The euphoria had worn off. But the playoff vibe was still very much there.
A day after Michael Conforto’s walk-off RBI single capped a four-run ninth-inning rally for a 7-6 win over the Nationals — and sparked a raucous celebration in which his jersey was torn off — the outfielder said it was the most electric he has felt since 2015, even comparing it to Wilmer Flores’ near-legendary walk-off homer to beat Washington in 12 innings on July 31, 2015.
“That that kind of energy, here at home, I’ve never been a part of a game like that, that we’ve won,” Conforto told The Post. “If we continue to play the way we’re playing, there’s no reason we can’t make a run at the division.
“We have a long way to go and we have a lot of really good teams in front of us. But if we continue to play the way we can and we stay healthy, the sky’s the limit.”
The Mets entered Saturday having won 14 of 15 for the first time since 1990. They had climbed to just a half-game behind the Brewers for the second NL wild-card spot (tied with the Cardinals and Phillies), largely riding Conforto’s hot bat.
“It’s his ability to go to all parts of the field and we’re seeing that right now. When he does that he’s a dangerous hitter,” manager Mickey Callaway said. “He’s definitely doing that at this point. And from an opposing pitching standpoint, they’re making more mistakes to him.
“When you’re covering pitches like he is, going the other way, you don’t miss as many hittable pitches … and that’s what allows him to really get going. So they’re making more mistakes, he’s making them pay because he has a great approach.”
Conforto came into Saturday hitting .320 since the All-Star break with nine homers, 18 runs scored, 21 RBIs and a scalding 1.034 OPS in his best stretch since his breakout two years ago.
“We’ve gotten to a point where I’m comfortable with the routine, I’m comfortable with my timing and my path to the ball. We have a system that keeps me there,” said Conforto, who has worked closely with hitting coach Chili Davis to get in sync. “I’ve always done tee, underhand flips and then batting practice overhand.
“But we moved the tee closer to me and focused on keeping my shoulder from flying out. I’m working on the inside pitch — that’s the toughest pitch to get to — and getting to that ball without having to fly open with my shoulder. That helps stay on the pitches that are away as well, if I’m not worries about getting that shoulder out of the way.”
