Unsung heroes helping Mets avoid repeat of 2008 disaster

T.J. Rivera drives in a run with a two-out single in the fourth inning of the Mets' 5-1 win over the Phillies on Friday.PHILADELPHIA — This was Game 162, a game the Mets had to win to force a play-in showdown with the Brewers to determine what was then the lone NL wild card.

It was Sept. 28, 2008, what turned out to be the final game at Shea Stadium. But at 9:30 that morning, manager Jerry Manuel still was devising a way to extend the life of that building and his team’s season.

In the corridor entering that old Mets clubhouse was a board that accepted nine plastic slats with names on it. The daily lineup was posted there. I was the lone media member present, and I watched Manuel quickly…