For the past several weeks, as they lost and lost and lost, blowing leads and dropping games in inexplicable ways, the Mets could at least take solace in the fact that they still held an advantage in the National League Wild Card race.

In the aftermath of the Mets’ walk-off, 10-inning, 5-2 win over the Rangers on Sunday, it was difficult not to draw parallels with last October. Late in Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series,