The Mets have been in a slip as of late, but there is still hope for them to pick themselves up and compete within the division. Entering the Subway Series, the Mets were 17-19 and they were scoring very few runs. But they were able to beat the Yankees in an amazing game one, and beat them yet again in an even more amazing game two, showing that there is still hope.
The Mets and have an interleague records of 139-122, which is good enough for a winning percentage of .532. Entering Wednesday, they are hoping to continue this dominance, and get two more wins against the Yankees. But does it have to stop there? Sure, besting the Yankees in a four game series will give Mets fans bragging rights for the rest of the regular season, but the season does not end there. After Ruben Tejada’s walk off hit Sunday afternoon, the Mets seemed to turn on their offense, and exploded offensively. On Monday alone, the Mets hit a home run in four consecutive innings, and beat the Yankees 9-7. On Tuesday, the Mets beat the Yankees by a score of 12-7. And to make things even better… the Mets will have home field advantage for the next two games.
The Mets are only a few games back in their division, and their starting pitching has already proved dominant so far this season. That being said, if the Mets offense can continue to come alive, all they will need are a few more relievers to take the division from the Braves, which is why this series is so important. The Yankees have a terrible bullpen, which might be even worse than the Mets’ right now. This will benefit the Mets, because the bullpen will get the sense of accomplishment and dominance when compared to the Yankees’ bullpen, which will give them the cockiness and confidence they need.
Finally, the Mets front office will also be able to benefit from this Subway Series. The Yankees clearly have one of the best front offices in Major League Baseball history, and the Mets are far from that. But when two teams play each other, no matter how big of a rivalry exists between them, their front offices will sometimes compare notes. It is no shock to anyone when Sandy Alderson gets negative feedback from Mets fans, but if he and Yankees General Manager, Brian Cashman, compare their notes for how to build a winning ball club, the Mets may be able to fix their dreaded short stop situation, and put a better team on the field for the rest of the season.
The Subway Series is more than just a set of ball games played by New York’s two Major League Baseball teams. Just like every series, there is much more beneath the surface, both positive and negative. The Yankees are the most winning team in history of the MLB, so the Mets can clearly benefit from comparing notes with them. Also, it will be an opportunity for the Mets to escape their shell of terrible offense and bullpen production, and they will be able to compete in the National League with few problems. As the third game of the Subway Series comes to play later today, which will be the first game in Citi Field, there are key things to be aware of that are not related to Derek Jeter!
That last two starts, and three of Colon’s last six, have proven that our starting pitching is far from how dominant we wish it was. If the offense keeps up with the extreme highs and lows throughout the season, the pitching will have to be better than it has been lately to counteract that.
Unfortunately,the Mets play better at Yankee Stadium than at home. 🙂