So far — which, I’ll admit right off the bat, is a necessary qualifier — this is one of the stranger successful Met seasons I can remember.
After sweeping a split doubleheader from the Braves — no burying the lead in this recap — the Mets are 30 games over .500 for the first time since 2006.
I remember 2006 as a cakewalk romp, with an impossibly young David Wright and Jose Reyes front and center. Maybe one day I’ll remember 2022 the same way. Maybe it’s simply that 16 years have sanded away all the agita and grumbling so that I just remember the good parts of ’06. Maybe in 2038 I’ll analyze some bit of Metsiana and reflexively reach back for 2022 as the year Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor blitzed through the NL East and Edwin Diaz struck out everyone in the Mets’ way, and it won’t occur to me to mention the little black cloud that seemed to follow us everywhere.
Because it does, doesn’t it? I swear we’re the unhappiest 30-games-over-.500 first-place fanbase imaginable. And I won’t claim I’m immune. Saturday’s double-header was played with the usual sense of foreboding and klaxons of imminent doom, despite headlines that were very much to our liking, and looking back at it I find myself thinking that it was more than a little ridiculous.
First spot starter David Peterson filled in beautifully in Game 1, giving the Mets 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball while the hitters tormented Jake Odorizzi and a succession of Atlanta relievers with a parade of RBI singles. When Atlanta climbed back into the game with a two-run sixth, the Mets shrugged and added three more runs in the very next half-inning, making their margin even larger than it had been.
OK, sure, they’d need that margin, as Yoan Lopez was handed a six-run lead for the ninth and gave up a flurry of hits and three runs, with no end in sight. And yes, that forced Buck Showalter to call on Diaz. (Your recapper was at yet another Maine brewery — WHAT? — and decided this called for MLB.tv and not Gameday.)
But happily, Diaz quelled the uprising on just seven pitches, and the Mets won. If that’s what counts as bad news, please give me more of it.
The nightcap belonged to Max Scherzer, who knew the bullpen was on fumes and so made up his mind to be his own bullpen. He didn’t throw a complete game — that would have been malpractice on a sweltering night — but he did give the Mets 108 pitches over seven exquisite innings, the last one a downright savage evisceration of the Braves on unhittable sliders. Four hits, no walks and 11 Ks? That will do nicely, thanks Max.
The Braves looked frankly flat in that second game, though in fairness Scherzer will make a lot of good teams look like less than themselves. They were sloppy in the field, with Dansby Swanson having a particularly miserable game, they were out of kilter at the plate and they generally looked like a tired squad that wanted to be somewhere else. Meanwhile the Mets were on point, whether it was Luis Guillorme firing a ball home to nail Travis d’Arnaud or Tomas Nido executing a textbook suicide squeeze for an insurance run.
Sure, the bullpen wasn’t exactly water-tight once again, with Mychal Givens and Trevor May both giving up runs in their innings of work. Givens is the only newcomer not welcomed with open arms so far, as his command has been iffy at best in two games, but perhaps 41 pitches is too small a sample to consign a guy to oblivion, however much we resent his not being the southpaw we felt we were promised. The Mets won anyway, in a fashion anyone but a professional worrywart would call convincing.
(Oh by the way, my prediction is Peterson ends the year as the lefty we needed.)
The Mets won anyway, despite all the bumps in the night we’re convinced are the ghosts of Chipper Jones and Bobby Cox and Ryan Klesko and Eddie Perez waiting to shred our psyches. They’ve already taken the series, with Jacob deGrom looking to make it four of five on Sunday. They’ve thoroughly outplaying the Braves in their three victories and fought back doggedly in the one loss.
Saturday was a baseball day well spent, so for Pete Alonso’s sake don’t grouse about a glass that’s one-quarter empty. Good things have happened. Rank superstition is the only thing stopping us from thinking more good things will happen. You’re allowed to enjoy things! No, really, I give you permission!
I give you permission because baseball can be cruel and dark, as a fan of any duration can tell you. But it isn’t always like that. And there’s no reason to jump at shadows when it’s sunny.
Peterson has pitched poorly as a reliever so far. If he wants a major role in the playoffs, it’s either learn how to be a lefty specialist soon or hope enough Mets starters drop out due to injury (say, deGrom) or poor performance (say, Walker) for him to start playoff games.
The deGrom game today will be tough to win no matter how well he pitches because he’s still on a short pitch count, which places a bigger load on the bullpen. The Mets will need to score enough runs to carry the bullpen, which happened in yesterday’s games but often doesn’t happen for deGrom.
The Phillies series preceding the penultimate Braves series will be interesting. The Phillies improved at the trade deadline and are in the midst of a run to secure at least a wildcard slot. If they stay hot and take down the Mets next week, the Phillies are close enough to make a run at the division.
Great series so far; looking to stay optimistic, and posts like this help. Also, once we get to 10 wins vs. the Braves the tie breaker is ours.
Quick aside – I’m a full-time MLB.tv user since I live out of state…can we stop with the sad sack Lindor promos with footage from last year about “this being the breakout”, etc.? (if you know, you know).
