It’s Season 8, Episode 17 of The Put it in the Books Show—Farace, Rodriguez, and Producer Joe (hiding behind the wall as always) are ready to roll, while Keith is out under the weather (or maybe still laughing at the parabolic mic story from the Filthies series).The Mets are suddenly looking like a real October threat again, fresh off a sweep of the Filthies at Citi Field that cut the NL East gap to just four games with 29 left to play. The Mets now hold the third Wild Card spot with a 4.5-game cushion over the Reds, sitting 2.5 back of the Padres and 4 behind the Cubs for the top two spots. Translation: it’s all still on the table, folks.The kids are doing their job and then some. McLean and Tong both look like they could be the horses down the stretch—though let’s not crown them just yet, since Mets pitching has a way of testing fan patience faster than a rain delay with no tarp in sight. Meanwhile, Lindor, Soto, and Alonso are playing every day like their lives (or at least our sanity) depend on it. And the best part? A handful of the biggest contributors are homegrown—All-Stars in the making straight out of the Mets’ pipeline.Next up: four at Citi Field against the Marlins, followed by a massive road trip through Detroit, Cincinnati, and Filthadelphia. The stretch run is here, and the Mets are heating up at the right time. Or, knowing this team, they’ll find a new way to give us heartburn—but either way, we’ll be here for every pitch.So pour yourself something strong, strap in for the stretch, and join Farace, Rodriguez, and Producer Joe as they break down the standings, the stars, and whether or not this team is finally ready to go from pretenders to contenders. #PiitB #Mets