The Mets, with a 9-5 victory over the Nationals, extended their NL East lead on the Braves to 3 ½ games. The Mets, who won five of six games on the road trip, have picked up a game on the Braves since the finale of their series in Atlanta. The Mets’ lead over the Braves on May 30 was 10 games.

“When you look at the schedule and everything, you hope you’re in it,” Braves manager Brian Snitker told Atlanta reporters. “Shoot, after you play 100-and-whatever games, this is where you want to be. You want to be in this position, where these games are big.”

The next five games won’t decide anything, but the Mets still have two trips to Atlanta remaining (including one within the final week of the season) that combined with these five could carry significant weight in determining who wins the division and who is reduced to playing in the wild-card round. The two division winners in each league with the best records will receive a bye in that first round.

The Mets received a loud hit from Daniel Vogelbach and strong pitching performance from Chris Bassitt in handling the gutted Nationals in their second game since they traded Juan Soto and Josh Bell to San Diego.

Seattle tagged Gerrit Cole for three home runs in the first inning before the newest Mariner, Luis Castillo, took care of the rest, sending the Yankees to a 7-3 loss on Wednesday afternoon in The Bronx.

The Yankees (70-36) dropped the series and lost for the third time in their past four games before heading out on a nine-game road trip that will begin Friday in St. Louis.

Wednesday marked the second straight start in which Cole was rocked in one big inning. Last Friday against the Royals, it was a five-run fifth inning that did him in. On Wednesday, it was a six-run first inning.

“It’s kind of hard to believe how much it just blows up so quick,” Cole said. “I’m trying to be excellent out there and obviously not. Obviously the game’s letting us know we’re not there. So we gotta keep grinding on it. It doesn’t feel good. We let a series get away from us and it’s because of a very poor first inning today. That’s on me.”

Burger King aims to be a formidable contender in the world of fast food, with global favorites popping up all over and sparking dreams of tastes you can’t get right down the street. The latest burger creation is one of those items, dropping for a limited time in Japanese restaurants while mocking the rest of the world.

The King Yeti Super One Pound Beef Burger might sound like a Dragon Ball character, but it is also a cheesy, meaty take on Burger King’s trademark sandwiches that demands to be taken seriously.

The burger is four beef patties, six fresh onion slices, six slices of Gouda cheese and a Caesar sauce drizzled within crafted with a blend of Parmesan and Camembert cheeses. All between a toasted sesame seed bun. If it sounds like a heart attack waiting to pounce, take solace in the fact that you were taken down by meat bliss.

It is still Burger King, however. That means don’t walk into this expecting an artisan, haute cuisine experience. But for its realm, the King Yeti is right up there with the competition. The price tag could be a sticking point for many, clocking in at 1,750 Yen or $15.21 for just the sandwich. A combo goes up to $17.00.

Carlos Carrasco isn’t going to win any contests blowing away hitters, but the right-hander’s offspeed pitches and command — and most importantly, his health — have converged this season to give the Mets an invaluable rotation piece.

On Saturday he gave his team 7 shutout innings in a 4-0 victory over the Marlins. Carrasco extended his scoreless streak over his past three starts to 18 innings.

The win was No. 100 in Carrasco’s career, making the 35-year-old the eighth Venezuelan-born pitcher to reach the milestone. Carrasco last surrendered a run on July 9 against the Marlins at Citi Field.

“I have been doing this a long time and getting 100 wins means a lot,” said Carrasco, who is 100-82 over 13 major league seasons. “Even more of it, getting it with a special group like this, going out there every day to play hard for us. I couldn’t do it without them.”

Jeff McNeil homered in the third, and the team gave Carrasco breathing room in the eighth when Francisco Lindor and J.D. Davis each blasted a solo homer to give the Mets a 4-0 lead.

The Mets won their fifth straight and improved to 63-37, their most victories at the 100-game mark since 1986.