A swarm of die-hard Mets fanatics and local celebrities like “Pinman” and a dog named Mila the Iggy packed into a Midtown bar Tuesday for a watch party that was full of optimism — even though supporters are used to getting their hearts broken.
Free beer flowed, bartenders poured a boozy purple drink called the “Grimace Punch” and strangers cried together at the Playwright Irish Pub, where every screen displayed the Amazins’ destroy the Milwaukee Brewers in the first game of the wildcard series, 8-4.
There was only one word to describe the atmosphere, according to the party organizer: “Electric.”
“The place was insane with wall-to-wall Mets fans going nuts. You’d think we had just won the World Series,” Darren Meenan, founder of the infamous The 7 Line Army, told The Post.
Meenan — who started the season with “zero expectations” — had just 24 hours to organize the blockbuster party after the team’s heart-stopping, rollercoaster performance on Monday clinched a spot in the MLB playoffs’ Wild Card round.
The 35th Street pub has become the club’s home for Mets’ away games during the post-season — meaning The 7 Line Army hasn’t been at the Playwright since the team secured a playoff spot in 2015.
The Mets have only made it to the postseason three times since then, two of which The 7 Line Army watched on Citi Field turf. The Mets fell short each time.
That history of heartbreak was noticeably absent Tuesday — the nearly 200 fanatics chanted, screamed and sang together in celebration of every small run, catch and strikeout.
Even franchise celebrities joined in on the madness, including “Pinman” Nick Giampietro, “Cowbell Man” Eddie Boison and Mila the Iggy — the glitzed-out Italian Greyhound that went viral for gobbling down a hot dog on the Jumbotron this summer.
“I wanted to hang out with a whole bunch of Mets fans because you can see out loud and hungry we are,” Giampietro, 66, of Howard Beach said, wearing his iconic, flashing broaches.
“It’s a different kind of energy. It’s like we’re all one family right now — there’s no Yankee fans here!”
The first floor of the pub was so crowded that revelers were forced to spill onto the streets. Typically, owner John Dougherty opens up both floors of the Playwright to The 7 Line Army, but had promised the second floor that night to a Vice Presidental Debate watch party — a reservation he told The Post he regretted taking.
“We love having them. They’re great fans, and they’re all here for the same reason: to win. The energy is amazing,” Dougherty said.
“The fans are behind the Mets no matter what, win or lose. They all come as one and leave as one.”
And the revelers were well-prepared for the possibility that the game could end in yet another heartbreak.
Aidan Hughes, 29, of Astoria told The Post the Mets had “as good a chance as anybody” to win the game, but was there to support his team no matter what.
“I feel like nearly 30 years in Mets fandom has kind of capped my expectations — and I’m a realist, but I think it certainly is possible for us to make it to the next round and to face the Phillies,” he said.
The Wild Card series is the fourth The 7 Line Army has witnessed since the club launched in 2012. The group was born out of the clothing line of the same name that Meenan, 43, created three years earlier out of pure love for the team.
The group of Mets fanatics fill up three sections of every home game at Citi Field, putting an average of 850 butts in seats per game, Meenan estimates.
Members travel to games around the country, and are just four stadiums short of visiting all 30 MLB ballparks.
A lucky few 7 Line soldiers found themselves at American Family Stadium on Tuesday night to watch the action in person, but Meenan emphasized the importance of banding together at home to support the Metsies from afar — and nearly 200 fans answered the call.
One couple gave up on squeezing their way inside, but instead of going to another bar down the street that was also playing the game, they chose to hunker down at the Playwright’s outdoor dining table and follow the game along on a laptop.
“It’s just been a really, really, really fun year for the team and I’m trying to enjoy every minute of that and it’s most fun when it’s experienced with other people,” said Karen of Bay Ridge.
The energy remained high throughout the night, but reached pandemonium levels in the third inning when a two-run triple by Jesse Winkler and a run by Starling Marte brought the Mets to a 3-0 lead.
The chaotic joy spiked yet again when the Mets enjoyed a five-run outburst, which carried the team to victory through the remainder of the game.
It got even rowdier when J.D. Martinez, pinch-hitting for Winker, delivered a two-run single that secured the first win of the series.
The fans were set to be back Wednesday night to cheer the Mets through the second game — which they hoped would bring another victory and clear the way for a World Series bananza.
“On Opening Day, somebody came to my seat and asked me about my level of optimism. And I said, ‘I have zero expectations about this team. If they get to the playoffs, I’ll be surprised and I’ll be happy, obviously.’ And they did. This year was so insane,” said Meenan.
“If you’re watching the amount of good times and weird things that happen with this team, it’s unlike anything I’ve watched in my life. I’m going to be 44 soon. This season was such a roller coaster and I couldn’t be happier that they made it at least to this level. And we’ll see what happens after that.”
