The dog days of summer are here, and the Mets refuse to say die.

The team won just its second series since the All-Star break by taking two out of three at home against Colorado this week, and the Mets appear to be getting on a little bit of a roll.

Jose Reyes is running the bases well—even if he has had some difficulties in the field lately—and Mike Pelfrey put a rough stretch behind him by throwing seven shutout innings and showing some early-season form.

It’s not going to be easy, but the Mets are not that far away from being back in contention in the NL East.

They are going to need a hot streak, some stellar performances, and more than a slice of good fortune, but it’s not impossible.

Setting good luck aside, here are five things that need to happen for the Mets to get back in the playoff hunt.

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