One step closer. Despite the Mets having lost five of their last seven games, including last night’s 6-2 loss against the Atlanta Braves, they are now one game closer to clinching the division. Their magic number was trimmed to six games with the Washington Nationals losing 4-1 to the Baltimore Orioles. Thanks, O’s…
In the eyes of the Mets players, they have to look at it the same way. One step closer. Sure, it would be nice to gather some momentum at the end of the season before the playoffs, but the fact of the matter is, the Mets will not blow this lead. Let’s do a little math here.
The Mets have exactly 11 games left in their season. They have one more game against the Braves and will then head to Cincinnati and Philly before finishing up at home against the Nationals. If the Mets go just 4-7, the Nationals would have to finish 11-1 in their last 12 games to catch the Mets. For all you pessimists out there, I’m sorry, it’s just not happening.
The Mets WILL get some momentum though and I give Terry Collins some credit for how he has lined up his rotation for the rest of the season. After Bartolo Colon pitches in tonight’s series finale against the Braves, the rest of the remaining ten games stack up like this:
Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark
Thursday: Steven Matz
Friday: Noah Syndergaard
Saturday: Matt Harvey
Sunday: Jacob deGrom
Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park
Tuesday: Jon Niese
Wednesday: Bartolo Colon
Thursday: Steven Matz
Washington Nationals at Citi Field
Friday: Noah Syndergaard
Saturday: Matt Harvey
Sunday: Jacob deGrom
In other words, Harvey, deGrom, Syndergaard and Matz will pitch eight of the last 10 games to close out the season.
There’s no doubt that the Mets have been playing poorly these last eight days. They even have had some moments that give you flashbacks of pre-trade-deadline Mets. This however is a different team. It’s a team that is hungry for it’s first division title in nine years. It’s a team that has completely taken the city, and all of baseball by storm. They are as resilient as can be and have battled adversity all season long.
Let me remind you that at this time last year the Mets were 76-81 and 16.5 games back of the Nationals. Today, the Mets are currently 85-66 and hold a 6.5 game lead over those same Nationals with just 11 games to play. I think just about anybody would have signed up for that.
Get ready Dodgers, because here we come…
