After the final game of the season Sunday, a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals, the Mets gathered in center field at Citi Field and waved and tipped their caps to fans holding signs and banners celebrating the team’s division title. Ricky Bones, the bullpen coach, tossed baseballs into the crowd.
Ever since the Mets clinched the National League East eight days ago, they played in a lackluster fashion, losing five games in a row before Sunday’s victory, and were caught in an awkward spot, trying to rest their veterans and clinch home-field advantage simultaneously.