Step 3: Profit

Game 49 - Mets

Red Sox 2, Mets 0
Record: 29-20

More pictures. You slump, I slump, Metsies.

Not a huge wager, but I think there will be more of these to come. Monetizing fandom irritation.

What a douche.

Hey, Marls, I hear that misery loves company....

Illustrating My Point

Game 48 - Mets

Red Sox 3, Mets 1
Record: 29-19

A post in pictures . . . about numbers.

This Weeknight in Baseball (h/t Mel Allen) T.W.I.B. Notes:

• Pete smashed one that hit just feet below the top of the Monster. Paused out of the box just a touch, tried for 2, gunned very easily.
• Soto smashed one off the Monster, began his HR trot, got a single when he could've had a double. Now, he did then steal second, but you just can't be doing that when you're pressing. Channel Charlie Hustle. 
• 3 critical GIDP's by the Metmen. Nimmo, Soto, Alvarez. Two of them with a pair of runners aboard, one of them in the 9th inning to quash the limited remaining hope. 
• Nimmo and Vientos are still batting blindfolded.
• McNeil is looking sharp at the plate. Move him up in the order. 
• Last night we saw some of the worst stuff Senga has sported, but he gutted out 6 innings admirably. 
• Team José (new LHP acquisition Castillo & old RHP target Buttó) kept the Mets where their late-inning stunted hitting really hurt. Well done, Josés. 

In other news, Marls and I launched a new era of 2025 MetWatching: gambling against the Mets. 

I won $12 on an Alonso whiff and predicting 3 Up 3 Down in the top of the 8th. (It should be noted that it was the 2-3-4 in the Mets' order.)

If you're going to be uncannily inept in the most important spots -- to the point of predictability, we might as well make a few bucks for our misery. Stay tuned.

LFGM$

Red Sox Nation, We Need a Favor

Games 43 through 47 - Mets

Mets 4, Pirates 3
Pirates 4, Mets 0
Yankees 6, Mets 2
Mets 3, Yankees 2
Yankees 8, Mets 2
Record: 29-18

A weekend in Nashville, Tennessee attending a friend's son's bar mitzvah -- which means that my Metwatching was minimized. Just as well.

I did follow along and catch a bit of Saturday's win over the Yanks whilst taking in several bands and many more beers on Broadway in Nashville. A fun day made more fun.

Last night, however, I was back to soaking in every pitch, and... well...

For seven and a half innings of play, the intracity enemies were neck and neck. The Mets didn't look incredibly sharp, but they were hanging in there thanks to another solid start from David Peterson. 6 innings, 2 runs, one earned - thanks to Mark Vientos on the first play that the Mets fielded last night. 

Pete Alonso chipped in another defensive gaffe when he threw away (way away) a throw to the plate in the 8th. Dear lord. Meanwhile, his plate struggles continue. 0-for-4, 2 K's again. 

Ryne Stanek dropped the "e" once again. Very stank last night, despite throwing many pitches over 100mph. They just sailed high and wide too often, and when they didn't, they all looked the same. The dude could be dominant if he could control it a wee bit better and added something offspeed (and effective) to the repertoire. For now, he's lost 4 games and seems to let us down.

And then offseason signee Génesis Cabrera came in and gave up a grand slam. 8-2, representing the last chapter of this game. 

April was bliss. The salad days. 22-11.

May has not been an abject disaster, but it's been disappointing given where we were. 7-7 so far. 

Phillies a half-game out. Braves right behind them, as I have said they would be. 

Off to Boston to take on the 23-25 Red Sox. Rob, very sorry, but we need the Mets to win this one. 

LFGM

A Tale of Two Citi Plays

Game 42 - Mets

Mets 4, Pirates 3
Record: 27-15

Last night came down, in small part, to a juxtaposition. The same play, twice. Sort of.

The Play, Part I

With the scored tied 1-1 in the top of the 5th, Pirates second baseman Jared Triolo doubled to left. After a groundout (in which Brett Baty made a heck of a play), Ke'Bryan Hayes hit a grounder 'twixt 3B and SS. 

Brett Baty then made a heck of a bad play, neutralizing the path of the ball with his glove just enough that it caromed away from Lindor and dribbled meekly into short left, where it came to rest gently on the Citi grass -- grass as green as the green light that Triolo had to race home with the go-ahead run. 

So Triolo rounded third and had a clear path for the plate. 

But then he hesitated,
and then he looked back,
and then he stopped. 

Your hesitation has betrayed you, you could hear bellowing from the heavens. Or at least from Gary and Ron, who were besides themselves with gratitude that Triolo didn't capitalize on the botched fielding. 

