On Sunday, September 14 the New York Mets dropped a heartbreaker to the Atlanta Braves in spite of round trippers by third baseman David Wright.

David Wright smacks the second of two home runs, giving him 31 round trippers and 114 runs batted in for the season. Photo Dan Miller DMD Images The Mets led 4-2 entering the ninth inning on excellent pitching by Oliver Perez and timely Mets hitting. But things went sour when the Braves scored five unanswered runs to defeat the Mets in a crucial game that left them with only a one-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies, who won a double header against the Milwaukee Brewers and on Monday fired their manager, just a week before the end of the regular season.

Perez wasted a seven-inning, two-run, four-hit, seven-strikeout performance when the Mets bullpen again did not hold the lead, but gave up the tying and winning runs in the top of the ninth inning to give the Braves the win and allow the Phillies to move within one game of first place.

The Mets are on the road this week with four games against the Washington Nationals, followed by three in Atlanta against the Braves. The Mets dropped Monday night's game to Washington, allowing the idle Phillies to move to within a half game of the Mets.

The Mets return home next Tuesday to face the red hot Chicago Cubs, followed by three games against the Florida Marlins to end the season and the Mets' 45 years at Shea Stadium.