By any measure, the New York Mets and San Diego Padres had regular seasons that stand among the finest in their respective histories.
The Mets spent 175 days in first place and reached 100 wins for the first time since 1988. The Padres won 89 games, a total surpassed by only four previous incarnations of the club, and made the playoffs in a full season for the first time since 2006.
But now their seasons will be defined by how they fare over the next two or three games.