METS WILD CARD SLOT LOOMING by Tom Brennan
The nervous Nellies had to be out there, when Martin Prado hit a very long 2 run homer in the first off Seth Lugo. "I knew this Lugo guy couldn't keep it up..." Well, stop being nervous, 'cause he did, tossing another 5 scoreless innings after that homer in a 5-2 Mets win.
Some observations:
On Tuesday, the Wild Card competitors (Mets, Giants, Cards) all scored 12 runs and won. last night, all 3 allowed just 2 runs, but only the team with the scorching bats, the Mets, won.
A day after 1B Lucas Duda clears the bases with an 3 RBI double, his co-1B James Loney got the Mets even last night with his 8th home run, driving in the marvelous TJ Rivera, who had just doubled.
Then Reyes doubles to drive in (who else) Seth Lugo, who had singled. All Purpose Seth.
Then Jay Bruce goes deep with a game sealing 2 run shot - the formerly comatose Bruce is now 7 for 18 with 3 homers in the last 5 games. The Coma is Ova, Dawg.
He drove in 4 for 4 Grandy.
Oh, and Grandy (comatose in most of August), how's he doing? In his last 30 games, has been awesome: 10 HR, 25 RBI, .280/.413/.630. NL Player of the Month, perhaps?
Lugo improves sensationally to 5-2, 2.67 in 64 IP - what can one say? NL Pitcher of the Month?
And Jeurys Familia notches save # 50. Huge congrats there.
Wild Card is # for the Mets is TWO. The Mets have 3 left with the Phillies, which should be enough to clinch right there if the weather cooperates.
St Louis? In very bad shape - 2 1/2 games behind, with 3 of their remaining 4 against a tough Bucs opponent.
San Fran? Better chance of the Cards overtaking them than of them catching the Mets...Jints are 1 1/2 games behind, with 3 of their last 4 against an even tougher Dodgers opponent.
So, Mets: Let's clinch Friday night. Why? I'd like to see Gavin Cecchini start at SS this weekend, wouldn't you?
8 comments:
Cecchini? If and when the Mets clinch home field maybe I give him a couple of pinch hit ABs. My take is you want to keep winning and you don't want to rattle your pitchers with bad D.
IB, I was just musing there. If they clinch everything by tomorrow or Saturday, I can see them starting the starters and then pulling them to rest them up. Bruce may not want the rest, though.
d'Arnaud's tragic # remains at 15 (RBIs).
Ah. Missed the muse! I was thinking last night - where would this team be in the playoff picture without R. Rivera? Honestly, I don't think we'd be talking about home field WC right now.
Do you go with Duda or Loney on the playoff roster? I don't see both.
Ditto Conforto/De Aza (assuming Legares is carried, which I think he should be).
WDYT?
IB, without Rene, they'd be thinking of going home, not home field. Hobie, if Duda is assessed to really be healthy, I'd go him over Loney...tough choice, though
All this, and you still won't give credit to the mgr who has this shell of a team moving to the top while every other pretender sinks deeper and deeper?
Remember when we were looking up at the Pirates, Cards, Giants, and Marlins? How are their mgrs doing when the games really have meaning? They couldn't stop the free falls if someone threw them a parachute.
All this, and you still won't give credit to the mgr who has this shell of a team moving to the top while every other pretender sinks deeper and deeper?
Remember when we were looking up at the Pirates, Cards, Giants, and Marlins? How are their mgrs doing when the games really have meaning? They couldn't stop the free falls if someone threw them a parachute.
Good point, Bill, although I am puzzled why Familia pitched Tuesday with an eleven (?) run lead. Terrry is playing my guy TJ Rivera and I like that...sat Bruce and then played him into a hot streak, and resisted calls to bench the now red hot Grandy. Terry has done well, though hot hitting and young star-level pitching is ever so helpful.
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