs) and World Series odds are better now than they were on Aug. 6.

New York now has a 39.1 chance to make the playoffs, compared to 32.7 percent on Aug. 6. And those odds are still better than two of the teams right in the thick of the race with them -- the Phillies are at 8.4 percent, while the Brewers are at 25.3 percent. 

As far as their World Series odds (per Bovada), they have improved from +2800 on Aug. 6 to +2200 now. 

The Mets (61-58, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.0 GB of second Wild Card) continue their three-game series in Atlanta on Wednesday night at 7:20 PM on SNY. 

Here's what happened on Tuesday, in case you missed it...

Overshadowing the Mets' loss to the Braves on Tuesday night was the hamstring injury suffered by Jeff McNeil, who said "I don't think it's terrible" after the game. McNeil will undergo an MRI on Wednesday >> Read more

Jeff McNeil has done it all for the Mets this season, but now the team's best hitter could be facing time on the Injured List.

With the Mets trailing the Braves 5-3 in the ninth inning, McNeil did his best to try to leg out a grounder to short for a base hit. McNeil was out on a close play, and after lunging to reach the first base bag, he came up limping, immediately slamming his helmet down in frustration. 

The Mets fell to the Braves 5-3 on Tuesday night at SunTrust Park. >> Box score

Five Takeaways from Tuesday's game...

1) Zack Wheeler entered the game fresh off of two tremendous outings, but Tuesday was simply not his night. The right-hander gave up a career-high 12 hits over 5.0 innings of work. Wheeler gave up two runs in the first, snapping his 15-inning scoreless streak, and was seemingly never able to find his groove. Ronald Acuna Jr. slammed his 34th home run of the season off of Wheeler in the fourth inning. 

The Braves jumped on Zack Wheeler in the first inning, striking for two runs and ending Wheeler's 15-inning scoreless streak.

The Mets answered back in the top of the second. After Wheeler was hit by a breaking ball to extend the inning, Jeff McNeil singled off of Max Fried to cut the Braves' lead in half.

The Mets (61-57, 8.0 GB in NL East, 1.0 GB in Wild Card) begin a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves (70-50, 6.0 GA in NL East) on Tuesday night at 7:20 p.m. at SunTrust Park.

Mets Notes

The Mets enter the series winners of 15 out of 17. ... The Mets have gone 29-25 against the NL East this season, but just 4-6 against Atlanta. ... The Mets are 21-7 since the All-Star break, the best second half record in baseball, and their starters have a 2.93 ERA during that period. ... The road has been kind to the Mets lately, as they've won five of their last six away from Citi Field.

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

So just how many home runs does Pete Alonso need to hit this season to lock up the Rookie of the Year Award, anyway? You'd think 50 would leave no doubt, right?

Well, maybe not, judging by the support Fernando Tatis Jr. seems to be gaining.

Alonso has been the favorite from early in the season, thanks to his eye-opening home run power, but the Padres' 20-year old shortstop is making a big run, putting up impressive offensive numbers while earning raves for his defense practically on a daily basis.

Every series is crucial to the Mets from this point on, with the team sitting just a game out of the second Wild Card spot after taking two out of three from Washington.

Next up for the Mets, another divisional foe in the Atlanta Braves, a team entering this three-game series with the second best record in the National League.

The Mets have won 16 of 19 dating back to July 23, but the Braves represent the latest test of the Mets' winning ways. Atlanta has won six of 10 from the Mets this season, and with nine more head-to-head matchups on the schedule, the Mets know the challenge that the Braves represent.

The National League Wild Card race is exactly how it is described: wild.

The Nationals and Cardinals continue to cling to the top of the standings. However, entering play today, five teams are within five games of the final postseason spot.

There are roughly 47 days and 40 or so games left in the season, depending on each team's respective schedule. Here is a breakdown of their chances, strengths, and weaknesses...