You know when Jason Bay returned from the DL and the Mets went on a six-game winning streak and plenty of praise (myself included) was heaped upon Bay for bringing back stability to the lineup?
Bay would then fall into a deep slump. To offset Bay’s slump the Mets got terrific contributions from their burgeoning star in Ike Davis.
Now the Mets will have to deal with his absence, as Davis was placed on the DL on Thursday with a sprained ankle and bone bruise.
And what did the Mets do in response to this news? Well, they earned two emotionally charged victories in the last two days.
First, it was the Carlos Beltran show on Thursday as the Mets took the series from the Rockies as Beltran exploded for three home runs and six RBI’s. After that, the Mets showed some real heart coming back from four runs down in the seventh inning against the Astros to score six runs to capitalize their biggest come from behind win on the season.
Ever so slowly the Mets are closing in on the .500 mark (18-20) and gaining confidence with their recent three game winning streak. At this time it’s all about baby steps.
In order to keep that momentum going, though, they will need to continue to step up in Davis’ absence.
So far, so good. But can they keep it up?
We all know about Beltran’s heroics. But what was most inspiring was that Jason Bay, David Wright and the recently called up Fernando Martinez all had critical home runs in Friday’s game vs. the Astros. For Bay and Wright, who had been scuffling at the plate, these home runs couldn’t have come at a better time.
Not to be overlooked were two key hits Justin Turner got in this game. As a result he was on base for both Martinez’ home run (cutting the lead to one) and Jason Pridie’s double (which added an insurance run in the ninth inning). With Daniel Murphy sliding over to first base to fill in for Davis, Turner will get an extended look at second base.
While he is no star, Turner is a gritty player who can help out in a pinch. The Mets will need every ounce of production from Turner while Davis is on the DL. The same could be said for Murphy as well, especially considering he is seven for his last 40.
For the time being, it’s nice to see in the last few games the Mets get some production from the middle of the lineup in Beltran, Wright and Bay. That sort of production will be needed for the next week or so while Davis is sidelined.
Davis was carrying the offense for most of the season and of course the injury stings. Replacing Davis’ production will be a team effort and the Mets have done a good job of doing its so far.