David Peterson then induced a strikeout to end the inning harmlessly. 

The Play, Part II

With the Mets down 2-1 (thanks in part to a really dumb Butto disengagement violation) in the bottom of the 7th, Tyrone Taylor took a pitch off his foot and moved to third on a single by Acuña. After a Lindor whiff, Soto stepped up and mightily swatted a dribbler that nearly made it to first base down the line. The Bucs' 1B snagged the ball and took the out. Taylor darted home with the tying run, and Acuña went to second. Two down with Pete at the plate, who laced a sharp grounder to 3B.  

Hayes, the Pirates third baseman, then neutralized the path of the ball with his glove just enough that it caromed away and dribbled meekly into short left, where it came to rest gently on the Citi grass -- grass as green as the green light that Acuña had to race home with the go-ahead run. 

So Acuña rounded third and had a clear path for the plate. 

But then he hesitated,
and then he looked back,
and then turned and sprinted home!

The throw came in, and it was bang-bang, but Acuña was safe, even after a challenge. 3-2, Mets!

Your hesitation has betrayed you, but you are very, very fast... nice recovery, dude, the voice could be heard to say. 

Eerily similar play, with two results from two teams. 

And then the Mets coasted easily to... wait, what???

After Brandon Nimmo pulled a would-be tater back over the wall to save a run in the 8th, Huascar Brazoban came on the close it out in the 9th. 

• A groundball up the middle got through because Brazoban "fell off the mound and didn't field his position" (Ron's words). Come on.
• Lindor booted a routine grounder. Dear lord.
• Acuña at the hot corner (hotter when the infield is in), he misplays one as the tying run scampers home. Son of a...
• A nice 4-6-3 to curb the damage doesn't totally redeem the shoddy Mets' defense.

And so, the Metbats go back to work, bottom 9. With one out:

• Lindor hits a groundball up the middle, it got through because it hit the bag and scooted under the glove. 
• Then Soto knocks a solid single to right that gets Lindor to 3rd.
• Walk Pete to load them up, right?
• No?
• Why not?
• We've been over this before.
• Walk the top 3 guys and get everyone else out.
• No?
• Okay then.
• Pete hits a sac fly, Mets win, Pirates lose.

"Ugly but I'll take it" was a Marls textquip applying to an earlier inning of subpar pitching and defense. It applies to this game on the whole. 

Beating the Pirates with Paul Skenes on the hill is substantially more challenging than on other days. Mets clawed it out and won a losable one. Keep on truckin'.

And maybe take a few extra grounders this afternoon. 

Weekend Bookend

Games 39 through 41 - Mets

Mets 7, Cubs 2
Cubs 6, Mets 5
Mets 6, Cubs 2
Record: 26-15

A weekend in Columbia, South Carolina watching my younger daughter wrap up her undergraduate studies in fine form -- which means that my Metwatching was minimized. Pity, as the gang played well.

Weekend Takeaways:

• Clay Holmes and Griffin Canning contributed stellar starts to bookend the series. Each went 6, allowing 1 ER, fanning 5, and keeping runners off the bases for the most part. 
• The jam in the starting pitching sandwich was Tylor McGill, and it was gooey. 4 ER in 4+ innings of work. His ERA still sits at just 3.10. Shake it off, dude.
• Here's who homered this weekend for the Metmen:
• Francisco Lindor (2)
• Juan Soto
• Brandon Nimmo
• Mark Vientos
• Jeff McNeil
• Brett Baty (3) (!) (!) (!)
• B R E T T  B A T Y ! ! !
• Baty hit 2 dingers, knocking in 5, in Saturday's game. Wasn't enough to win the game, as Baty looked the part of Eric Idle saying "There is only me, sir."

• But still. New life in the Baty bat. Highly appreciated in the Township. 

Who's missing from that HR list?

• Well... Polar Pete has gone cold. Not Arctic, ahem, but chilly. He was 3-13 with 2 doubles and no walks on the weekend. 
• He's 3 for his last 21 with an OPS of .429. Brrrr.
• It was bound to happen, as white hot as he had been. But let's relight the Alonso fire soon.

Other takeaways include the bullpen executing at B+/A- levels. Stanek has re-added the e to his name, Diaz looks to be gaining momentum, and Dedniel Nunez reduced his ERA from a zillion to 40.50. Kranick and Garrett were porous at times (walks kill), but not dumpster-fire bad. 

