The lasting image of the young Wright celebrating.
The 18-year wait for a division title ended on a Monday night at Shea Stadium, but it was a certainty for months. The Mets took over the NL East lead on April 6th and never gave it back, maintaining a healthy margin all summer long. Their superior play was rewarded with a postseason clinching earlier than any other team and occurred after a 4-0 win over the Florida Marlins.
José Valentín provided the majority of the offense with two home runs—the first one coming in the third inning and the other in the fifth — while starter Steve Trachsel combined with three relievers on the four-hit shutout.
Billy Wagner, who would finish the season with 40 saves, locked it down in the ninth. Cliff Floyd hauled in Josh Willingham‘s fly ball in left field for the final out, hopping while raising his glove hand.
Fireworks shot off from behind the center-field wall as the backdrop for the on-field celebration.
The Mets could’ve locked it up in Pittsburgh—not once, not twice, but three times in that series—only to be swept at PNC Park. All it allowed was for them to move the party home, just as the Mets did for their last division title in 1988 and twenty years ago during the championship season of 1986.
The likelihood of champagne increased once Valentín launched a two-run homer into the Mets’ bullpen against Marlins starter Brian Moehler. He got a curtain call that time, and again two innings later when he repeated the feat. This home run, also to right field, was a solo blast. Floyd added to the lead with an RBI single in the sixth.
Trachsel, meanwhile, allowed three hits over 6.1 innings, walking one while striking out three before handing it off to the relievers. The lone threat from the Marlins came in the seventh. Florida had two runners on before Guillermo Mota got out of it. Aaron Heilman served as the bridge from Mota to Walker with a scoreless eighth.
At the time, the Mets held the best record at 91-58 and would enter the postseason with 97 victories, tied with the Yankees for the most in the majors.
