The bases were loaded, even though there was only one out in the ninth inning. Both managers had emptied their benches and exhausted their bullpens. A packed crowd stood and roared, hanging on every pitch.

October in South Philadelphia?

Actually it was June. In London.

” READ MORE: Don Money had to wait to applaud grandson Buddy Kennedy for his Phillies moment. But he knew he would call.

It was also the last time the Phillies and Mets met, and any notion that the seven September duels between the longtime rivals would matter to either team seemed as far-fetched at the time as the fact that President Biden is not running for re-election.

While the Phillies got off to the best start in franchise history with a 45-19 record, Mets owner Steve Cohen had to answer questions before the game about how many players from his roster would be sold at the trade deadline.

So consider this weekend a pleasant surprise at the end of the season.

The Phillies have overcome their mid-summer slump and are on the verge of their first division title since 2011. They have won three games in a row – and 14 of their last 18 – to reduce their magic number to nine.

And here come the Mets, with a 52-30 record since London – the best record in baseball during that period – and a one-game lead over the Braves for the last wild-card spot in the National League.

“They’re in great shape, no question about it,” Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos said. “I definitely don’t think it’s going to be the same team we saw in London.”

” READ MORE: Should the Phillies be worried about the struggling Ranger Suárez?

In fact, the Mets had not yet settled on Mark Vientos as their third baseman; he has now hit 24 home runs, 19 of them since London. Veteran infielder José Iglesias was recently promoted from Triple A; he has a batting average of .317 when he’s not singing the pop song that has become the Mets’ anthem. Sean Manaea has a 2.72 ERA in his last 15 starts.

The biggest difference, however, is the play of Francisco Lindor. During the London Series, the star shortstop had a batting average of .235 with 10 home runs and an OPS of .710. Since then: .295, 21 home runs, OPS of .925.

Two years after the Mets won 101 games with most of their current outfielders, Lindor has put them back in the running — and put himself in the MVP conversation, alongside Unicorn hitter Shohei Ohtani. And it has added some long-overdue excitement to these seven games over the next 10 days — three at Citizens Bank Park this weekend, four at Citi Field next Thursday through Sunday.

Baseball is more fun here when the Phillies and Mets are good at the same time. The problem is, that’s about as rare as a comet sighting.

When the Phillies won the 1980 World Series, the Mets were 24 games behind the first-place finisher. When the Mets won six years later, the Phillies were 21.5 games behind. In 63 seasons of coexistence as major league franchises, this will be only the 10th – I repeat: 10th place! — Example of them recording victories in the same year.

Historically, the Phillies and the Mets have not been such bitter rivals that they are separated by 110 miles of highway, like ships passing at opposite ends of New Jersey.

” READ MORE: Bryce Harper hasn’t hit a home run in a month, but he’s not worried – or slowing down

To be clear, these games mean a lot more to the Mets. Fangraphs gives them a 56.9 percent chance of making the playoffs, in a race that’s considered neck-and-neck with the Braves (56.1%). Either could make it, but that would mean edging out the Padres or Diamondbacks, who are 2 and 1½ games ahead of the playoffs, respectively.

According to Fangraphs, the Phillies have a 99.4% chance of winning the division and a 96.8% chance of getting a first-round bye. Their ticket to October is almost booked.

But the Phillies and Mets haven’t faced each other this late in a season since…check notes…2008, while in first and second place, so we’ll take what we can get while also remembering September 2007, the height of the drama between the Phillies and Mets.

A history lesson for anyone younger than, say, 24 or 25: The Mets led the NL East by seven games on September 13 (we’ll wait while you check the calendar) before being swept at home by the Phillies, marking the beginning of a 5-13 deficit. The Phillies finished the season with a 13-4 kick, winning the division on the final day and making Jimmy Rollins’ famous “team to beat” boast a reality.

“I got to know Jimmy really well over the years – he couldn’t have been a better guy – but back then I really hated him,” former Mets third baseman David Wright said in a recent phone conversation. “When your team leader comes out so confident publicly and then backs it up with the season he played, it’s incredibly impressive.”

“That’s what made this rivalry so great. That’s why I loved going to Philadelphia, and that’s why it was great when Philadelphia came to New York. I loved that intensity, and I loved that feeling. I wanted to beat them so bad that it probably threw me off a little bit. But I loved every second of those games because they had that core, we had our core, and I just really enjoyed it.”

” READ MORE: Nick Castellanos’ pursuit of 162 games is unbearable. It’s a testament to the Phillies’ faith in him.

But that was a long time ago. And while it would take an apparent 1964-style collapse by the Phillies to give the Mets hope of a reverse 2007, it’s enough to prove that the next 10 days will have an impact on both teams.

The Phillies could clinch the NL East title in New York (if they don’t win in Milwaukee early next week). The Mets could solidify their wild-card chances. Or the Phillies could knock them out.

“They’ve been playing good baseball lately. So have we,” Castellanos said. “I’m excited.”

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