And finally, here's to Luis Torrens, who shook off his "Warning Track Power" moniker to hit one off the wall (getting there!) for a triple yesterday afternoon, then took a foul tip off his... tip, and lay face down and motionless for a very long time. It always leads the booth to issue sympathetic groans and deal in obvious euphemisms. (Gary: "It hit him in a very bad spot.") Sounds like he's okay. Phew. 

2 of 3 from the 1st place Cubs. We will take it. Pirates heading into town now. Don't take them for granted, and maybe let's rev some engines in a sweep before leaving for Yankee Stadium and Fenway? Just an idea.  

The Mets are only up a game and a half on the Phils. And the Braves, despite losing one to the Bucs yesterday, are slowly building momentum. They will be there when the season comes down the stretch. Bank on it. Both these teams are among the best in MLB. Your Mets have to keep plugging away. 

LFGM

It's a Simple Message and I'm Leaving Out the Whistles and Bells

Games 37 & 38 - Mets

Diamondbacks 5, Mets 1
Mets 7, Diamondbacks 1
Record: 24-14

The wheels on the bus go round and round, so I used to hear ad infinitum 20 years ago. Just as it goes with the Metbus.

Ah, yes. This is familiar. I'm now remembering the teeter-totter, tug-of-war, carousel, name your playground activity of choice as it relates to the ups, downs, and revolutions of Metplay and the damn near schizophrenic reactions by Mets Township and baseball fans everywhere.

162 games. It's a slog. We look for trends developing, good or bad. But a baseball game is a much smaller entity than a microcosm.

All of this blather is to say that after Tuesday night's game, I was reasonably sure the wheels on the Metcart were loosening quickly. The rotation was drifting away from the stellar start to the season. The pen was banged up and showing cracks. Other teams began taking my unfortunately shared advice and walking the first 3 Mets in the lineup and getting everyone else out. The end is nigh. 

Hyperbole. Overreaction. Putting too fine a point on it. 

After yesterday afternoon's game, all is well! Everyone's hitting (except Brett Baty, natch)! Soto is finally on a tear! Senga is super sharp, the pen is still great.

Hyperbole. Overreaction. Say I'm the only be in your bonnet. Speaking of which...

 

Anyway, we can breathe after yesterday. Breathe and prep for: 

• a homestand that features the Cubs (tough) and Pirates (don't choke, dudes)
• trips to the Bronx and Boston (yikes)
• hosting the Dodgers, stacked to the rafters and sporting the best record in baseball (voof)

So stop overreacting, Whitney and Townshippers, and let's go get some wins. We're good enough, we're smart enough, and doggone it, people like us.

LFGM

The Pete and Francisco Light Show Continues...

Game 36 - Mets

Mets 5, Diamondbacks 4
Record: 23-13

Whew. This one got interesting. 

I tuned in with the Mets down 1-0 early, thanks to a Corbin Carroll dinger on the second pitch Griffin Canning hurled last night. Suboptimal, as Marls would say. 

The Metsies squandered one in the 3rd. Tyrone Taylor, who's caught a little bit of fire in the last few games, smacked one into the triple-gap in right-center at Chase Field and took 3 with one out. Lindor followed with a meek pop to shallow right, and Taylor ill-advisedly tried to tag up. Wasn't even close, Carroll gunned him cleanly. Dammit.

An inning later, after a 4-pitch Soto walk, the Polar Bear unloaded on a Ryne Nelson offering and deposited it deep, deep in the seats. 

Watermelon, watermelon, watermelon, Ryne. 
Look at the scoreboard and see who's behind.
You!

2-1, Mets. I'll confess I dozed off during the later innings. (Looks like Marls stayed up for it!) 

Turns out...

Lindor smacked a 3-run jack in Top 7 to give the Mets a comfortable* 5-1 lead.  

*Ha. Ha ha. Ha ha ha.

While Brazoban looked back on track in a harmless 7th, the 8th saw the season advent of "Better Off" Dedniel Núñez, a highly effective bullpen asset from 2024. Last night was rust, we sure hope. 

Núñez threw exactly six pitches to three ARZ batsmen. Two strikes and four balls each. Full count every time, and in each instance, he lost him. Bases loaded in a flash. Whoops.

Reed Garrett came in and threw a bit of kerosene on the campfire before snuffing it out. One K, 2 singles that scored all three of Núñez's walkees, another K, and a foulout. 5-4. 

Collar... tightening...

After a meager 9th for the Metbats, Edwin Díaz, the once and future king of the closeout, entered. 

Pete Alonso's 1st batter error made things even tighter for the Mets, but Alvarez gunning Alek Thomas at second on an attempted steal mitigated it. Nice. One flyout and a 3-pitch strikeout later... Mets win.

