This writer has been a diehard, bleeding orange and blue Mets fan for nearly 40 years. Many of you reading this can relate. Running lineups and trades through your head as you go to bed every night, only dreaming of moments like this. We freakin’ did it and hot damn, does it feel good!
No one in their right mind could have seen this season coming. Not before the regular season began, not before the playoffs began, and not even this morning. Wow. Wow. Wow. The early winning streak. The mid-season trades. The trade for Carlos Gomez that didn’t materialize (Perhaps he’s our MVP. Who’d be playing shortstop right now if that trade went through?). Wilmer Flores’ tears. Super human Yoenis Cespedes. David Wright’s serious injury and comeback. Juan Uribe’s post game outfits. Yellow birds and raccoons. Awesome pitching. Clutch hitting. New heroes every game. #Win for Ruben. We are in awe and we are pinching ourselves. This is happening. Now.
We just faced the playoff team with the best one-two punch in baseball – one of the best in history. We had to face the two Cy Young award winners each twice in a five-game series. They had home field advantage and were even given a win by inept umpires. And, guess what? We, the New York Mets, the team that suffered years of losing and heartbreak, beat them anyway. Yes!
Jacob DeGrom’s gutty performance. Daniel Murphy’s sneaky stolen base and clutch home run. Noah Syndergaard’s monster seventh inning. Jeurys Familia’s huge two-inning save. Chase Utley’s tense at bat. It all adds to the storybook season we’re having. So long, Los Angeles Dodgers. You were a formidable opponent, but we wanted it more. This team is destined. No matter that you have two super star pitchers, a lock down closer, a star first baseman, two former Phillie Met-killiers, and a former Met who looks like a bad mall Santa who thinks he’s Rod Carew this year – we beat you. So long, Dodgers. Bring on the Chicago Cubs!
It’s inconceivable that we won this series despite the fact that our captain, David Wright and lumberjack power hitter, Lucas Duda, couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat. We won despite our set up men – Tyler Clippard, Erik Goeddel and Addison Reed’s struggles. We won despite Michael Cuddyer’s embarrassing play in left field. No matter. Their teammates picked up the pieces. That’s what winning teams do.
Daniel Murphy (please, Sandy Alderson, bring him back next year) came through again and again with clutch hits. Imagine how good a hitter you need to be to hit three home runs against Zach Grienke and Clayton Kershaw? Curtis Granderson had a monster series, getting big hits, running long at bats to wear out pitchers and drawing crucial walks. Rookie Michael Conforto hit a laser beam off the foul pole. Wright made two great catches. Travis d’Arnaud had a couple of big hits. Juan Lagares and Flores pitched in with key hits. Cespedes hit two homers, including one no-doubter with an epic bat flip.
And how about those Mets pitchers? Jacob deGrom pitched two fantastic games, including a game five that required him to dig to the depths of his soul. Familia was unhittable out of the bullpen. Syndergaard threw triple digit fastballs as a game two starter and again in relief of game five. Ageless Bartolo Colon kept us in games out of the bullpen. Matt Harvey and Steven Matz held their own in their starts. Even Hansel Robles was striking dudes out!
Now we have a day to sleep off our hangovers and jubilation before the red hot Chicago Cubs come to town. They haven’t seen a World Series championship in over 100 years and have had a tremendous season. Their young hitters can match up well with the Mets’ pitching and with Cy Young favorite Jake Arrieta and playoff tested lefty John Lester, their arms are solid too. But we have home field advantage, momentum and destiny on our side. This Mets team is in it to win it. 2015 is increasingly looking like our year. Bring it on Chicago. We’re ready for anything.
Let’s go Mets!
I love a Mets-Cubs matchup.
Confident the Mets will take these guys. I think we can hit with them, and the Mets pitching will F these guys up.
Mets in 5.
Can’t believe a Mets-Cubs playoff series happened so soon. They are stacked with bats for the future, but the Mets had to go out and bring in bats. Going forward, if Murphy and Cespedes leave, who will fill their void? [Not that I am clamoring for Cespedes after seeing him over a few months, but he had some great moments.]
Murphy was amazing last night. Sorry to see that not another Mets stepped up. My friend asked me, if Ethier lets that ball drop with two strikes on TDA, do you think he will bring in the run? I said no way, he strikes out on the next pitch. That’s how pathetic the supporting for Murphy looked last night.
DeGrom has the admiration of every player and executive in baseball. Now Murphy has become a star. Good for them because they earned it. Lester is a good pitcher, but nowhere near Kershaw. Arrieta is a very good pitcher, but lacks a track record to really know if he can keep his roll going. The rest of the pitching staff, including bullpen, are very hittable. I agree, Mets in 5 games (while I am entertaining the thought of buying tickets for Game 6).
While Arrieta does not have the track record of either Kershaw or Greinke, 2015 is a continuation of what he started in 2014. In 2014, Arrieta had a 2.26 FIP and a 0.989 WHIP. This year those numbers were 2.35 and 0.865, respectively. He’s every bit as tough as the two Dodger aces that we managed just 18 hits against in 27.1 IP in the NLDS.
