Rochester -- The Syracuse Mets have been the International League’s hottest team the second half of the season, a run that’s earned them a one-game chance to carry what looks like championship momentum into the playoffs.

Syracuse came up with another clutch win at Rochester 8-4 on Monday in the regular season finale, a result that combined with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s loss to Buffalo has locked the Mets and RailRiders into a first-place tie in the North Division at the end of the 140-game schedule.

Syracuse (75-65) will visit PNC Park at 1 p.m. Tuesday for a contest that will determine the North champion and the team that moves into the postseason. The winner of that game travels to wildcard winner Durham for games one and two of the best-of-5 series Wednesday and Thursday.

If Syracuse qualifies for that series, it will host game three on Friday and four and five, if necessary, on Saturday and Sunday.

The Mets are 33-18 since the all-star break and 18-7 in their last 25 games, including wins at Rochester on Sunday and Monday when a loss either day would have eliminated the team. That run helped Syracuse overcome a seven-game deficit in the standings on Aug. 7.

“I like where we’re at. We’re coming in strong. If we play like today, we’re going to win (Tuesday),” said Syracuse pitcher Drew Gagnon.

After Monday’s game, Mets manager Tony DeFrancesco’s message to his team was simple and even-keeled.

“I said tomorrow we play at 1 o’clock,” he said. “They know what’s at stake. Hopefully we got some momentum going into tomorrow. We’ve been chasing them for a month now. And we finally caught them. We were on their heels for the last month. We played great to give us an opportunity to do what we did today.”

Syracuse is trying to qualify for the North Division playoffs for the first time since it won the North Division in 2014.

“Whether you’re in first place, last place, everybody’s motivated to win every day,” Syracuse catcher Colton Plaia said of his team’s turnaround. “I think that when you come that way, and you have the chemistry that we’ve kind of developed, I think it becomes easier to win games.”

Ervin Santana is scheduled to get the start for Syracuse. The RailRiders won the season series against Syracuse 13-6 this year, but the Mets right now appear to be the hotter and more intact team. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre parent club Yankees have recalled pitchers Tyler Lyons, Ryan Dull and Chance Adams and outfielder Clint Frazier.

Syracuse was dinged by Mets callups that included relievers Tyler Bashlor and Daniel Zamora and outfielder Sam Haggerty, but after they cleared waivers infielder Ruben Tejada and outfielder Aaron Altherr were reassigned to the team. Altherr had four RBI on Monday for Syracuse, which put the game away with a four-run seventh.

“I’m just here having fun and being with the team, just trying to do what I can. I don’t really think of it any other way than that," Altherr said. “Hopefully we can get that win tomorrow and see how far we can go. We’re trying to get it (the Governors’ Cup). I mean, why not? We’re already here. We might as well go for it.”

Additionally, Syracuse still has a playoff-caliber rotation that includes Santana, Gagnon, Corey Oswalt, Chris Mazza and Harol Gonzalez. And despite the losses of Bashlor and Zamora Syracuse’s bullpen has been its strength and remains deep and rested enough to close out games.

“I think our pitching is what we’re going to have to rely on in the postseason. We’ve pitched well this second half. I think that’s going to be our strength going into it,” Plaia said.

Coming into Monday’s game Syracuse has posted a league-best 3.41 ERA since the all-star break. Gonzalez (6-0) got the start on Monday, and he pitched five innings of one-run ball. He was backed up by Mazza, getting some work as a reliever. Mazza hurled two shutout frames.

“We’ve got the bullpen. We’ve got the lineup. We got the starting pitching. It’s going to come together great and I know this team can do great things coming along in the playoff run,” Gagnon said. “We want to win. It’s a great group of guys. We’re never going to play together again. I feel like this team really comes together well. We all click. It’s fun on and off the field. That’s huge in this game.”

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