The New York Mets looked fairly hapless for half the season. They also appeared rudderless, as the franchise often does. Mickey Callaway’s job was in extreme jeopardy. The trade deadline was to be a time to cut bait and part with high-value arms, conceding that this year, like so many of the rest, was a lost cause.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the dog days of August. The Mets acquired Marcus Stroman. The team won, then won again, and again. A doubleheader sweep yesterday leaves them 11-1 over the last 12 games. The wild-card is back in play.
How remarkable is this turnaround? You’ll be shocked to learn that the Mets are now just the third team ever to reach .500 after falling 10 games below the mark. Think about all the baseball that’s been played. Think of the marathon-nature of a season and the natural ebbs and flows. In context, that’s a shocking stat.
Pete Alonso, the beefy Paul Bunyan of a slugger, capped another excellent day by blasting his 35th dinger of the year. He’s struggled a bit since the All-Star break, but can get as hot as anyone in baseball. Alonso has become the inspirational leader of a fanbase desperate to believe again, thanks to some extremely online behavior.
There is a big difference between LGM and LFGM. It’s about attitude and swagger. LFGM suggests this a team that doesn’t care about the long odds. And they’re playing like it.
Alonso went back to the well in person in front of a jubilant Citi Field.
Things are happening in Flushing. And in the standings.
Yes, the Mets have a formidable pitching staff. Yes, they have some bats. But none of this makes all that much sense. It’s in times like these that you have to ride the wave of unpredictability. This sudden flourish of winning could be an outlier or it could be a sign of things to come.
The important thing is that for now, it’s fun as hell. Hope really is the best of all things. It’s flowing like a well-oiled tap right now, and Mets are going. F–king going.