Comparing Arrieta and Lester to Kershaw and Grienke is like comparing Manny and Papi to Ruth and Gherig. Maybe not quite so historically spectacular, but still really, really good.
Okay, I see this:
Saturday: Harvey
Sunday: Syndergaard
Tuesday: deGrom
Wednesday: Matz
Thursday: hmmmm.
Saturday: Syndergaard
Sunday: deGrom
Game 5 leaves a lot of wiggle room and tough decisions. Mets could go with Colon in Game 5 if they are up. Harvey, depending upon how he throws in Game 1 and what he wants to do, could be the man for Game 5; I think he looks a little gassed right now, so that’s not my expectation. And they could bring back Syndergaard on short rest, depending on how he fares in Game 2.
That sound about right?
I’d replace Goeddel with Gilmartin or Torres. Would want to look at splits, stats, etc, before making that call.
And I really, really wish the Mets had a no-hit, all-glove SS to replace Wilmer close and late. Reynolds is brutal with the glove. Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s such a player in the system with the right amount of experience.
You mean a kid like Tovar, who has very good speed, a great glove, and a couple of games MLB experience while Reynolds has none? I think they have one!
Yeah, they don’t seem to have confidence in Tovar. With Reynolds, I think the idea is to not use him. The guy I was imagining — a guy we don’t have — is a player they can put into those pressure-packed situations, confident that he’d be better than Wilmer.
Tovar is on the 60-day DL and hasn’t played since 8/16
Oh yes. Thanks Brian. I forgot. Reynolds it is! Anyone but Muno.
They can still blow it.
Just kidding. Can’t wait to see the Mets’ starters match up with the Cubs’ hitters.
#LGM
Can we savor the moment for the morning at least before we start obsessing about Cubs matchups? I am so proud to be wearing my Mets hat today. I brought in 7 of those little Mets ice cream helmets (I always save them) for my fellow Mets fans at work. They were all so geeked up and high fiving me this morning. On the way in on the train, I was listening to Craig Carton spaz out on WFAN at the same time I was reading the Daily News sports pages. Soak it up.
By the way, started a fun tradition in my house last night. My 9-year-old son is into nerf guns and we shot darts at Grienke and Turner all game long. Too bad he fell asleep before Utley came up!
Wait, you just commented on Arrieta and Lester. I’m confused. What are the rules again?
There are no rules today. Today we all eat like Bartolo, drink like Wally and smoke like Keith.
I’ll worry about who is resigned in 19 days right now just win baby. As for the roster I think this series showed you only need 10 pitchers Id drop Goodell or Niece add back EY for a pinch runner in these close games I don’t know if Uribe is coming back but if he is I don’t Know if he takes Kirk’s spot or the backup SS I’d lean toward SS because I like having a 2nd leftie off the bench. I assume Harvey will get game 5 if necessary. I’d like to see Terry do a little lineup juggling:
VS. Righties: VS Lefties w/Uribe: VS Lefties no Uribe
RF Grandy RF Grandy RF Grandy
3b Wright LF Cespedes LF Cespedes
2b Murphy 3B Wright 3B Wright
CF Cespedes 1b Murphy 2B Murphy
LF Conforto 2b Uribe C TAD
C TAD C TAD SS Floris
1b Duda SS Floris 1B Cuddyer
SS Flores CF Leguares CF Leguares
Just in case this does not post the way I’ve laid it out I put forth 3 columns. hopefully that is clear.
Sorry the format I laid out did not post and my attempt to edit took to long so let me try to make this clearer.
VS Righties: RF Grandy, 3b Wright, 2nd Murph, CF Cespedes, LF Conforto, C TAD, 1B Duda, SS Flores
VS Lefties w/ Uribe: RF Grandy, LF Cespedes, 3b Wright, 1b Murph, 2b Uribe C TAD, SS Flores, CF Legaures
VS Lefties no Uride: RF Grandy, LF Cespedes, 3b Wright, 2b Murph, C TAD, SS Flores, 1b Cuddyer, CF Leguares
Sorry for the mess above
JC – Latest I’ve seen is that Uribe won’t be available. I’m with you about not playing Duda against lefties though. He looked particularly bad against lefties in the LA series. We’d have to start Cuddyer in his place. You give up a little defensively, but I think he’d do better against Lester. I’d consider batting TAD second and moving Wright down to 6th against Arrieta. Even when he’s at his best, Wright struggles against tough righties, especially if they have a slider.
I am not ready to make a hard and fast rule, but I could see giving Duda a day off against Lester in Game One, and Wright a day off against Arrieta in Game Two.
Part of that isn’t negative about those two guys, but the intention of getting some ABs for Cuddyer and Johnson. If we want them to be effective pinch-hitters, they need to get some ABs.
Likewise, I think TC has to get the staff involved, Robles, specifically.
Somebody elsewhere talked about cutting down to 10 pitchers, but I don’t think so. First, it’s a 7-game series; secondly, the Cubs can put some runs and carve up a bullpen pretty quickly. I’d stay with 11 arms, but sub out Goeddel for Gilmartin or Torres.
http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/2579691-mets-advance-to-nlcs-highlights-and-twitter-reaction-to-celebration?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=new-york-mets
We’re going to kill the Cubs!