Both teams wouldn't have it any other way.
"I love it," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We have a ring because of this Wild Card [in 2014] and have a chance now."
So do the Mets.
"It provides teams that have perhaps had a bad month to get back in it," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "It keeps their fan base electric with the excitement that they're playing for a postseason berth.
"I told our players on September 1st, we were nine games back of the Nationals, that we were in a pennant race. By gosh, we came out every night and played like that.