The Mets just keep on rockin’, as they defeated the Braves, 5-1, on Friday night. Coupled with a loss by the Nationals, the Mets’ magic number is down to 14.
- “Because the Mets are really socking the ball, knocking those home runs over the wall!” The Mets have rarely been a big HR-hitting team but since August 1, they have 64 homers in 38 games. Yoenis Cespedes has 15 of those, as he crushed a two-run dinger in the top of the ninth.
- Once again we got to see a shutdown performance by the bullpen, which delivered four scoreless innings, the last three by Addison Reed, Tyler Clippard and Jeurys Familia.
- Steven Matz picked up the win, although he was limited to five innings by throwing 89 pitches.
- Curtis Granderson got on base three times with a hit and two walks and scored three runs. His OBP is up to .362 now. He has 86 runs scored on the season, including 43 in his last 50 games.
- The Mets have scored five or more runs in 16 of their last 21 games. In a related note, the Mets are 16-5 in their last 21.
I have to get this out:
Please pinch me. Is this really happening? How can a team that was under .500 last year be on the verge of clinching the division this year? They are also on the verge of not just their own division but second seed in the National League! Iisn’t this a team that couldn’t do anything right six or seven weeks ago? A team that was hoping to get its injured players back so much so, that their manager was giving daily updates on when each player was coming back? A team that had its leading homerun hitter leading off the lineup and when the manager was asked why he didn’t drop him down in the order, the answer was and who would he be driving in? An honest answer that no one could argue with. That was just seven weeks ago.
But while the Dodgers and Nationals didn’t do much upgrading at the deadline, the Mets had been hoarding prospects for years and now Sandy Alderson was ready to open the vault. His timing was perfect. He picked up two solid bats and a superstar that hadn’t been playing like one. Whether he was lucky that the Gomez trade was voided or not, it doesn’t matter. His diligence made him lucky. By double checking, he saw a defect, and the. Was able to get a better piece for less value given. He also picked up two solid pieces for his bullpen, that now make it almost bulletproof.
Now the Mets lineup looks like the Big Red Machine. The bench is probably as good as the starting lineup was in June. The bullpen has Familia, Reed, Clippard, Robles, Goeddel, Gilmartin, and either a LOOGY or Carlos Torres to round out the best seven. The starters are four young fireballers, a veteran lefty that needs to find himself if he is to be a postseason starter, and a veteran righty that has been a source of entertainment and education to his younglings.
All this has happened so fast that if it were really just a dream, we’d believe it. However, the dream we are living is the reality of the possible second seed in the playoffs and with the #1 offense in MLB since August 1st and possibly the best rotation in baseball… So, if you have the best offense, the best starting staff, and possibly the best bullpen… This team was under .500 last year! This year we are crowing World Series! This team has the horses, now they need to get it done. Please pinch me!
Hopefully you’ll still feel this way no matter the results of the playoffs
I will. It’s been a fun year, finally!
But for next year to be as much fun, obviously signing Cespedes is what everyone will say. But, what if they don’t? Your lineup of TDA, Duda, Wright, Flores, Conforto, Granderson, and Cuddyer/Lagares/Neuweinheis, along with a real SS (please!) will have to do, with hopefully a strong bullpen and a strong rotation. Don’t forget, the many injuries we saw this year can’t happen again; it was rediculous. I can see this team being in the wildcard hunt but having to once more fight off the Nationals. Unless:
1. Everyone steps up
2. Cespedes or another superstar is in the lineup and producing as such.
Statistically, TDA OBP-heavy line outranks Cespedes SLG-driven line
They just dismantled the Braves again. 1 game in the loss column behind the Dodgers for home field advantage.
Cespedes hit that 3-0 fastball 438 feet. Gonzalez intentionally walked Duda twice. I bet he wishes he called for one more ball for Cespedes.
The Mets are playing at a 100 win season clip since Cespedes. He rounds out the offense and supplements the great pitching staff. The winning will make a Met ticket impossible to get. I’m all in, 7 years and $154m. Rumblings from the front office is they may be all in too.