Losable win. Striking back at the D-backs. More of this, please. 

Beat Me in St. Louis

Games 33 through 35 - Mets

Mets 9, Cardinals 3
Cardinals 6, Mets 5
Cardinals 5, Mets 4
Record: 22-13

My pep talk seemed to work! For one whole game.

Well, this fall back to earth was scheduled to happen. After sweeping the Cards -- not one of the league's top squads -- at home two weeks earlier, the Mets won Friday night in St. Louis by a large margin . . . and then let both ends of Sunday's rain-induced doubleheader slip away. 

Yesterday they began poorly -- spot starter Blade Tidwell tidpoorly, allowing 6 earned through 3+. That number held up despite a late surge by the Metbats. 

Of note:
Team LOB --  12
Team RISP --  3-15

In Game 2, Tylor McGill wasn't as dialed in as he's been thus far this season, allowing 4 through 5. A 4-run 3rd inning by the Mets meant that things were squared as the bullpens . . . uh, squared off.

The Cardinals' starter, Andre Pallante, absolutely labored through 3⅓ innings. He had a bit of luck in that a few of the Mets' smashed balls went right at guys, sometimes for double plays. As it was, he gave up 9 hits and 4 walks in that abbreviated start. Just 4 runs, though, as the Mets continued their unwelcome trend of abandoning baserunners at an alarming rate. 

Mike McGreevy, a tall, young (24) pitcher with major upside, came in with the bases loaded in the 4th and shut the Mets down. For the rest of the game. Max Kranick, who lately has been like Obi-Wan (our only hope), allowed a single to Yohel Pozo and a double to Victor Scott II that scored Pozo from first.

...which is saying something. Pozo is 27 and built like Chris Farley at 27, trudging 'round the sacks at a pace not suited for the extra base. There seemed to be some cutoff miscommunication on the throw back in, however, and no relay was made homeward. The Metmen need to hone our work on the little things.  

5-4. And so it went.

Of note:
Team LOB --  10
Team RISP --  3-11

NB: squandering opportunities like that leads to winnable losses. It just does. Starting pitching is suddenly shaky, and the pen isn't exactly watertight with a pair of Mets on the IL and others starting to show signs of hittability. 

Of note:
AJ Minter and Danny Young are now both on the 60-day IL, both likely out for the season. Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea are still a ways away from reemerging. Jesse Winker flew east instead of west to get his oblique checked out. Mets futures took a major dip with all this news. Look out. 

The Mets took the late flight to Phoenix. I've encouraged my daughter to go to a game out there. Let's hope I don't ruin one of her nights out. 

Today's Guests: Phil Collins, Larry Hockett, Ty Webb, and The Hollywood Shuffle

Game 32 - Mets

Diamondbacks 4, Mets 2
Record: 21-11

21-11.

How'd we ever win 21 . . . Larry?

It's a miracle.

Crud afternooner that saw Juan Soto finally clear the Citi Field fences . . . twice . . . but nobody was on for him and nobody knocked any more runs in. 

Senga went 4+, got into a jam, and was pulled. He gave up a run in the 4th on a(nother) Jeff McNeil error. Keep it up, buddy, and MLC will begin issuing the McNeil Error Report. That joke works better on the audio feed of MLC.

Senga got into trouble in the 3rd and 4th, and then in the 5th, Mendy had had enough. So Max Kranick, one of the few bullpenners who hasn't been leaky of late, came in to save the day. He allowed a sac fly to give the D-backs the 2-0 lead and induced an inning-ending groundout.

Kranick's subsequent airtight 6th was followed by Soto's first shot. 2-1! Yeah, well, Max was brought back out for the 7th, and that's when Geraldo "One Tater" Perdomo took him deep to once again push the Mets 2 down. Drat.

Top 8 featured Reed Garrett, another of the relief arms still locked in. 3 up, 3 down, 2 K's. Nice. 

Garrett's airtight 8th was followed by Soto's second shot. 3-2! Yeah, well, Reed was brought back out for the 7th, and that's when Tim Tawa "of Pawa" took him deep to once again push the Mets 2 down. Drat².

With 7-8-9 up in the bottom of the final frame, it was a different brand of excitement that was generated than in last night's barnburner. The "not, nothing, none of the above" kind of excitement. 1-2-3.  Sigh.

Nota Bene: The best good chance the Mets had was in the 8th. After Soto Solo Part Deux, Alonso walked (now back to the playbook, Arizona) and Winker doubled. 

Winky Dinky Dog!

