Have to admit ... I was wrong.

In my last column, I foresaw a Mets-Phillies divisional race, likely down to the end.

Well, we all know how that prediction has unraveled.

After the Phillies’ recent four-game sweep over the Mets at Citizens Bank, everyone felt pretty confident the Phils would eventually win the NL East. On one hand, the Mets’ fans were watching their team staying afloat and trying hold on to a Wild Card berth.

Even though they lost to the Royals, the Phillies received a postseason invite with the Giants’ loss to the Dodgers.

If you’re a Mets fan, though, are you getting flashbacks from the 2007 season? Well, don’t do anything drastic yet. They ended their eight-game losing streak, and still have a good shot at the postseason.

In this week’s column, I’ll take a look at some Phillies, Mets and Yankees season and postseason posts with the regular season winding down.

Beat LA ... Beginning Monday, the Phillies had a four-and-a half game lead over the Dodgers for the second seed in the playoffs, but they trailed Milwaukee by two games for the top spot.

It was the first matchup between the two clubs since Philly took two-of-three at Citizens Bank in April.

With the league’s top seed still on their radar, the Phils can’t afford a letdown. They are easily within striking distance of the top seed. Overall, the Phils have a 422-592 in Chavez Ravine, and they won the series there last year.

Aside from the games, the spotlight will be on Kyle Schwarber and Shohei Ohtani for the MVP race over the final two weeks.

Entering Monday, here are their lines that are eerily similar to digest and ponder.

Schwarber - .244, 136 hits 21 doubles, 52 homers, 127 RBIs, 102 walks, 176 strikeouts, 10 stolen bases.

Ohtani - .281, 158 hits, 21 doubles, 49 homers, 93 RBIs, 103 walks, 169 strikeouts, 18 stolen bases.

Juan Soto may be in the conversation if he can lead the Mets to the Wild Card.

The MVP race will be tight, but Schwarber should get the nod.

The Last Stand ... Looking ahead, the Mets will have a challenging path ahead for their final 12 games, even though they are 32-49 since June 12.

New York is still looking to reap some dividends from trade pickups — pitchers Gregory Soto, Ryan Helsley and Tyler Rogers, along with outfielder Cedric Mullins.

The Mets open their final six-game homestand with the Padres Tuesday and the Nationals Friday.

They will then hit the road for a pair of three-game series in Chicago (Cubs) and Miami.

This season, the Mets were swept in San Diego, have won six of 10 against Washington, beat Chicago two of three at Citi Field, and they have split 10 games against Miami.

Don’t Say You Don’t Remember ... In 2007, the Mets had a seven-game lead in September, and then they had their own 1964 collapse.

The Mets lost five in a row, but rebounded with four wins in their next five games.

Down the stretch, however, they dropped six of their final seven, ending in an 8-1 loss to the Marlins in which starter Tom Glavine gave up seven runs in a third of an inning.

The Phillies won their final four games to win the NL East by a game.

Don’t Cut Bad-er ... Since he arrived during the trading deadline, Harrison Bader arguably has been the best pickup, and he could turn out to be one of the best trade acquisitions in years as well as being a fan favorite.

A career .247 hitter, Bader originally was brought to Philly to fill the void in center field, notably for his glove. However, he has also solved the lingering leadoff hitter dilemma, especially with Trea Turner going down with an injury.

Bader’s bat has been a major contributor to the team’s August and early September run. During June, Bader hit .194; during July, .290; during August, .293; and during September, .423.

In his first 37 games with the Phillies, Bader had 44 hits with a .352 average, a .410 OBP, and a .954 OPS.

He likely will be the team’s center fielder in the postseason, and he has made his mark in October. In 2022 with the Yankees, Bader hit .333 in nine games with 10 hits – five of them homers – six RBIs, a .429 OBP and a 1.262 OPS.

Early Returns ... In a recent Times News Sports Facebook poll, the question was posed whether Otto Kemp or Edmundo Sosa has been the Phillies’ most valuable reserve player.

