Say what you want about last night’s stinker against the Nats, but I’m not ready to throw in the towel just yet.
It’s become quite clear to me that this Mets team plays a heck of a lot better when they are doing the chasing rather than being chased. While last night’s loss represented a big blow to the confidence of a team that was already lacking the killer instinct, all is not lost.
It was a shame to squander such a superbly pitched game from Mike Pelfrey. It was an even bigger shame to lose Fernando Tatis who was one of the few Mets that could actually get a clutch hit when the Mets needed one. The loss of Tatis will certainly open the door for more of Daniel Murphy though, and that could prove to be a nice surprise for the Mets.
Let’s face it… This team lacks the swagger to protect what is clearly their division. They know how to get to first place, but they lack the means to stay there.
We can worry about why this team shrinks in the face of adversity after the season. I’ll tell you my plan for breaking up this team then. But, for now… we have a division to win.
Jerry Manuel said last night, “It doesn’t matter how we get into the post season, only that we get in.”
Of course, he’s right. We have only 12 games left to play. I figure that if we go 8-4 we are a lock to get in. It all begins tonight with Brandon Knight on the mound. <stop snickering>
Call me crazy, but this team has shown a remarkable ability to bounce back, and that’s exactly what they are going to do. Let Philadelphia fret and stress about keeping their lead on first place for now. Let Philadelphia take the big red bullseye and wear it for the next week or so. Let Philadelphia find out just how hard it is to stay in first place as opposed to chasing first place.
As for the Mets, chill out, get your heads straight, start breathing again, and do what you need to do. You need to win eight of the last twelve games. You’ve done it before, and you can do it again.
Lets Go Mets!