Up strolled Mark Vientos next. yes, the same Mark Vientos that struck out last night with the chance to give the Mets a lead with a single. 

Redemption? No, not today. Cue the Phil Collins.

Well, would you say if I was wasting my time?
Did I miss again?
I think I missed again, uh huh
Oh, I missed again, oh oh
I think I missed again, uh huh

The whiff. Next up... Nimmo did the same shit. Hey, Brandon, 111 AB's in, an OBP of .258... it's not... it's not good, as Ty Webb would say. 

Alrighty then. Buck up, for the Cubbies are coming for us. 

Stat earlier this week emphasized that most of the Met's opponents thus far are sub-.500. Over the next fortnight, we have Cubs, Yanks, BoSox on the slate. Proving grounds of sorts. Let's show the doubters! Even me.

How to Beat the Mets, Vol. I

Games 29 through 31 - Mets

Mets 19, Nationals 5
Mets 8, Diamondbacks 3
Diamondbacks 4, Mets 3
Record: 21-10

The lambasting I doled out to the Mets and myself last go-around seemed to reverse the bad mojo I'd enacted by heaping too much praise. I won't make the same mistake again soon. 

In fact, immediately after I began fixating on the things that aren't going swimmingly in Metville, the boys in blue 'n' orange went ballistic on Los Nacionales. 19-5, with 9 RBI coming from Brandon Nimmo. And it wasn't even that close.

The Metbats continued to pound the ball in the first game of the series with Arizona. Pete, Frankie, and old, old friend Starling went deep and it was over by the 3rd inning. Ha! Almost fell for that one, didn't you. What do you take me for? We blew a huge lead a week ago in much the same scenario.

This go-around the Met arms held fast and locked in a solid win. 

Then, last night's game. I tuned in with the Mets up 1-0 on a Mark Vientos tater. The good news was that I would get to see Vientos come to the plate three more times, mostly with runners aboard in key spots, and he fanned twice and GIDPed once. Nifty, Mark.

Ultimately, our lads didn't have quite enough juice last night. In our inaugural go at Misery Loves Company, Rob had to endure a long Sox tenure of [loud voice announcing] Closer by Committee. It wasn't great, and eventually they settled into the cadence of Timlin in the 8th / Williamson in the 9th that Grady Little used, until he didn't. 

Well, for the second time in a month, the 2025 Mets used Starter by Committee. And for the second time, it went all right! Huascar Brazoban pitched two nearly flawless frames, and Syracuse call-up Brandon Waddell threw four brilliant, scoreless innings. 6 innings of shutout ball! Not bad.

Enter Ryne Stanek. For the third straight Stan(e)k outing, he entered with the lead and left with a deficit. 3 losses. 3 blown saves. 1.1 IP over the last week. 7 H, 1 BB, 0 K, 5 ER. 

I think we need a Plan B on set-up man. 

The key seems to be, watching him go at this in vain, that he can't get that 3rd strike. He throws strikes. He gets guys 0-2, 1-2. Just no K's. In his first 8 appearances, he had 10 strikeouts. None since. 

As such, he lets hitters repeatedly just get a piece and stay alive, leaving the door open to eventually knocking one into fair territory. Danny Young joined AJ Minter on the IL. Smells like trouble in Bullpen City for the Mets. Right now, we just need someone who can put batters away. 

Someone like Chris Devenski, you, say? No, not Chris Devenski. The 34-year-old journeyman reliever took the hill for the 8th, with the Mets down 2-1 because of the Ryne-stone Cowboy. 8th went swimmingly, 9th went like someone let a gator into the swimmin' hole. The D-backs tacked on 2 more, meaning when the Mets' top of the lineup in the bottom of the 9th got going -- and because we gave up 2 more runs, you knew they would -- it would be maddening. 

Arizona stud closer Justin Martinez had a very, very off night. He gave up a leadoff bomb to Tyrone Taylor, of course. And then walked Lindor and Soto. He didn't record an out. Would've been wonderful for our gang in a tighter game. 

Here's the thing. The way that the Mets lineup has gone in early 2025...

...in case you need a reminder it's like this in my stream of consciousness brain dump...

• Alonso WOW
• Lindor nearly as WOW
• Soto soso but it's him so okay
• everybody else about a .500-.650 OPS occasional swat mostly scuffling all the time thanks guys

...well, then... why on earth wouldn't you just walk those 3 fearsome hitters and get to the E Street Scuffle?

Yep. That's what Arizona did. They walked Pete to make it 3 in a row.

