Nats forced to watch as Mets advance to NLCS

Maybe you share the sentiments of Bryce Harper in hoping the Mets proudly represent the National League East and carry on to win this year's Fall Classic - if you actually believe the words of the future NL Most Valuable Player from late September. But most likely, you were probably angrily thinking last night how the Mets were able to accomplish what the Nationals couldn't over the past four seasons: win the division and then advance in the playoffs.

After six straight losing seasons, the Mets figured to annoy the highly favored Nationals at best this year. Instead, they used an arsenal of young starting pitchers and some serious reinforcements at the trade deadline to bully the Nats into submission in September and October.

Then the underdog Mets proceeded to go on the road and win a do-or-die Game 5 against Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke, at worst the runner-up for this year's NL Cy Young Award. And the way the Mets outlasted the Dodgers had to be especially frustrating for Nationals fans after watching the debacles of the bullpen, particularly in the latter stages of the season.

After allowing two runs in the first and dangerously giving Greinke and the Dodgers an early lead, New York stud right-hander Jacob deGrom performed a high-wire act by gutting out the next five scoreless innings. Mets manager Terry Collins then passed on his normal relievers in the seventh, instead opting for 23-year-old right-hander Noah Syndergaard, the fireballer who started Game 2.

Syndergaard overpowered the Dodgers in the frame with 100 mph heaters and filthy breaking balls. Then Collins boldly asked his closer, Jeurys Familia, to give the Mets a six-out save in a 3-2 game in Dodger Stadium. As he did all series, Familia didn't allow a single baserunner, and the Mets advanced to the NLCS.

So does the Mets win last night influence Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo's decisions any further? Is it now more important to land a manager with major league reps and even experience winning in October?

"We need to decide upon how to get back into the championship conversation," Rizzo said standing against the dugout railing at Citi Field before the Nats' final game of the year. "Right now, we go into the offseason as being the team that is the chaser instead of being the chasee. We're no longer the king of the National League East. We're gonna chase down the Mets. The decisions we make this season are going to shape not only the 2016 season, but beyond, like we always think. We have a one-year, three-year and five-year plan down the road. It's gonna be an exciting, busy, important offseason."

Of those managerial candidates whose names have been floated as the next Nats skipper, only Dusty Baker and Ron Gardenhire have managed teams in the postseason.

Baker guided the Giants to the World Series in 2002 before losing to the Angels. In 20 years as manager of the Giants, Cubs and Reds, Baker went to the playoffs seven times.

Gardenhire led the Twins to the postseason in six of his 13 seasons, but they only advanced to the American League Championship Series once. Gardenhire owns a 6-21 record in the playoffs.

Then again, it took Collins managing 1,688 games with three different clubs in his career before reaching the postseason. The Mets stuck with him through their rebuild and all of the losing seasons. After pushing all of the right buttons in Game 5, Collins has New York set for an NLCS matchup with the Cubs.

By the way, the Cubs, who finished 79-83 in 2014, join the Mets and Blue Jays as three of the four remaining teams who missed the playoffs last year.