Pete Alonso homered and drove in five runs, Luisangel Acuña added his first major league longball to cap a huge night at the plate, and the New York Mets routed the Washington Nationals 10-1 to boost their chances in a close National League playoff race.

Carlos Mendoza made the point multiple times on Wednesday. “We haven’t done anything,” the manager said. No, the Mets haven’t clinched a playoff berth or won a division. But they’re starting to see the light at the end of their long climb out of competitive purgatory from earlier in the season.