For the first part of September, the Mets were given an opportunity to cruise into the playoffs with a seemingly easy schedule.

But New York played down to its competition and thus played below .500 over a two-week stretch. 

The schedule was less forgiving come September 18.

They went to Atlanta with a tremendous challenge, but also a tremendous opportunity — a chance to catch the Braves in the NL East standings and simultaneously exorcise demons. 

Turner Field has been a chop shop of horrors for the New Yorkers since it opened in 1997.

And in 1999, the Mets arrived in Georgia’s capital a confident club.

After being torched in three straight games, they left wondering about their postseason prospects. 

In this latest version of the hammer-nail rivalry, the Mets were not set up for success as far as the starting pitching was concerned.

Bobby Valentine‘s rotation for the series was Mike Hampton, Glendon Rusch, and Al Leiter — a trio of southpaws against a team that had feasted on left-handers.

But of equal concern was the possibility of a psychological effect.

Were the Braves still in the Mets’ heads? The opening game indicated that they might be.

The affliction even made its way to Hampton, despite not being a Met before this season.

On September 18, his throwing error allowed the Braves to get on the board first. Then, a pair of RBI singles — one by the notorious Chipper Jones and the other by Brian Jordan — stretched the Atlanta lead in the third.

Walt Weiss’ groundout brought Jones home and Hampton had dug his team a 4-0 hole.

That ditch would sink deeper, as New York fell behind 6-0 against the mastery of Greg Maddux.

Typical of his Hall of Fame qualities, Maddux set the Mets down with minimal trouble and maximum efficiency.

In seven innings, he had allowed five hits — all in a matter of 83 pitches. 

New York attempted a comeback, but it was only a tease.

A Derek Bell homer, a Robin Ventura two-RBI hit, and an eighth-inning threat in which the tying run came to the plate merely set the stage for a frustrating 6-3 defeat. 

The frustration mounted a night later. Glendon Rusch found a world of difficulty in the second inning.

It was so bad, in fact, that the only way out of it was his removal from the game.

By the time he headed to the clubhouse, Rusch had allowed five hits and four runs.

A rare Robin Ventura error certainly didn’t help matters, either. 

Pat Mahomes did little to stop the cascade of Braves offense.

By the time the inning was through, Atlanta had pushed seven across. The Mets were in disarray. 

After what would become a 12-4 thrashing, Bobby Valentine called a players-only meeting — which led to a tirade suitable only for mature audiences.

He still saved some venom for the press, then made a declaration similar to this time last year: if the Mets missed the playoffs, he should be the casualty. 

Steve Phillips avoided comment on the situation, but Fred Wilpon offered a vote of confidence to his GM and his manager. 

The Mets players were more preoccupied with salvaging some confidence on the field.

In a series finale which featured a match-up of southpaws, Al Leiter out pitched Tom Glavine over 6.2 innings.

Behind a home run and a double from Edgardo Alfonzo, a homer by Mike Piazza, and two hits from Todd Zeile, New York made Leiter’s strong work hold up in a 6-3 win. 

Despite the victory, hopes for a division title had pretty much vanished — four games back with 10 games remaining on the schedule.

But their chances for the Wild Card were becoming more and more realistic.

For while the Mets were staggering to the finish line, the Arizona Diamondbacks saw the wheels completely come off — having lost six straight. 

With the weight of New York City off their respective shoulders but plenty of New Yorkers in attendance at Veteran’s Stadium, the Mets aimed to enact a bit of revenge on a Phillies team that stunned them weeks earlier.

Yet only a walk off on September 21, in which they scratched back from a 4-1 deficit, prevented the Mets from a four-game sweep.

Aside from the victories, perhaps most pleasing to see was Piazza continuing to distance himself from the personal doldrums that had lingered for much of the month.

The Norristown, PA native blasted two home runs in Philly. Meanwhile, there was an emerging leadoff hitter in Timo Perez.

A recent call-up from Triple-A, Perez started the final two games of the series — going 2-for-4 in one contest and homering in the other. 

More positivity came from Glendon Rusch, who bounced back from some lackluster outings to toss eight innings and allow just one run on September 24.

The Mets held a six-game lead in the Wild Card over the Dodgers, who surpassed the free-falling D-Backs, with six to play.

Simple math dictates that either a New York victory or a Los Angeles defeat ensures the Amazin’s return to postseason play.

Not even another meeting with the Braves at Shea Stadium could spoil those plans.