NEW YORK _ It's difficult to tell how much of a chance the Mets have at playing in October. It seems unlikely they'll make it, but mathematically they have a shot and they'll obviously continue thinking that way until something changes.
On Tuesday, the Mets defeated Arizona again, this time 3-2. New York now possesses 74 wins, one fewer than the Diamondbacks, who are ahead of the Mets in the wild card standings.
The last two days serve as a good start to this four-game series. But it won't be until after Thursday's finale that we know two things:
1. How the Mets finished the series.
2. What the results mean moving forward.
But on Tuesday, credit New York for capturing a close win. A promising night didn't turn into heartbreak.
On Tuesday morning, Rutgers announced Todd Frazier would be part of its 2019 Hall of Fame class.
That night, he provided the necessary runs for victory.
Frazier smoked a two-run double in the bottom of the second off Zac Gallen, who entered with a 2.50 ERA over 13 starts. The Diamondbacks challenged the play as they thought Amed Rosario was out at the plate, but the call stood.
The play gave the Mets a 2-1 lead they never relinquished.
Two innings later, Frazier doubled again, this time scoring Robinson Cano. New York led by a pair.
Frazier went 2-for-3 with three RBI in what became a tough night for the top of the lineup.
Pete Alonso, who homered twice on Monday, went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Jeff McNeil did the exact same. Michael Conforto went 1-for-4. Wilson Ramos went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
Frazier has been a hot topic among the fanbase as some do not believe his play _ a .233 batting average entering Tuesday _ has earned him a spot in the lineup. Furthermore, he'd hit .167 this month.
The discussion becomes more pertinent when J.D. Davis, who can also play third, is out of the lineup. It is sometimes difficult to see the reason why when he's hitting .303 (though he does need rest).
But on Tuesday, Frazier validated Callaway's thinking with his offensive performance.
Minutes after Zack Wheeler's outing began, with the sun still up, a Diamondbacks run scored.
Wheeler has been unpredictable. He has talent, but at times, he's been confused at his lack of results. What would we see today?
Turns out, that was a small hiccup in what became a nice night.
Wheeler did not allow another run, and finished seven innings. He left with the Mets up two, having allowed seven hits.
His performance was important on a night when the Mets did not receive much offense from those not named Todd Frazier. Gallen surrendered three runs over six innings for Arizona, a quality start.
Wheeler ensured a few runs would be enough, which hasn't always been the case for him. He lowered his ERA to 4.21.
With the way his start began, you might not have seen that coming.
