Amed, Alonso and Matz, Oh My

The headlines all went to Pete Alonso, and understandably so. I mean, the guy can crush it, and now has, along with Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge, one of the hardest hit home runs in recent memory. The towering shot was hit directly to straight-away center, plopping down into the pond that sits all the way out there in the Braves' Suntrust Park. It floated there for the remainder of the game, a glaring reminder to all of the power that be with the Mets' new first baseman.

He's taken the league by storm, for sure, or at least our Metsian hearts. If they rest of baseball isn't talking about Pete Alonso, they should be and very well could be soon.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Photo via amazinavenue.com

The two others, however, who were the unsung heroes of the 6-3 win over the Braves last night were Amed Rosario and Steven Matz. We Mets fans have been waiting for both to break out of their shells, and there is a possibility we are witnessing both coming into their own. 

Rosario drove in the first 4 runs of the ballgame before Alonso's mammoth 2-run shot, first with a lead-grabbing 3-run home run, followed by a opposite-field ground ball single. Rosario has been on point so far this year, carrying some late-season success over into 2019. With all the spotlight on Alonso and others, Rosario can silently become the grand shortstop we have been waiting for him to become.

Steven Matz has always seemed to be too hard on himself. As soon as things seem to go wrong, he has always had that look of frustration on his face, whether it just be with himself or with the circumstances surrounding him. Last night, however, he hit some roadblocks along the way early, but did not allow the potential frustration to carry over into the remainder of the game. After giving a run back the half-inning after Rosario's home run, Matz settled down to control the game the rest of the way. The bullpen too, who we've talked about being a sore spot at the beginning of this season (that seems to be a league-wide trend, by the way) settled in to lock down the game sans Luis Avilan's 1-run blemish.

Now, Zack Wheeler needs to get back on track and the timing might be right for him to do so in his native Georgia land. The Mets need him to show that last night was no fluke, and continue the early season statement they are trying to make to the National League East. The Braves this weekend. The Phillies starting Monday.

Never ever a better time than now.

CARRY. ONWARD.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Everybody in the NL East Lost Last Night

The Mets last night had the baseball gods rain them with sunshine. On the night their stud pitcher, Noah Syndergaard, makes an admirable yet unfulfilled and unsupported Major League debut, where the offense sputtered along like an old car that's not really making it anymore, every team in the NL East was handed an L.

The Nationals, still only 2.5 games back, lost to the Diamondbacks 14-6.

The Braves, 5 games back, lost on a walk-off to Cincinnati 4-3.

The Marlins, 5.5 games back, had Giancarlo Stanton launch one literally out of Dodger Stadium...and then the Dodgers won 11-1.

And the Phillies, back 9.5 games, lost to Pitt 7-2.

...And the Yankees lost to Tampa 4-2...

So, even though the offense continues to be attrocious, the problems weren't magnified by everybody else creeping up.

And as I said, a stud pitcher made an admiral debut.

And now it's #HarveyDay.

On the Side of the Street That's Sunny.

#HappyHarveyDay

LET'S. GO. METS.

A Needed Day Off on May the 4th

The Mets are still in 1st place by 3.5 games today.

The rest of the National League East, however, will either gain a half, or lose one.

The Marlins will play the Nationals, and the Phillies will play the Braves. No matter what, somebody's going to gain. But guess what? They won't tie or come close to it. Yet.

You, I, we and they need this. We need this day off. Things have once more been rough after it seriously looked like things had changed.

Things still have changed. The Mets are still in 1st place by 3.5 games to start May the 4th.

Let's take this day, as somebody gets rid of a half.

The Mets are in 1st. Let's take a breath, then return on Tuesday to make sure we keep it that way.

May the 4th Be With You.

LET'S. GO. METS.

An End-of-Season "Ted's Quote" and the Offseason Song of the Day

Hey, Ted of "Ted's Quote!" You've just watched the last game of the 2012 baseball season! Any last words on this year's campaign?

"If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that Hunter Pence wins a World Series ring this year, I would have been so (effin') excited...

Baseball doesn't always go according to plan."

Here's the Offseason Song of the (Stormy) Day.

LET'S. GO. METS.

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