Get a grip guys. This is a playoff bound team, and anything can happen. The dark cloud on the horizon is the post post season when almost everyone on the team is a free agent. DeGrom, Walker, Carrasco, Bassitt, Diaz, May, Ottovino, Nimmo and Lugo. Even Uncle Steve will have to make some decisions and sacrifices.
In every way I can think of, this season is the bizzarro 2021 season.
Seems we are the team constantly turning the double play just when we need one, rather than the team that always hit into the double play to kill a rally.
Seems we are the team that makes the great defensive play at just the right moment, rather than being the victim of such plays.
Seems like we are the team throwing runners out at the plate, rather than being thrown out at the plate.
Seems like we mostly get the big hit with RISP, rather than floundering around.200 in such situations.
Seems like we are the team getting the huge pitching performance, rather than having someone toss one against us.
Seems like we are the team which has the bullpen lock down a win, when so many games were blown by the pen last year.
Seems like replay challenges almost always go our way, instead of cruelly going against us.
Seems like we have a real pro at the helm, unlike last year when…. well you know.
Seems like we keep pulling out wins against the Braves instead of losing to them in frustrating fashion.
Sure seems like 2022 season is indeed the bizzarro 2021 season.
And I’m loving every minute of it.
Jason–Perfect–
“I swear we’re the unhappiest 30-games-over-.500 first-place fanbase imaginable. And I won’t claim I’m immune. Saturday’s double-header was played with the usual sense of foreboding and klaxons of imminent doom, despite headlines that were very much to our liking, and looking back at it I find myself thinking that it was more than a little ridiculous…”
I go back 60 years with the Mets and my attitude comes from
about 1962 or 1963 when Mets beat Cubs 19-1 and I went home all excited and told my Mother–“MA!-The Mets scored 19 runs today”.
My Mother said, yeah, but did they win?”
For me, this 2022 Mets team reminds me so far of 1999 and 2006–maybe a bit better!
Let’s Go Mets!
I guess I’m in the minority because I have thoroughly enjoyed nearly every bit of this season & my confidence in this group has never wavered. Before you think me a dithering idiot, I don’t mean to imply I feel a title is guaranteed, but I do think it’s been fairly evidence that this is the best team we’ve had in at least 15 years & barring some really bad luck, injury or otherwise, we should be among a small group of teams with a legit shot. It sure seems to me that every complaint, every doubt, every reason for cynicism has been answered. So maybe instead of obsessing over what we don’t have we could celebrate what we do have and learn to enjoy success? Is that a naive proposition? Anyway, LFGM
Rather than complain about people who complain, I’ll just say this is fun, and I’m ready to admit 2022 is not 2021. Let’s not underestimate the Buck factor in all this success. All we’re missing is the black cat…
As a Mets fan I don’t miss Freddie but I really think the Braves do.
I’m thoroughly enjoying the season, so I don’t want to be one of those imposter-syndrome Met fans. Best moment yesterday was Alonso’s reaction to the call at the plate being overturned. However (and we always say however), will it be considered a successful season if we get get to the LCS and lose in 6 games to Dodgers?
Over the years, I’ve seen two types of “Debbie Downer” Met fans. Type One is the Met fan who has learned from long experience that bad things can always happen, and is constantly waiting for the other shoe to fall. Type Two is basically a Yankee fan in disguise – the guy who watches a 20-game Met winning streak, then wants to fire the manager for losing the 21st. I’m thinking that some of the Type Twos are starting to make their way back to the fan base. It’s a good sign, because those fans are nowhere to be found when the team is bad, so we’re obviously in good shape. Doesn’t make the Type Twos any less annoying, though.
In terms of this series, winning game 1 let off much of the anxiety. The grit and solid management of game 2 after Walker’s early failure dampened the frustration of the loss.
In terms of the season, anxiety over the Braves is warranted. The defending champion and perennial class of the NL East Braves, who climbed over the Mets last year, climbed from 10.5 to .5 back. The Mets offense went into a familiar looking slump. The Mets bullpen was and is still missing a Loup/Blevins-type reliable lefty specialist and a Clippard/Reed-type high-leverage option behind Diaz. Fingers crossed those holes are filled in-house. (If Walker suffers another 2nd half collapse or an injury in the old starting rotation happens, though, the leading candidate for lefty specialist goes into the rotation.)
But the Mets are proving this year’s team is not like the past few years’ teams. They’re building their division lead back up faster than they lost it. They’re standing toe to toe with the Braves and flooring the defending champs. The starting pitching has stood up, the defense is constant, and they’re making plays. The offense looks fixed by the platoon strategy, though the bullpen is still scary. May has looked recovered so far at least.
Winning 2 of 5 and coming out of this series with a 2.5 (3 in the loss column) lead would have been acceptable. They’ve already banked 3 wins. A 4th win today would recall the 2015 climb over the Nationals.
It’s a great day any time the Mets play a Double Header against the Braves and the only criticism I had all day is that Canha’s new role as semi-platooner/ go to Pinch Hitter seems to have messed up his enitre plate approach. GKR touched on it too.