The Mets have shown they can recover from a slow start and win at Citi Field.
They have proven they can beat teams like the Braves, Cubs and Dodgers, who are at least supposed to be contenders.
Tonight, they start another three-game test: A series against the Phillies on their rivals’ home turf — with the Mets holding a half-game lead for first in the NL East — that begins with Jon Niese taking the mound against Phils’ rookie Kyle Kendrick.
“We’ve got good momentum going into Philadelphia,” Jose Reyes said of the Mets, winners of seven straight. “That helps, but it’s still not going to be easy.”
Reyes’ presence in the lineup certainly gives the Mets a better chance. Much has been made of Ike Davis’ call-up and the Mets’ 9-1 record since then, but Reyes’ revival has been just as integral.
After missing the first four games as he rehabbed from a thyroid condition, Reyes returned, but wasn’t initially himself. Nine games into his return, he was hitting .150 and the Mets were 5-8. Since then, he’s hitting .343 and has scored nine runs — and the Mets are 8-1.
And since he moved to the three hole six games ago, the Mets haven’t lost and have averaged 5.0 runs per game, after averaging 4.1 in the first 16 games.
He has settled in nicely in front of Jason Bay and David Wright, who are hitting .400 and .368, respectively, and have a combined 11 RBIs since Reyes slid to No. 3.
“I like where I’m hitting and having those guys behind me,” Reyes said. “It’s helping us put everything behind us: last year being bad and not playing well at the beginning of this year.”
A 9-1 homestand will do that for a team.
But for all their confidence, the Mets are all too aware that good play in April doesn’t necessarily translate to success for an entire season.
“No matter how good we’ve been playing, it’s not like we can win the pennant now,” Alex Cora said. “We’ve gotta go into this series with the same frame of mind we’ve had for all of them recently: ‘Win the series and move on.’ “
That’s the fine line the Mets are trying to walk as they head into the biggest series of this young season. They know it’s important, but they also know that when it’s over, it will still only be May 3.
“We can’t get too caught up in the excitement and emotion,” David Wright said. “It’s an important series for us, but it’s also important for us to stay even-keeled and not drain ourselves over one series.”
As much as they tried to downplay it, the Mets have also lived through some ugly seasons and finishes and watched the Phillies celebrate at their expense.
And even those new to the rivalry understand its importance.
“Everyone assures me it’s pretty heated,” said Bay, who is a less than a year removed from Yankees-Red Sox. “It’s definitely going to be a good barometer to see where we are. They’re obviously one of the top teams in the National League for what they’ve done the last few years. You can’t deny that. And we’re playing pretty good baseball.”
Bay also pointed to what he called the “eerily similar” starts of his past two teams. Last year, Bay was a part of a Red Sox team that started off 2-6 before reeling off 11 straight wins, including nine in a row at Fenway Park, en route to a 95-win season.
“It’s almost the exact same storyline,” Bay said. “It reminds me of this run. Going 9-1 was a catalyst to get above .500. And obviously that’s not a goal, but a starting point.”
One the Mets hope continues to Philadelphia.
“This is going to be fun,” said Jeff Francoeur. “I haven’t been a part of a Mets-Phillies series that’s been important. By the time I played in one here last August, they weren’t taking us serious.”
That doesn’t figure to be the case this weekend.
dan.martin@nypost.com