QUEENS, N.Y. – Since Apr. 12, the New York Mets have had a comfortable first-place lead in the National League East division. With weeks left of the season, it took until Sept. 10 for them to lose their spot in first place to the Atlanta Braves. Since then, the Mets and Braves have been going back and forth to have sole possession of first place. Is it time to panic?
What Happened?
The Mets led by as many as 10 1/2 games. The defending champions were able to cut the lead down in July. The Mets held on for dear life when it got to seven games on Aug. 8. However, games that should’ve been winnable in September, like the series against the Washington Nationals and most recently the series against the Miami Marlins, have seen their lead taken by the Braves. The 6-3 loss against the Marlins on Sept. 9 saw the Mets in second place because on the opposite side of the country, the Braves defeated the Seattle Mariners 6-4. The loss for the Mets was the first time they haven’t been in first place since Apr. 11.
For Mets fans, they were quick to call them “chokers” or assume that “the season is over.” However, this is only the second time this season that the Mets have even touched second place. That’s pretty remarkable.
Let’s make one thing clear: The Mets are making the playoffs. Regardless if they win the division or not. Of course, winning the division and having a first-round bye sounds better than going in as a Wild Card. But we can’t take away the team’s success this season because of the Mets’ struggles this late. The Braves have just been playing better baseball lately.
What Now?
The Mets took two of three from the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team with the best baseball record, and fans were rushing to get their World Series tickets. But when the Mets dropped two of three against the team Nationals, who have the worst record, they had second thoughts. The series against the Nationals and Marlins taught us that there’s no such thing as winnable games. It doesn’t matter if the Nationals and Marlins are at the bottom of the division. They can still come out and beat you.
The offense need to be consistent as they head to the season’s final weeks, and I’m talking about driving in runs. In the series opener against the Nationals on Sept. 2, the Mets put up seven runs to win the game 7-3. The following two nights, the Nationals had a seven-run game Saturday and Sunday to take the series. The Mets? One run in both games. After the series, they headed to Pittsburgh to meet the Pirates. They drove in two runs in the series opener, whereas the Pirates, eight.
Are the Mets in a slump? It’s hard to say. But the season’s final weeks will show where this team is when the playoffs come around.
For now, stand down, Timmy Trumpet.
