Will Mets' moves help close gap in tight NL East race?

The debate at the start of the season in the National League East focused on one question: Which team - the Mets or the Marlins - would be the biggest challenger to the Nationals in the division?

The Marlins had a strong case, but they wilted under expectations, and it is the Mets who have the best chance of making it a race. In the last five days, the Mets have added four players. They went into Tuesday night two games behind the Nationals.

The two teams have nine games left, including six in New York, three this weekend and three in the final weekend of the season.

New York has added Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe in a trade from Atlanta. They brought up their top hitting prospect, Michael Conforto. And they acquired 30-year-old reliever Tyler Clippard from Oakland.

Clippard, the former National who saved 32 games for them in 2012, will boost the bridge between the Mets' young starters and their rookie closer, Jeurys Familia. With Jenrry Mejia suspended for a second time - this time for 162 games for using banned substances - Clippard becomes even more important in the Mets bullpen.

The Mets also got Bobby Parnell back from the disabled list. Parnell, 16 months removed from ligament replacement surgery in his elbow, hasn't been as effective as the Mets needed.

The Mets are hoping that reinforcements will keep them competitive. The Nats got two injured players - Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth - back and traded for Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon on Tuesday night as they opened a three-game series in Miami.

With Oakland, Clippard's walk rate is up and his strikeout rate is down, but in addition to his versatility, the Mets like that he can be good against left-handed batters, something they have needed from their bullpen considering that another former National, Jerry Blevins, is on the disabled list. Clippard has held lefty batters to a .100 average in 81 plate appearances this season.

The Mets have scored the fewest runs in the National League, partly because of bad performance, partly because of injury. Michael Cuddyer is out with a knee injury. David Wright has played in eight games and the Mets aren't sure he'll be back this season. He hasn't started baseball drills yet.

Lucas Duda isn't hitting and neither is Curtis Granderson. Catcher Travis d'Arnaud, hitting .296 when he went on the disabled list June 20 with a sprained elbow, is working his way back through a minor league rehabilitation assignment.

Johnson, Uribe and Conforto have paid dividends in their first days with the Mets, but we'll see on those three guys. For sure, they've given the Mets clubhouse a boost in energy.

The Mets are winning because of starting pitching.

Bartolo Colon is getting hit around, but getting the job done. Jacob deGrom has a 2.05 ERA and Jonathan Niese is solid. But how will the Mets' young pitchers - Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey - handle the fatigue and expectations of August and September?

Harvey is coming back from Tommy John surgery. He has pitched 125 1/3 innings and the Mets figure he can go 180 to 190 without long-term damage. In a sense, they are in the same predicament the Nationals were in during 2012 with Stephen Strasburg.