Vientos whiffed. Winker hit one off his foot for a run-scoring groundout (replay doesn't cover this, for some dumb reason). They intentionally walked Jeff McNeil for platoon reasons (and maybe because he's been hitting well since his return). 

Alvarez hit a routine grounder to third. Ballgame. Winnable loss. Eh.

I fear we've established a cheat code to beat the Mets. Pete Alonso has 23 walks and counting (3 last night). Soto also has 23 walks. 

Vientos, hitting in the 4-spot most of the time, has 23 strikeouts. Coincidence????????

Okay, he has 24 K's. But still....

You Try to Be Nice...

Games 26 through 28 - Mets

Nationals 5, Mets 4
Mets 2, Nationals 0
Nationals 8, Mets 7
Record: 19-9

Right on cue. Glad to see that the hex machine of Misery Loves Company needed no additional oil, no generator jump-start, to get right back at it.

When will I learn that thoroughly touting the success and promise of the New York Mets directly leads to bad play and winnable losses?

Friday was frustrating. Andrew and I were in the airport headed home from a glorious island vacation with our families, and we tuned in on the phone to watch the action. When the Mets notched 4 in the top of the 8th to take the lead (3 of which came on a right-field shortfall dive by the Nats' Dylan Crews that was just so very ill-advised), there was audible rejoicing at Gate D5 in MIA. 

And then... Juan Soto couldn't come up with a catch at the wall (tough but makeable) for a triple. A next-batter single tied it up at 4. Bleh. 

And then... with AJ Minter on to presumably take it to extras for us, a 2-out groundball to newly activated Jeff McNeil was misplayed badly enough that the Nats' C.J. Abrams scored from first. Basically, McNeil slowed the pace of the grounder without stopping it, ensuring the baseball couldn't be reached by anyone in time. You could try to repeat that, but you would not be successful. Ugh.

Saturday was redemptive. A win, with Clay Holmes and the pen shutting down the Natbats and newly activated Francisco Alvarez slugging a two-run dinger that was all that was needed. That's all I have to say about that. 

Yesterday was terrible. This was the nadir (we hope), where the Mets blew a 7-1 lead and a 2-run lead in the 9th. José Buttó was particularly dreadful (and has been shaky all month long), but give Ryne Stanek a blame share for once again starting the 9th inning with a lead and once again leaving with a blown save. Ugly defense was yet again a contributing factor, as Alonso's throw to first that would've sent the game to extras sailed far and wide. Whoops. Game over.

The Mets played down to the competition, which is something good teams have to avoid. The bullpen has been a key part of the Mets' April success, and it was leaky in 2 out of 3. Brazoban has tumbled, Stanek has stumbled. Argh. Adding to the malaise is AJ Minter going on the 15-day IL with a triceps injury. Ruh-roh. 

Rob always theorized that every season, at least for solid teams, there are ~30 games each team is destined to lose, and just the same, there are ~30 games that are shoo-ins that would be really hard to lose. Right out the gate, it's clear what's happening and either just your day or not your day. 

That leaves ~100 games that are in play and it's the little things along the way that ultimately make up a season record. This weekend, the Mets failed at lots of little things; they blew a very strong chance of a win (maybe even one of the 30) and squandered a late rally that should've been a losable win (one of the 100). 

Let's right the ship before we have to travel to the desert for 3-gamer starting tomorrow. I promise not to say anything nice about them until then. 

Mets 25-Game Checkup -- I Want to Be a Part of It

Game 25 - Mets

Mets 3, Phillies 2 (10)
Record: 18-7

Facing the ace of one of the World Series contender teams of baseball. With a chance to sweep the series. For the seventh win in a row.

Andrew and I lazed on the beach yesterday and mulled that we might prepare ourselves for a letdown game with all of that going on. This is what we do, we Mets fans. You know it. You see it. And if you're a fan of the Metropolitans, you do it.

You brace for the worst. The choke. The gack. The inevitable gaffe that lets the game/streak/season get away.

Funny thing, though. It's not currently in the repertoire of this team. We bear the scars of 39 years or however long you've been rooting. They don't.

Pete Alonso does not. Francisco Lindor does not. And yesterday, with 2 outs in the bottom of the 10th, with Alonso having tied it up with a double, Starling Marte definitely showed no signs of being visited by the Ghost of Met Seasons Past. He knocked the ball into shallow center and His Royal Polarity rumbled home and dove into the dish with full glee on display.

7 in a row. Off to the nation's capital next. Keep on truckin'.

------------------------------

My old counterpart round these parts Rob inaugurated the practice of taking the temperature of the teams at intervals of 25 games. MLC 2.0 is happy to resuscitate this worthy practice. 

