Put it in the books! With a 5-1 win over the Phillies to open their final regular season series the Mets clinched at least a tie of a wild card berth. There will be extra baseball to be played!
Robert Gsellman pitched six terrific innings, scattering seven hits and striking out just as many and the bullpen took over from there with three scoreless innings from Fernando Salas, Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia. Offensively, the finally hot Jay Bruce was the hero, going 3 for 4 with a home run and three RBI. TJ Rivera also drove in a key early run with a hard hit single. The Phillies helped us out with a couple of bone-headed plays, including Ryan Howard letting a pop-up fall on first base to allow a gift run to score. Curtis Granderson made a terrific catch up against the center field wall to halt a potential rally.
The Mets, now 86-74, have two games remaining and can clinch the number one wildcard and secure a home game on Wednesday with a win tomorrow. Bartolo Colon takes the mound in a bid for his improbable 15th win of the season at age 43. He’ll be opposed by the powerful but erratic righty, Phil Klein. Keep your eyes on the scoreboard tonight – go Pirates and Dodgers!
There’s a whistle up above and people pushin’, people shovin’, and the girls who try to look pretty . . .
Yep. “,,,,,taking care of business”; Bachman Turner Overdrive. Better known as BTO. Yep, I’m an oldie too that appreciates the reference. Thanks Jimmy P
Oh you pikers. I am nearly old enough to actually remember overdrive!
For those who aren’t, it was, I think, an extra gear, sort of a super high gear that made your car go fast at relatively low RPM’s. It was something for the open road, not at all applicable in any situation that required slowing down and re-accelerating.
Not as sexy when you describe it, is it?
Klein throws hard, but is erratic. Hopefully the Mets bring their patient approach. Last year when they clinched in Cincy, they blew out the Reds and scored in the teens. I think tomorrow will be the same as the joy of clinching starts to become more and more of a certainty and the pressure is lifted, they can relax and kill that pitching staff.
Might actually want to face Bumgarner and the Giants at this point…. getting roughed up by the Dodgers AAA lineup, and has a 4.77 ERA over his last 9 starts, and i think the bullpen is still struggling mightily.
Not a chance it would happen, but Cueto has allowed 2 runs or fewer in 7 of his last 8 starts and would be my choice.
Name – bumgarner settled down and contributed another big hit as well. I know he hasn’t been terrific of late, but I wouldn’t bet against him in a big spot, especially against a team so lopsidedly lefty as us.
Cards and Giants did us no favors today. Big Bart’s gotta come through for us tomorrow.
I think Bochy is a brilliant manager, and for a WC game, I don’t believe he’d trust the pen. I’d expect him to go against convention, going with Cueto in late innings if it comes to that. Or something of that nature. That is, I don’t believe their Achilles heel will be a factor in a WC card.
At least if I was Bochy, I wouldn’t let those arsonists into that particular game.
two years running—This is about as much Fun as you can have watching a Baseball Team!
One more win takes the series and guarantees a playoff game at Citi Field.
Gsellman pitched another wonderful game. The 23 year old has a 2.42 ERA with a matching 2.63 FIP. His ERA over three minor league seasons was around 2.50 with his only blip being a 3.99 in Vegas. He looks to have a bright future.
I miss Flores, just awful he got hurt.
Brian, maybe run a poll for TdA and get him to start hitting home runs also.
Performance of Gsellman/Lugo makes the idea of signing Bartolo seem a little unnecessary. We’ll shelve this topic for the off-season, which is long and cold.
I’m curious how a team celebrates a ticket to Game 163. They deserve a moment, but I’d prefer something subdued.
Jimmy P – How to celebrate game 163?
Michelob Light for the winner!
I, at least, find it sad that Ryan Howard’s final act with the Phillies seems destined to be played as farce. Yes, I know: he has been vastly overpaid the last few years, and he barely warrants a roster spot. There was a time, though, when he was a deadly threat.
When I think of Howard I remember that his career very nearly didn’t happen, certainly not the way it did happen. He was a beast in the minor leagues, but the Phils decided that he would never hit left-handed pitching, and brought in Jim Thome on a multiyear deal to play first base. A knee injury to Thome led to his trade to the White Sox and a chance for Howard to play regularly, a chance that otherwise wouldn’t have come until Howard’s age 28 season, if at all. By the time Thome’s old contract with the Phils had run its course Ryan Howard had won a Rookie of the Year award and the MVP.