It was beginning to look a bit grim again, Mets fans.
Now I am not saying what side of the fence I was on, but from what I saw on Twitter (and a couple of questionable lineups), people were beginning to worry about the Mets again. Was their eight game winning streak just a fluke? Was it really just an easy schedule that propelled the Mets? (The answer is no, but these are all questions that have been asked).
It is impossible to be a Mets fans and not have the 2015 World Series play vividly in your head coming into this weekend’s series. It is also impossible to be a Mets fan and not have the current Wild Card standings play vividly in your head coming into this weekend’s series.
And it didn’t start out looking good.
But that is what makes Sunday afternoon’s game against the Royals so important. It’s not just that they won it. It’s about how they won it.
The Mets bats were literally asleep during the first game of the series, causing the Mets to fall to the Royals 4-1. The Mets bats did wake up in the second game, helping them go on to win 4-1 this time. But, it was in the third game that the bats fully woke up and reminded us all of what they can do.
Of course we know the Mets offense can hit. Do you really need me to get into the stats of Pete Alonso right now to further prove this? You don’t. But with Jeff McNeil out with a left hamstring injury and J.D. Davis re-aggravating his calf in Sunday’s game, the offense is missing some key components. But Sunday night’s game reminded us all that these bats are alive.
The Mets were trailing the Royals, 4-3, until Davis hit an RBI single in the top of the seventh, allowing Todd Frazier to score. Now, as mentioned above, Davis exited the game. However, his fellow teammates did not fall asleep. In the top of the 8th, Amed Rosario, who began playing in the outfield this game, hit an RBI double, allowing Tomas Nido to score. This rally continued with Pete Alonso hitting a solo home run in the top of the ninth.
Now, why is this what the players and the fans needed? Because it was a come from behind win. Sure, the Mets have won several of them this season as we have seen. But this one is part of the “more difficult schedule” folks keeps talking about. This one happened not in the midst of a long winning streak. And this one happened against the team that the Mets lost their last World Series appearance to.
It reminded us all that the Mets can do this. It showed us all that they are not giving up and that they have not given up, despite having a few brutal loses recently (even one to begin this Royals series). It is allowing the momentum they built during their last homestand to still be there.
Plus, it helps that the Mets rookie just shattered the National League Rookie Home Run Record. In mid-August. With a month and a half of baseball still left to play.
For anyone who began to doubt the Mets, think again. They are still very much in it. And Sunday’s game just further showed it.
Perfect timing for the team to come back home and start a nine-game homestand. Or should I say, add on to this two-game winning streak they have begun on the road.