As I recall, the Mets' checkups of say 2003 or 2004 used to feature rectal thermometers, based on the state of play back then. To wit, my first ever 25-game checkup in '03 bears the subtitle "Awful Early But It's Awful Early."

This one won't be like that.

God, this team is fun. Texted with my Met-lovin' cousins yesterday. "Different" is the word used most. GKR keep talking about the crowds at Citi being markedly different in their exuberance. In all the best ways.

The Good

God bless Pete Alonso. Re-signing him seemed like a feelgood move at the time, a chemistry thing. Hahahahahaha. Nobody in baseball has hit quite like Pete for the first month, to include a timeliness factor with many of his smashes. Yesterday, for example. He's not getting cheap doubles down the line in garbage time. He's coming through as the heart of this club. Pay him, Steve-o.

Lindor shook off early-days rust of both bat and glove with a vengeance over the past couple of weeks. The tandem he and the Polar Bear form is strong. This is the Very Good.

Starting pitching has been as pleasant a surprise as any aspect of the 2025 Mets through 25 games. My word, have they been consistent. Nobody's going long into games -- as is prescribed. They are simply allowing 1 or 2 runs through 5 (or 0, especially in Kodai Senga's case) and keeping the pen from needing to bail them out and deplete resources. Hail to the rotation, even as they are missing two key arms.

Carlos Mendoza is masterfully managing this club. His patience seems to pay off in the long play time and again. If many of MLB's managers are playing checkers and the best are playing chess, Mendy is playing Stratego. Or maybe Risk, taking over the division with eyes on the league and all of baseball.

The Bad

Nah, not going here. I know, I've bitched about the April scuffles of Mets like Vientos, Baty, Winker, Taylor, Nimmo, and Marte. I even whined mightily about Marte ("rusty gate") yesterday afternoon right before won the game for the Mets. Each of the aforementioned guys has come through in some form or fashion over the last fortnight. 

Oh... Edwin Diaz left yesterday's game with a hip injury, and he's looked fallible. But he's also displayed some of what led to his long-term bankbuster deal. And the team says his hip is okay. So there's that.

Baseball is a long, six-month slog, and there's plenty of time for me to whine and grine about the Mets. It's what I do best. But for now, I'll stand down, Margaret. Whatever's Bad is in the trunk while the Good is cruising down the road.

The Ugly

18-7. So pretty. The end of the salad days may be nigh, but you'd never know it from me.

I'm even . . .

maybe? . . . 

starting . . . just a little . . . 

to believe . . . 

and be optimistic?

Eh. 39 years of losing in all the worst ways leaves a mark. Not quite to rose-colored glasses yet. But damn, dudes and dudettes. Let's see what 50 games in looks like!

LFGM

Like a Steam Locomotive Rollin' Down the Track

Game 24 - Mets

Mets 5, Phillies 1
Record: 17-7

Second-to-last day of vacay before returning to normal life. Sigh. Today we're headed to Sapphire Blue Hole in Eleuthera, a natural phenomenon explained here:

As such, just a quick rundown of last night.

Burgers and Bahama Mamas at Budda's [sic] Bar about 75 yards from the house, then rum and tonics as we watched the game from the house.

Oh, right, the game. Griffin Canning gave up 1 through 5, and the pen starved out the Phils batters the rest of the way. Many, this is a refrain I could get used to.

Meanwhile, the Lindor and Alonso Show continued its barrage, with 5 hits between them in some key spots. Couldn't be more fun to root for these two guys.

And Luis Torrens -- who, despite my fanfare for his early production, had been slumping at Citi lately -- came through with a 2-out, 2-run single that gave the Mets the breathing room they desperately needed after the drama of the night prior. He was fired up, and so were we.

Of note was that they intentionally walked Jesse Winker with first base open to load the bases for Torrens. This is when the missus chimes in, "That's not cool. You show them, buddy." Et Voilà.

Also fun was watching Kyle Schwarber inexplicably run halfway to second on a routine can of corn to Tyrone Taylor in CF. Taylor hurled a laser to Pete to double up Schwarber. Not heady by the other guys. Super fun for our guys. Momentum killer.

Bottom of the order still a bit lost in the batter's box, but new edition José Azócar was able to execute in the 9-spot with a pair of hits. He played for Nimmo, but if he works out (I know, I know, too soon to tell, just cool it now, Whit), he could supplant Marte as the righty bat at DH.

Former Met Zack Wheeler takes the hill against our lads this afternoon. Hoping to catch some of it after the Blue Hole. In the meantime, let's all of us in the Township just sit back for one more second and meditate on the joy we get when these likable guys play likable baseball with lovable results.

"Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile."

LFGM

Cue the Longfellow

Game 23 - Mets

Mets 5, Phillies 4
Record: 16-7

Phew is right. 

The glass-half-full story of this game was Frankie Lindor. His two homers bookended a Winky Dinky Dog swat and provided 4 of the 5 Met runs. Huzzah, Francisco!

And that five-run lead seemed plenty to go on into the 9th. Carlos Mendoza sent Max Kranick back out to take the mound for his third inning. With the keen benefit of hindsight, Max seemed like a 2-inning guy last night. The 7th was flawless, the 8th nearly so, and the 9th was an oil spill. Double-single-single.

Enter Edwin Diaz. And Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

There was a Met reliever,

            Who was a fastball heaver,

The heat of which was torrid.

            When he was good,

            He was very good indeed,

But when he was bad he was horrid.

Diaz induced an easy flyout. Later on in the inning, he would close the game out by throwing the speedball by Trea Turner and Bryce Harper -- no slouches at all -- and making them look lost. 

Ah, but the in-between, therein lies the rub.

Bryson Stott, he of the 94 career OPS+, he of the one home run on the season coming into tonight and it was hit on March 29, he of the good glove, so-so bat... yeah, that guy. He thumped one 400 feet and out to right-center to make a 5-1 game 5-4. Indigestion ensued.

As noted, Diaz nailed it down, and I suppose that's what counts, after all. But man . . . what do we do with a problem like Edwin?

Eh. He's striking out 2 guys per inning. He's given up a couple of taters, that hurts. He had a stretch where he was walking 1 or 2 guys each outing, but he's calmed down there. He's finishing the job most every time. 

Leave him be. He's our guy. Eph the Phils. 

Also... huzzah, Francisco!

LFGM.

The Salad Days, As They Say

Games 21 and 22 - Mets

Mets 3, Cardinals 0
Mets 7, Cardinals 4
Record: 15-7

Sweeping the Cardinals in a 4-gamer any time during the season is impressive. Doing so via outstanding pitching when St. Louis came into town surging offensively is even more so. It just gives us denizens of Mets Township lots of reason to believe

Saturday, our troop of eight vacationers traveled to nearby Harbour Island for the day. It’s where the other half hangs, where Taylor Swift rents and Oprah owns. And we pop by for a quick visit. The island is 8 miles away from where we are on Spanish Wells, and here’s a quick rundown of how we traveled to get there:

• Golf cart
• Ferry
• Taxi
• Ferry
• Golf cart

That alone takes some doing and a chunk of cash to manage, and then you get to the super pricey island. It’s no accident that we stayed for just a handful of hours. We ran up a goodly bill at the Coral Sands resort with some good grub and a few piña coladas while overlooking waves of clear blue crashing down on pink sand. Naturally, amid all this beauty, Andrew and I also stared at a smartphone while the Mets shut out the Cardinals.

Senga is sharp, with 19 scoreless innings in a row under his belt. Bullpen’s airtight. And Pete continues to mash. A superb outing.

Yesterday we took a much shorter trip to the adjacent Russell Island, which coincidentally features a tiny but fun beach. (Hi, Rob!) The Sandbar and Grill hit the spot, with some painkillers and Sands Light beer washing down tuna poke and conch tacos. We left there mid-Mets-game to return to Spanish Wells and hit the beach. When Ryne Stanek closed the door on a 7-4 win yesterday afternoon, all was right in my world.

This week is inevitably coming off like a boastful, look-at-me series of posts, but as I reread some of the MLC historical scribblings as I embarked on 2.0, I really enjoyed the reminiscence of activities and aspects of my life from days long gone by. As such, incorporating travelogue into a drivel blog about the New York Mets (and the Boston Red Sox, ostensibly) is an appropriate part of the deal.

Brandon Nimmo made the defensive play of the game yesterday by robbing a home run from Jordan Walker, though Lindor flashed some serious leather on a 6–4 putout that put a damper on a burgeoning inning for the Cardinals. Frankie also mimicked his gorgeous game-winner from Friday night, leading off the bottom of the first by sending one upper deck. Add in Soto with a 3-RBI day, and these engines are starting to rev. The bottom of the lineup has started playing a lot less like the rear end of the lineup, just as Alvarez and McNeil are scheduled to return in the next week or so.

Being careful not to get too far ahead of ourselves in any way, it’s fair and reasonable to call these the salad days. I don’t preminisce that they will last forever, or even all that long, but it’s prudent to savor them while they exist.

Let’s go Mets!