Why A Sweep of the Marlins is so Important

Amazingly enough the Mets are entering August in a better position than they started July. This bucks a trend of falling apart towards the end of July that the Mets made fashionable the last few seasons. The record could be better. In fact, it should be better but this is the hand we've been dealt.

And so the Mets come home to Citi Field, where they've been just awful, and face NL East rivals the Marlins followed by the Wild Card leading Braves. The Mets for some reason have the worst time dealing with the Marlins. A team that is mediocre at best and filled with young inexperienced talent just always seems to reek havoc on the Mets.

But it's imperative that the Mets sweep the Marlins this week. Here's why.

A sweep of the Marlins would put them at 5 games over .500 with the rival Braves coming into town. A sweep of the Braves would be bordering on fairy tale dreaming, but it would give the Mets a fighting chance to stay relevant in the Wild Card race as they face off against the Wild Card leader.

Besides just Wild Card relevance, a sweep of the Marlins would make a statement that you need to come out and see this team play. Their sub .500 record at home is a big reason why seats are still empty at Citi Field even though the team is competitive and fun to watch. Why would you want to make the effort to head to the ballpark when the chance are  you will see them lose?

Winning 2 out of 3 would be fine, but not great. If they were able to sweep the Reds on the road why shouldn't they be able to take care of the lowly Marlins? There are plenty of reasons why a sweep won't happen (Pelfrey is pitching, Mike Stanton, Logan Morrison, road trip weariness, etc.), but the Mets need to find a way to play well at home and keep fans interested.

The 2010 Season in One Word: Tease

The Mets are the biggest tease in baseball. From April's good start, to June's epic streak, to July's West Coast implosion, to August's hint of hope, the Mets have done everything they can to string Mets fans along while not actually accomplishing anything.

Last night's loss to the Marlins was a microcosm of this concept. The Mets seemingly are on their way to another typical defeat on the heels of a great comeback win against one of the best pitchers in the NL. Instead of folding like an origami they chip away only to fall short with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The greatest tease of it all is that seemingly every other team that's ahead of them in the standings lost last night. There was a perfect chance to gain some ground and put together some semblance of interesting September baseball, but instead the Mets fall back to .500.

It's interesting that on a number of Mets blogs, there's still talk of making a run in the Wild Card. There are postings of Wild Card standings. There's talk about what needs to be done to make a run.

Do you think that's happening amongst Marlins' faithful? Doubt it. They let Cody Ross go. They're playing with an outfield that isn't of legal drinking age. And yet they're ahead of the Mets in the standings. Have been since July.

It's time to let go. Play the season out. Enjoy watching baseball if you can, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking something is going to happen this year. We've had about 5 months worth of proof to show us that it's just not happening.

Don't be a tease.

Why Do the Nats and Marlins Give the Mets So Much Trouble?

The Marlins and Nationals have a knack for giving the Mets fits. Over the last three seasons, no two teams have caused the Mets more pain than this bottom dwelling duo. They're not great teams. Their pitching is marginal. Their lineup is far from fearsome. But last night again the Nats proved they can be a serious thorn in the Mets side.

Why?

Is it it because they're a rival in the NL East? Is it because the Mets take them for granted? Is it because they have such a hardcore fan base? Ok, that last one was ridiculous.

In my humble opinion, it's none of those things. It's a mental issue. The Mets have proven they can easily handle bad teams like what they did against the O's and Indians and Cubs earlier this year. For some reason the Mets have a mental block when it comes to playing the Nats and Marlins...on the road. At Citi Field the results have been different, but playing these rivals on the road makes the Mets a different team.

The Mets have to overcome this in 2010 to make a run in the NL East. The Nats and Fish were the main hurdles that uttered the Mets demise the last two weeks of the season in both '07 and '08. It's not an issue of talent because the Mets roster is superior to both of these squads, but the Mets need to fortify their minds and prove to themselves they can handle these teams on the road.

Mets Starting to Feel Like Old Times

After Thursday night's loss to the Marlins, I started to feel a little nostalgic, and that's not a good thing. These 2010 Mets are giving me flashbacks of 2009.

The pure lack of any decent swings with runners in scoring position. The wasted opportunities. Sacrifice bunts get screwed up. A great pitching performance is wasted by the bullpen. Franceour can't get a hit to save his life.

It's not time to panic quite yet. It's still May, but the road the Mets are taking is one that has been traveled before. You may recall that at the end of May last year the Mets were 7 games over .500. That's right 7. But then the wheels fell apart.

The Mets made a spectacular run in April, but May has brought a few bright moments along with plenty of disappointment. Watching Ike and the Animal is fun for a while, but winning is a whole lot more interesting.

Choke II Almost Complete

I'd like to thank the Mets for showing up tonight and really putting on a strong effort, only going down 6-1 to the Marlins. I mean, really, it was only a 5 run difference so there is a silver lining folks. 

Wow...are you kidding me? As incredible last as night's game was, they inexplicably come out tonight and lay an egg - which, really is the Mets' way when you come to think of it. 

Is anyone surprised with the way this game ended up? The Marlins, who of course despise the Mets, and take great pleasure in knocking them out of it, thrive off this type of atmosphere, while the Mets, true to form, puke all over the pressure and willingly get throttled. Sure, this club has been resilient, bouncing back from bad losses but the big problem is, they lose more than they win when it's counted most. Do you realize that not only do the Braves and Phillies own us, but the Marlins do as well? 2 straight seasons they're going to kill our hopes and our team just stands there like scared little men, and accepts it.

 

Much has been made about the Brewers going in the tank losing 15 of 19 in September, but everyone failed to realize that no one, no team in sports, let alone baseball, collapses better than the Mets. Everyone has a chance when they're chasing the Mets down the stretch. And so the Brewers, deserving all the credit in the world, have reeled off 5 straight victories during crunch time, unlike our beloved Mets who are just about finished polishing off their second straight September choke job. 

So once again, thank you NY Mets. This has been a fun, exciting ride, believe you me. Can't wait to see how you follow this one up next year, especially in September. That'll be triple the fun. 

  

Big Game Tonight

I know these things have a tendency to be a little over rated but tonight is the biggest game of the year for the Mets. Having struggled for so long, and endured an avalanche of negativity in recent weeks, a win and series victory against the Marlins could be just what the doctor ordered. Last night, for whatever reason, they looked like they had some life to them. Maybe it was the super subs who injected a jolt of energy, not too mention a few 2 out, run scoring hits (amazing what those kinds of hits can do for a team, eh?), but the team looked crisp. Now, it's critical for them to go out and get this game tonight...Have to win. Take 2 out of 3, and start a nice run here.