Answer: Win the Division!
Whither goeth the Mets?
Division winner or just the Wild Card?
Here's how it affects the Mets, who led the division heading into the 3 game series with the Brats (info source: MLB article):
IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY:
AL Wild Card Series (starts Oct. 7)
Best-of-three format (all games at higher seed)
Rays (6) at Guardians (3)
Mariners (5) at Blue Jays (4)
Astros (1) and Yankees (2) have byes
NL Wild Card Series (Oct. 7)
Best-of-three format (all games at higher seed)
Phillies (6) at Cardinals (3)
Padres (5) at Braves (4)
Dodgers (1) and Mets (2) have byes
AL Division Series (starts Oct. 11)
Best-of-five format
Mariners/Blue Jays at Astros
Rays/Guardians at Yankees
NL Division Series (starts Oct. 11)
Best-of-five format
Padres/Braves at Dodgers
Phillies/Cardinals at Mets
Who has clinched: Dodgers, Astros, Mets, Braves, Yankees, Guardians, Cardinals and Blue Jays.
CONVERSELY:
If the Mets get in via the Wild Card, they will have to put their aces into the Wild Card series, leaving them out of preferred starter sequence for the NL Division Series.
And the likely team they'd face in the NLDS (assuming they prevail in the Wild Card series) is LAD, which has 108 wins, but based on run differential, should have 112 wins.
We clearly and absolutely want to win the Division - skip the Wild Card Series and host the NLDS vs. the Phillies and Cardinals, both of which are quite inferior to the Mets.
LGM!
FRIDAY:
Jake fanned 11 in 6 innings...doesn't he always?
But he didn't hit anybody...again...they dug in and cracked a few early HRs...and Jake failed to win the big one, once again.
He plays it straight up - no nastiness - just, my stuff is great, let's see if you can hit it.
Not getting knocked on their butts, having no fear of a brushback-free Jake, the Braves hitters thanked Jake for a fear-free tete-a-tete.
Of course, the Mets hitters failed again - but so did Jake. 1-3 and a ND in his last 5.
He is the come-up-small super arm.
The whole is less than the sum of the parts.
Second straight start he coughed up an early lead.
Bottom Line:
He just doesn't do everything possible to win. Why? He's a gentleman, not a warrior.
Meanwhile, Alvarez came up with 3 on in the 9th against Kelly Jentsen, as the potential go-ahead run, and fanned on 3 swinging pitches. Then Naquin fanned on 9 pitches. And the Mets? Choked. It is what they seem to do best.
May I look at successful Max vs. unsuccessful Jake this way. Max has hit 21 hitters in 2021-22. You think hitters dig in vs. Max? Jake in 2020-22? Hit ONE batter. You think hitters are afraid to dig in vs. Jake? Clemens was very nasty - and very successful - he hit 159 batters. There IS a connection.
I will conjecture a bit more. The Mets have struggled without the brilliant bat of Marte. Vientos, Ruf, and Alvarez are 8 for their last 80, while trying to replace Marte's ABs.
If not just Max, but also Jake, were both very willing to retaliate and hit guys this year, MIGHT Marte not have been hit? Might that pitcher have thought, "if I pitch inside and hit him, one or more of my guys is definitely going to get drilled"? Frankly, if we had Marte, I am highly confident the division would be the Mets' already, wrapped up with a bow on top.
Jake needed to man up and protect his guys. He didn't. He may have great talent. But that doesn't make him a winner. In fact, if he had 2 more career losses, he'd only have the 10th highest career Mets win % (currently, he is 6th, but barely).
Grow a set - start hitting guys and back them off the plate.
Sorry - I am just annoyed.
And Buck? Megill is not 100% yet. Mistake using him there. It was still winnable. Until it went from 3-1 to 5-1.
That Brennan is ranting again!
ReplyDeleteWere you surprised Jake lost last night? I wasn't. He is just 36-32 career against .500+ teams, spanning 104 starts.
ReplyDeleteMax is 84-59 career against .500+ teams.
ReplyDeleteMe?
ReplyDeleteI'm watching Clemson football 2nite
Mack, you can't bail on Max!
ReplyDeleteFunny, though, after Jake's second HR allowed, I shut the game off.
Here's one for you: Can WE opt out of HIS contract? Very small in a very big game and Buck giving the stink eye after ANOTHER HBP isn't getting it done. Where's Big Don and Bob Gibson mentality when u need it. Another question is when he opt's out can we get a QOER? Max will step up and get it done or we just don't deserve it.
ReplyDeleteThis whole division thing is going to come down to a Marlins pitcher named Sandy
ReplyDeleteI don't think that I would go as far as saying Jake is not a winner, but I accept your point about pitching in. He has become a dominant pitcher living on that outside corner to right handed batters with precise location and then that late-breaking slider. But if you know he is always going to throw there, you lean in and take a big cut hoping it is a fastball. If you just saw 100mph go by your chin, the lean-in strategy goes out the window. I'm surprised that Jake hasn't adopted that yet, because he spends lots of time talking with Max and Chris who would rather put a bruise on a batter than give up a HR.
ReplyDeletePaul, I am frustrated with Jake. Yes, he has been screwed over the years by poor offense and too much shoddy relief work, but he is at fault over that inside part of the plate. Your stuff is good enough to make hitters severely uncomfortable and grovel, then do it. It is more than just Jake and the Mets. We the fans deserve a division title this year. Close only counts in horseshoes, as they say.
ReplyDeleteGary, you and I see Jakewithout rose-colored glasses. Best stuff around…make it count, to the Max!
ReplyDeleteMack, I do not my fate in anyones hands named Sandy.
ReplyDeleteMarlins running TV ads asking Mets to come and root for them against the injuns
Delete*Mets fans
DeleteInteresting - Mets fans local to Miami can make it a hostile 3 game series for the braves there.
ReplyDeleteAnother ugly night. We desperately need Marte.
ReplyDelete