I Want This Game

I know, I know, from Throwing in the Towel to Too Excited. But I want this game.

Oh, it'll be tough to do: Kaz Ishii vs. Jake Peavy isn't the kind of matchup that sends you running to Vegas. And hey, it's not out-on-a-ledge time if we take two out of three instead of sweeping. But this team is playing well and about to play a patchwork Dodgers team before starting five weeks of crazy yo-yo-ing back and forth across the country. We don't need this game, but in six or seven weeks it could stand out as a game we sure wish we'd had. It's not quite time to say all-in or go home, but it's getting there, and this is an excellent chance to get off the .500 treadmill and aim at a bad stretch of road with some momentum.

But OK, enough. No need to anger the baseball gods. Games are reduced to plays are reduced to pitches. So here we go, Mets: This pitch. There's gonna be about 290 of them, but they'll come one at a time. So let's take 'em that way.

Kaz Ishii and those who follow him, what are you trying to do with this pitch? What are you gonna throw? Where are you going to throw it? What's the purpose of it in approaching this hitter?

David Wright and everyone else in the field, are you positioned properly for this pitch? If the ball comes to you, what are you doing with it? If it doesn't come to you, what are your responsibilities?

Carlos Beltran and everyone else walking to home plate, what's your goal on this pitch? What's the count? What's Peavy got? What's he thrown you in this at-bat? In previous at-bats? What will the runner (or, hopefully, runners) be doing? What do you need to do with the bat?

Focus on this pitch. Then do it again until there are no more. Let's go. Let's get this game.