Amazin’s long road to playoffs looks bumpier in stretch run

The chatter around the Mets has been their schedule: From the release of next year’s slate to how soft their recent run has been.

Now it’s going to be how tough their stretch run is. Starting Tuesday with a three-game road set at National League East-leading Atlanta.

“Yeah, for sure. I’ve already been thinking about it,” said Zack Wheeler, who will get the ball Tuesday against Max Fried. “You lose [Sunday], we need to pick the momentum right back up and get that first win in Atlanta and get right back after it, set the tone. Set the tone with them.”

The Mets had been a white-hot 13-1 coming into this past weekend’s series against Washington, but their streak had been downplayed in some quarters because it came against soft competition. But the Mets are pointing to their series win over the Nationals as proof they can beat good teams. They’ll get an even better one in Atlanta.

“It was big, because we were running off all these games and winning them and everybody was kind of saying you were playing against easy teams, blah, blah, blah. Those are the games you’re supposed to win,” Wheeler said. “So you can’t blame us for winning them. You’re supposed to win those games.

“If you do, it’s a plus. If you don’t, then you look even worse. Playing those easier teams then coming up against, like, the Nationals, you knew it was going to be a tough test. But we pulled it out, we grinded, played good baseball for the most part.”

The Mets’ remaining slate includes: At the Braves, at the Royals, versus the Indians, Braves, Cubs, at the Phillies, at the Nationals, the Phillies, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, at the Rockies, at the Reds, the Marlins before closing against the Braves again.

Their opponents’ .508 winning percentage represents a far tougher road than the Braves (.499) or Nationals (.498) have to face.

The Mets can already have an eye toward next year with the schedule release on Monday.

The Amazin’s open the season March 26 at home against the Nationals.

The Subway Series starts in The Bronx when the Mets play at the Yankees on July 7-8. They come back to Flushing for a pair of games on July 28-29 to finish the regular-season set.

The Dodgers come to Citi Field at the end of May, but one of the highlights is a trip to Puerto Rico a month earlier. The Mets are heading back to San Juan for a three-game series against the Marlins. They’ll play April 28-30 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.

“Puerto Rico has a rich baseball history and passionate baseball fans,” Mets COO Jeff Wilpon said in a statement. “We are honored to represent the Mets, and Major League Baseball.”