Series With the Braves is Turning Point of the Season

This is it folks. We're finally playing some NL East teams. No more silly interleague play. No more West coast trips that last two weeks. The Mets are staying in the NL East for quite some time and it all starts tonight.

The upcoming series with the Braves is the turning point of the season for the Mets. They have the opportunity to really blow the doors open on the Braves or allow them to creep closer to making a run for the division.

If the Mets sweep the series, they would be up 8 games on the Braves and really put the pressure the other teams in the East to try and make up that lead. If they get swept by the Braves, the Mets would be down to just a 2 game lead and make the NL East pennant up for grabs. A split either way leaves things pretty much the same. Nobody will be out of it and nobody is in a truly better position.

Sure the Mets have their injury problems, but there's no excuse for not performing. The run production against the Brewers and Cubs has been great, except for the Saturday's game in Chicago. They can score runs without Beltran and even with Shawn Green in the lineup.

Our best starting pitchers are lined up for the Braves, but so is Atlanta's. The Mets have had trouble with Smoltz and Hudson in the past, but this is Shea Stadium not Turner Field so we need to start having some pride in our home stadium.

There's no need for a motivational speech because every player on this Mets team should know how big a series this is. Bury the Braves should be the rallying call.

Let's break out the shovels.