Mets and Braves set for showdown in Atlanta with playoff dreams at stake in rivalry’s next chapter

All summer long, one massive series kept looming on the schedule. Three games between the Mets and Braves in Atlanta during the final week of the season. With the NL East rivals locked in a heated wild-card race, surely it would come down to their head-to-head matchup.

“We knew it a couple of weeks ago: That series was probably going to help decide this thing. We know what we’re up against and we know what we have to do,” Atlanta catcher Sean Murphy said. “It just comes down to us. If we win, we’re in.”

Indeed, if the banged-up Braves are going to earn a seventh straight playoff berth, they’ll need a big performance at home.

And if the surprising Mets are going to finish this postseason push, they can do it by toppling a familiar nemesis.

On the line at Truist Park, nothing less than legacies — and a chance to play in October.

“I’m stoked for the opportunity,” said New York slugger Pete Alonso, set to become a free agent after the World Series.

With six regular-season games remaining, both teams were off Monday heading into their series opener Tuesday night. New York (87-69) is a half-game ahead of Arizona (87-70) for the second of three National League wild cards, while the Braves (85-71) trail the Diamondbacks by 1 1/2 games for the last playoff spot.

The Mets and Braves have split 10 meetings this year, so the winner of their three-game set holds the season-series tiebreaker if they finish with the same record.

New York knows two wins in Atlanta would clinch a playoff appearance. But a sweep by the Braves puts them in the driver’s seat going into the last weekend of the season.

It’s reminiscent of two years ago, when the Mets arrived in Atlanta for the penultimate series of the season leading the NL East by one game over the Braves. Atlanta swept their three-game set, securing a tiebreaker that decided the division title days later when both clubs finished 101-61 en route to early playoff exits.

It was the fifth of six consecutive NL East crowns for the Braves, a streak that ended last Friday when they were eliminated from a division race won Monday night by Philadelphia. But they still control their own wild-card fate, despite a barrage of injuries to All-Star players that has hindered them all year.

“I already feel like I’m playing postseason games,” closer Raisel Iglesias said. “We just need to remain patient and play our game.”

Both teams made rotation adjustments to line up their pitching for the series. New York right-hander Luis Severino (11-6, 3.79 ERA) starts the opener against rookie Spencer Schwellenbach (7-7, 3.61), who dominated the Mets in a 4-0 win July 27.

Atlanta ace Chris Sale (18-3, 2.38), the NL Cy Young Award favorite, goes in the second game against fellow lefty David Peterson (9-3, 3.08). And then a streaking Sean Manaea (12-5, 3.29) faces Braves stalwart Max Fried (10-10, 3.42), another matchup of southpaws.

In a questionable move, the Mets decided to skip veteran lefty Jose Quintana (10-9, 3.74) in favor of Severino and Peterson. Quintana has allowed one earned run over 32 innings in his last five outings, winning the past four.