Mets lost [1]. Couldn’t seem to pick up the ball as it emerged from the collection of pointed extremities and slung arms that was Adam Conley [2], couldn’t lay off the high fastball, didn’t support Bartolo Colon [3], Colon and the bullpen didn’t give them much to support. That will suffice for summary purposes.
Here are three reasons not to panic, Mets fans. Because I can totally feel you panicking:
1) The Nationals’ biggest enemy at this point isn’t us, but math. If the Mets somehow go an all-time gag-worthy 0-16 the rest of the way (thus achieving the most disappointing 83-win season imaginable), the Nats have to go 8-9 to catch us. If the Mets go a putrid 4-12, the .517 team chasing us has to go a pretty damn good 12-5. If the Mets go a meh 9-7, the Nats have to win 17 straight (which would be 21 straight overall).
2) Plenty of teams hit a bump right about now, when the adrenaline has worn off and the finish line’s in sight but farther away than you’d like. The ’06 Mets sputtered and spun a bit before closing things out at Citi Field Shea (Good Lord, I was even there) with an impossibly young David Wright [4] and Jose Reyes [5] whooping it up. Even the mighty ’86 Mets scuffled on their way to the coronation. Yes, the ’07 Mets fell through the trap door, but I’ll refer you back to my point [6] about seeing runners on first and second and none out and living in terror of the unassisted triple play. The bump, in fact, will probably get a bit bumpier over the weekend — not because It’s the Yankees Ugh Their Fans We’re Still the Little Brothers Castillo Dropped the Ball Wouldn’t It Be Great to Take Back New York Blah Blah Blah but because the Mets still have the best opponent left on the schedule while the Nats are facing teams with big forks in their backs. Well, with one possible exception.
3) We don’t have to play the Marlins anymore. Honestly, I’d be more worried if our final series was against them, because they’re the Marlins, put on Earth to defraud taxpayers, find new extremes of tastelessness and stomp on our dreams. I was startled to realize we finished this season 11-8 against Team Loria; I could swear we were 2-17. Every year feels like we’re 2-17 against them. But their spoiling is done; we don’t have to play them again until Monday, April 11, 2016, which is honestly too soon but more than acceptable right now. The Marlins, in fact, will now play the Nats, whom they’ve also given fits, taking two out of three from them last weekend.
You can’t predict baseball. The last time the Mets came off a dispiriting loss to the Marlins, they promptly kneecapped the Nationals in three straight games, then swept the Braves and took one more from the Marlins. The Mets, in fact, haven’t lost a game to a team that isn’t the Marlins since September 1st.
So take comfort in the math, which guarantees nothing but has a lot to say about likelihood. Take comfort in hitting the bump now instead of when the bunting’s hung and the klieg lights are powering up. (Ask the ’06 Tigers about that one.) And most of all, don’t try to predict baseball based on what your gut’s telling you. Because it lies, and if you listen to it you’ll just drive yourself crazy.