After being swept by the Washington Nationals and losing four in a row coming into this series against one of the best teams in baseball, things looked bleak for the Mets. A timely rejuvenation though has put them right back to looking like the team we knew they were capable of being.
Manager, Terry Collins knew coming into this series that it was possible things could implode quick. There was no easy task remaining on the schedule before the coming All-Star break. The Mets needed to go to work and right things quick as the team they handedly defeated in the 2015 NLCS was coming to town.
“We don’t need any more depression around here,” Collins said Thursday. “We need to pick things up a little.” (ESPN)
The Mets have certainly picked it up. After defeating the Chicago Cubs by a score of 4-3 on Saturday night as Bartolo Colon overshadowed Jake Arrieta. This team is on the verge of sweeping the Cubs, the team with the best record in the National League.
Neil Walker got the Mets going early on Saturday, providing a two-run blast in the first inning. It was Walker’s 15th dinger of the season. He had only 16 homers total in all of 2015. Walker who had struggled in June, has also shown some signs of coming around at the plate.
“This is the type of baseball we need to play,” Walker said. “These last three days have been a very good indication of what we’re capable of and the way we have to play the rest of the summer.”
The Mets also received some help from the Cincinnati Reds last night as they defeated the Nationals by a score of 9-4 in 10 innings, Saturday night. The Mets now stand five back of first-place Washington. Collins knows how important it is for the Mets to finish off the Cubs and give themselves back-to-back four-game sweeps of the NL Central powerhouse.
“You can believe you can compete, but then when you do it, it says a lot,” Collins said. “The confidence it sends throughout the clubhouse, there’s no other way to do it than to beat one of the real, real good teams three times. We’ve done that, and now we want to finish it off.”
It has been a whirlwind week for the boys from Queens. From the lowest of lows, to the highest of highs, the Mets are experiencing it all. A sweep of the Cubs could instill some great confidence in a team who was floundering just days prior. Sunday will be no easy task as the Mets will face another Cubs ace in Jon Lester (9-3, 2.03 ERA). That being said the Mets have their own ace on tap, the mighty Thor, Noah Syndergaard (8-3, 2.49 ERA) as they go for the sweep of Chicago.
