MLC x GTB: Vol. 1 Episode 2b

The Week in Mets

Record: 69-63
9 GB NL East, 3 GB Last Wild Card

After we checked in on the Metropolitans last week, they went 4-4. Not awful. Not great. Two winnable losses from a leaky ‘pen. Two losable wins thanks to walk-off dramatics. And four games that were never much in question. 

A little bit of drama in my life
A little bit of ho-hum by my side
A little bit of vict’ry is what I saw
A little bit of lead blow’n stuck’n my craw
It’s Metbo Number 5!

Yep. Lotsa rust on the old MLC engine. Give us some time. 

To celebrate: Jesse “Be Odd” Winker! (You gotta say it out loud. Likely more than once. And even then...)

Jesse Winker used to ruffle feathers among the Township turkeys with his on-field antics and fan-gibing. Some bad blood, though you’d see a few barbs hurled his way that were tempered with the “although, if he were a Met…”

One deadline trade later, and one walk-off tater later, he’s the flavor of the week in Queens. Keep it up, Jesse. We need ya. 

I just spent four days in Maine (Portland and Boothbay Harbor) eating lobster (6 meals of 8) and drinking (every meal) and memorializing my stepdad. I’d say we did our guy some justice. It also meant that I watched Red Sox games on NESN and talked a ton about the Mets with my family. 

Consensus: nobody’s giving up yet. Even to squeak into the postseason would be a little bit of a coup for a team clearly rebuilding. (Rich owner rebuilding has upside some clubs aren’t blessed with, obviously.) We can do this, even with a flawed roster. 

Also agreed upon: lots to like, starting with Francisco Lindor’s season. There have been times over the past few seasons with a wee bit of meh, but he’s now fully Met. After a slow start to 2024, he’s got an OPS+ of 134 with 27 bombs while flashing some serious leather at short. We don’t take this output for granted from any player. 

Polar Pete still has my family… well. polarized. A thought was dangled that we could move Mark Vientos to 1B if/when Pete signs elsewhere. But I say 3B has been a black hole since His Holiness of the Hot Corner David Wright hung ‘em up. Maybe I’m just hoping against hope that Pete Alonso doesn’t wind up in Atlanta or Philly or anywhere else. 

After splitting with the Padres (who hold one of the 3 wild card spots), the Mets are in the desert for 3 against the D-backs. .500 ball won’t get it done. Caulk the bullpen and finish the job, night in night out. 

* * * * *

I got back home in time to watch all of the opening game of the series. Mets 8, Diamondbacks 3. Alrighty then. Sean Manaea was lights out for 6 frames. His surrendering a pair of gopher balls in the 7th gave me the "here we go again" indigestion, but the bullpen locked it down. The Polar Bear homered and everyone contributed. Especially the Arizona D. Just awful. They misplayed, booted, and threw away enough balls to extend every rally. We will take it. A trio of AZ's best everyday players are on the IL right now... this is a must-win series, maybe must-sweep. LFGM.