With the poll being active for only a few days, Kemp has the overwhelming majority of 88 votes compared to Sosa’s 12 percent.

Since he was recalled from the IronPigs in early September after Alec Bohm and Trea Turner went down with injuries, Kemp is hitting .421 with two homers and seven RBIs in six games. He had a five-game hitting streak snapped Sunday.

Overall, the 25-year-old Kemp is hitting .269 with six homers and 28 RBIs in 53 games.

Sosa, who quietly has been with the club for four years, is hitting .270 with seven homers and 33 RBIs in 85 games. However, he had been invaluable with his versatility.

Manager Rob Thomson may face the difficult decision of choosing either one for the postseason roster.

This poll will remain open throughout the week and weekend. Please submit your votes and any comments will be published in the next column.

Mad Max ... For most of the season, Max Kepler has been much-maligned for his batting average hovering around the .200 mark. There was plenty of speculation that Kepler would be gone at the trade deadline, and the Phillies would recall their top outfield prospect to take his place.

Like Bader, Kepler responded with an early fall flight. He hit .273 in August with 15 hits, three home runs, and nine RBIs. In his first nine games of September, he hit .345 with 10 hits, two homers and eight RBIs.

Overall, Kepler has hit .297 in the last two months after hitting .188 during May, .162 during June, and .196 during July.

As far as Crawford, he surprisingly wasn’t a September call-up. He is not on the 40-man roster and also not Rule 5 draft eligible. In his first 112 games, Crawford hit .334 with seven homers, 34 RBIs, 46 stolen bases, a .411 OBP, and a .863 OPS.

Kepler’s rise will make it interesting for the outfield alignment in the playoffs with the current unit mainly consisting of Kepler, Bader and Brandon Marsh. Nick Castellanos has been the odd man out, but the team needs his power bat to re-energize.

Plenty of Zeile ... John Kruk arguably is the Phillies’ most entertaining Phillies’ color commentator who can recall plenty of memories. Ruben Amaro always gets mixed reviews, and Ben Davis usually offers plenty of poignant facts.

But former Phillie Todd Zeile does a great job during the Mets’ pregame and postgame shows on SNY.

Zeile, who has had his post since 2019, offers great insight and analysis on various game situations and generally has several anecdotes to enhance his revelations. He is worth a listen.

Primarily a third baseman, Zeile signed with the Phils as a free agent, and he played in 134 games with 20 homers, 80 RBIs, and a .268 average. He was traded with Pete Incaviglia on Aug. 29.

Zeile played for 11 teams in 16 seasons, hitting 253 homers with 1,110 RBIs and a .265 average.

Readers Write

Keep Bleeding Dodger Blue

Dear Jeff,

Despite their overall success, the Dodgers still have some woes. Just when the starting pitching starts to excel, the bats generally go cold and the relief pitching needs Alka Seltzer. But they did put up some runs against the Giants.

They do have a bona fide closer in Tanner Scott. Unfortunately, he doesn’t always close for the win like Eric Gagne did.

However, I have remained a loyal fan since 1954.

Paul J. Dallara

Hawley, Pa.

33 and counting ... Last Friday night, the Yankees assured their 33rd consecutive winning season with their 4-1 victory over Boston that gave them an 82-65 mark. It marked the second longest streak.

Who has the longest one? The Yankees have it with their run of 39 seasons from 1962-64.

Time Passages ... Many of you may remember when the Phillies clinched their first division title with a 4-1 victory over the Montreal Expos on Sept. 26, 1976. It was the first game of a doubleheader and the last games at legendary Jarry Park.

Jim Lonborg twirled a four-hit, complete game with five strikeouts and one walk over 98 pitches. Greg Luzinski delivered the game-winning blow with a three-run homer off Dan Warthen in the sixth.

Dave Cash and Garry Maddox each had two hits for the Phils, who finished with the first of two 101-61 regular-season records. However, the Phils were swept by the Reds in three games of the National League Championship Series.

By the way, ex-Phil Del Unser hit leadoff and played left field for the Expos in the division clincher.

Your thoughts are always welcomed and will be published; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com