It happened. No, really. The Philadelphia Phillies completed one of the most miraculous comebacks earlier today when they defeated the Nationals 6-1 in front of a packed house at Citizens Bank Park to clinch the NL East on the final day of the season.

Only 18 days ago, none of this seemed possible when they trailed the New York Mets by seven games.

But Charlie Manuel’s gritty resilient bunch never gave up winning 13 of their final 17 while Willie Randolph’s club managed to fumble away that huge lead by losing 12 of their last 17 during the same stretch.

The remarkable Philly comeback was made possible by a three-game sweep at Shea on Sept. 14-16, allowing them to take the last eight games against the Mets in the season series.

It’s hard to really fathom that this could’ve actually been possible. Especially with the Mets having what was perceived to be an easier schedule down the stretch against the Nationals and Marlins plus a make up game against the Cardinals.

Instead, they dropped five of six to Washington and a week after reviving themselves with three of four in Florida, they dropped two of three to finish off a dreadful final week at home in which they went only 1-6 against teams they were clearly better than.

In the end, that didn’t matter because for whatever reason, they played uninspired baseball committing 21 errors in their last 17 games including a club record 10 in two straight losses to the Phils and Nats a couple of weeks ago which really was where it started to unravel.

Suddenly, the Mets stopped executing. Mental lapses such as David Wright forgetting to cover third for a double play in Friday’s loss to Florida became common.

There was the continued lack of hustle from a lifeless Jose Reyes who along with not running out balls or getting to balls in the field he normally would became undisciplined at the plate hitting just .214 with 15 strikeouts the final month. The 24 year-old shortstop who bats leadoff and is the sparkplug suddenly heard boos.

If you want to point to what was wrong with this team down the stretch, look no further. After a great first half in which he hit .307 with a .387 OBP, Reyes dropped to .255 and .321 OBP in the second half.

Most baffling was the sharp contrast in the one category he’s better than anyone else at. Speed. After swiping a season high 23 bases for the month of August, he only stole five more the rest of the way while being caught almost as many times (4).

Maybe worst of all was the silly celebration he and younger teammate Lastings Milledge took part in after the rookie’s second dinger in a 13-0 laugher a day earlier which was probably what angered the Marlins and ignited a near brawl with Miguel Olivo challenging Reyes who pointed at him after Florida threw at teammate Luis Castillo twice.

Whether it was because they were retaliating for Hanley Ramirez being plunked or because of a ridiculous dance which could’ve been translated as showing them up, Florida players were hot afterwards with their shortstop even going as far as to say “they hated the Mets.”

It might help explain the seven runs they put up in a shocking start to today’s game against Tom Glavine knocking the classy starter out in maybe his worst outing in a brilliant 20-year career. It may very well have been his final game as a Met. What ashame.

Just how brutal was it? After giving up a two-run double to Cody Ross, Glavine even poured gasoline on the fire by misfiring to third trying to nail the Marlin who came around to score. Before most of the sellout Shea crowd had gotten in their seats, their club was down four and the collective gasps and moans had already started.

It only got worse as Glavine loaded the bases and then plunked Dontrelle Willis on a 1-2 pitch to force in a run ending his day. Two batters later, Dan Uggla’s two-run double down the left field line off reliever Jorge Sosa put them down a touchdown before they even came to bat.

What a sharp contrast it was compared to how well John Maine had pitched yesterday in flirting with the franchise’s first no-hitter while fanning 14 to keep his team very much alive with the Phils losing and the very prospect of a one-game playoff set for Monday if both held serve.

Not even Mets’ detractors could make this up.

Instead, they were behind the eight ball right away after taking a standing eight count. So, did they respond? Sure. Willis was shaky in the three innings he pitched even loading the bases twice including once in the first where he was all over the place.

After forcing in a run on a wild pitch though, the Florida starter got the biggest out when Ramon Castro sent a 2-0 pitch which he thought was out but instead the wind kept it in the park allowing Florida’s Jeremy Hermida to harmlessly snag it to end the inning.

If it travels 15 more feet, it’s 7-5 and a completely different game. Unfortunately for Mets fans, this was just a tease for what was coming. On a day they stranded 14, New York also left the bases loaded in the third when pinch hitter Paul Lo Duca bounced back to Florida reliever Logan Kensing.

Amazingly, it was their last big threat as they managed just two more hits the rest of the way against five Florida relievers.

The Marlins would tack on one more run on a fifth inning Alejandro De Aza double which basically finished the Mets. As the SNY team of Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling with Gary Cohen pointed out after the awful beginning, they had to have the pen hold the Marlins to seven.
When Florida closer Kevin Gregg got Castillo swinging, it was mercifully over.

Almost as if fate, only a couple of minutes later Brett Myers got Wily Mo Pena looking to finish off the comeback pumping his fists as Phillie teammates mobbed him.

Maybe finally the baseball gods wanted the 1964 Phillies out of the record book. Or maybe NL MVP candidate Jimmy Rollins was prophetic when he proclaimed that “the Phillies were the team to beat in the East” before a pitch was thrown back in April.

Whatever the explanation, this we know from interviewing Staten Island Yankees.

“Baseball is a funny game.”

The players would usually add the word “momentum” and the Phillies had it.

That’s all we got. The Phillies played great ball down the stretch and deserved to win a division the Mets led since mid-May and had control of but never could put it away blowing two seven-game leads.

Give Manuel’s players a lot of credit. Still, they needed help and got plenty from inspired Mets’ opponents who took joy in beating them. Could it be the immaturity of a Reyes and Milledge which rubbed those teams the wrong way? Or maybe it was Friday’s goat Oliver Perez’ leg kicks after giving up no runs.

There has to be a reason that Darling would point out during today’s final telecast of a disappointing conclusion that “teams in the NL hate the Mets.”

Pretty strong word. It definitely couldn’t have helped a fading team which lacked confidence as well as killer instinct.

I’ve seen this happen on many levels and it’s not pretty. You know you’re better than the opposition such as a basketball team who beat another school twice without a problem during the regular season. Then builds up a big lead and thinks they have it won but lets down. And before they know what hits them, it’s gone and they lose in gut wrenching fashion.
That’s essentially what happened to a team whose slogan was “Your Season Has Come.”

Now there will likely be serious changes to their roster.

One thing we know is certain. They’ll have to wait another year to make this awful ending go away. Especially for their fans who supported them till the bitter end.