The Mets snapped an eight-game skid with Pete Alonso’s dramatic 10th-inning, three-run walk-off, signaling a potential season-saving push despite crashing momentum since mid-June. The piece breaks down how pitching depth, bullpen turmoil, and inconsistent offense have strained the club’s championship ambitions, even with a $340 million payroll and a roster loaded with stars. A pivotal late-season stretch now becomes the test of whether the staff — including three rookie starters — can carry the lineup into October, or whether the Mets’ window closes again.

From the rotation’s fatigue to the bullpen’s meltdown (and a still-fragile offense that hasn’t clicked in unison with Lindor and Soto), the Mets face a high-leverage run to the postseason. The narrative centers on resilience, the need for reliable relief, and the question of whether Alonso’s late-game heroics can become a catalyst for steady, playoff-caliber performance over 12 remaining games.

Brewers clinch a playoff berth as the Mets lose to Texas, sparked by Rowdy Tellez’s eighth-inning tying double off Edwin Diaz that unleashed Milwaukee’s celebration. The Cubs’ loss to the Rays nudges Milwaukee’s magic number to nine for the NL Central, sealing a postseason spot for the seventh time in eight years.

The moment sets Milwaukee on a clear path into October, with key questions about rotation and rest looming as they chase a potential division title and deep playoff run.

Daniel Palencia's breakout season is derailed by a right shoulder strain, forcing the Cubs into a closer-by-committee next week. Keller and Kittredge are the early names to monitor for saves in Chicago.

Will Vest in Detroit should inherit the bulk of ninth-inning chances with Finnegan sidelined, though the Tigers bullpen may rotate save opportunities depending on matchups and usage.

Muñoz leads a cadre of high-end closers with 34 saves and elite ratios, while Díaz, Suárez, Iglesias and Jansen remain pivotal across the league. Chapman’s late-season surge for Boston stands out amid a chaotic closer landscape, with Pagán and Megill among the other notable late-inning arms vying for holds or saves.