Arriving Home Early to the Sounds of a Late Win

Last night, I hit a wall. Considering I drive for a living with Lyft, I should both specify that I didn't literally hit a wall and also state, however, that it is not the best when you're on the road and you figuratively hit one too.

AP Photo/Matt York
Photo via Yahoo Sports

I had been up since 4:15 in the morning, and though I had gotten a nap in, I had been ambitious in thinking that I would be able to go to an hour past jersey closing time, roughly 3 in the morning. I had thought about taking another nap, but the cookie didn't crumble that way. So, as I headed back to Hoboken for that conceptualized nap, potentially arriving there by 12:30, I changed my tune and decided to get today started off right with 7-8 hours of sleep by going home.

Three times throughout the night I checked the score of the game, first when the Mets had a 3-1 lead. It dawned on me I hadn't checked in a while, probably sometime in the 11 o clock hour, so I opened the app just in time for my eyes to roll at the 4-3 Snake score. Since I arrived home before seeing an alert of a Mets loss or otherwise, I parked the car and opened the app up, pleasantly surprised at the 5-4 affair with 2 runs having recently been scored. I was going to be able to either hear a late Mets win, or be around like all of you for another devastating Mets loss. At least I would be there.

So, I brushed my teeth and climbed into bed with 1 out having already been gotten but a runner now on. To say I was exhausted was an understatement. I cannot remember if I heard the 2nd out or if I had fallen asleep before that as well, but when I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, it dawned on me I had knocked out before the final was understood. I got worried I was going to once more check my phone and see a devastating alert, one that referenced an Arizona walk-off win. I headed back to my sleeping quarters to check my phone I had not brought with me, and luckily, the 5-4 victory had been secured. Big sigh, back to sleep.

Sometimes, no matter how hard the Mets train you throughout their existence to think otherwise, it all turns out alright.

There is always, however, another game to secure the next day. Let us pray they figure out how to W more than L.

KEEP. ON. PUSHIN'.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Wake Up

The bats had been asleep all night, other than the occasional hit here and there. Jacob deGrom, fed up with the way he had been pitching, gave up an Adam Eaton 1st inning home run, and nothing thereafter. The look in his eye said all you needed to know. Enough was enough. And could we get a little strike-calling consistency from the home plate umpire, please?

Michael Owens/Getty Images
Photo via federalbaseball.com

The story, however, is not how the ump would sometimes call a strike just off the plate and sometimes call it a ball. The Mets looked listless for the majority of the game, albeit against one of the best pitchers in baseball, Max Scherzer, who I normally rib for being to0 home run prone. He kept the Mets in the ballpark all game, with their best opportunity coming in the 1st inning when they were gifted 2nd and 3rd and 1 out on a booted Robinson Cano-hit ball. The Nationals bullpen is so horrendous you know if you can just wait it out, you may have a chance. I don't think I'm alone, however, when I say that I thought the Mets were going to lose 1-0. No matter how much I believe and how optimistic I can be, it just felt like one of those games where the team was going to come up short.

The beautiful part of it all was that even though the Nats bullpen did their usual in the 8th, it was particularly sweet when the best chance they got, Sean Doolittle, came undone when brought in to get the 4-out save. First hitting Carlos Gomez, he faced Juan Lagares, who had not been too successful lately. None of that matters now, though, as Juan crushed a double that cleared the bases, giving us Mets fans a moment we all hope for from this team on a nightly basis. Some sort of life, some sort of spark, when our backs are against the wall, we overcome it all.

They weren't done, however, and a player I wanted almost a decade ago provided a grand Mets memory for his first AB as a New York Met. Called up to replace the injured Brandon Nimmo, Rajai Davis crushed almost over the Great Wall of Flushing but far enough to more or less seal the comeback deal. Just like that, the Mets are going for a 4-game sweep of the Washington Nationals today at 12:10.

It's the kind of early summer early start I so wish I could go to, but alas, I must deal with prior engagements. I'm not one to boycott, though my finances and schedule basically render that I cannot give the Wilpons my money right now anyway. I love this team, however, and I cannot be in the camp that want to see the Mets do badly just so the Wilpons are forced to sell. It's just unfortunately not the way it works, as sports teams toe that weird line between public interest and private venture. I would always rather see the team play the way they have the last 3 games, and I hope it continues all the way through the last Major League Baseball game of the 2019 season. I have my issues, I have my qualms, but what I also will always have is a love for the New York Mets.

Ya Gotta Believe indeed.

KEEP. ON. PUSHIN'.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Getting Ahead of Not Getting Ahead of Ourselves

They've trained us plenty at this point, but that doesn't stop a fan from getting excited after one game. It's the reason why we get excited on Opening Day. It's the reason why fans start posting standings with the Mets in 1st place at a 7-3 record, something I cannot stand, as cautiously excited as we all can be.

AP Photo/Sara Stier
Photo via https://sports.yahoo.com

I've given them props for responding well to adversity before. They've come off of miserable road trips and played with life at home after looking so lifeless prior. They understood there was a lot of heat, at least in the press, on their manager after they played so atrociously for 5 straight games, and a good portion of this season since starting off so strong. It is certainly better than losing their 6th straight, and they needed an insurance run provided by the combo of a Carlos Gomez walk and a Dominic Smith single to more securely lead themselves back to the win column. This is all well and good. Even the worst teams, however, tend to win 70 games.

Everyone wants to point to Brodie Van Wagenen only going so far to state the security of Mickey Callaway's job. There is no reason, however, for BVW to state unequivocally that Mickey's job is safe. Mickey could take a shit on Jeff Wilpon's desk tomorrow, something I can only assume is a fireable offense, though you never know with this shit show of an organization. There could always be a fireable offense that pops up, so it isn't exactly surprising that this kind of lawyer-like language is used.

Good for Wilmer Font for serviceably pitching 4 innings, who's fault it is not that he's having to start every fifth day for this team. Good for Amed Rosario and Pete Alonso and Todd Frazier and Carlos Gomez and Dominic Smith for their RBIs. Good for Gagnon, who collected the dubbya, good for Zamora, good for Gsellman and good for Diaz (notice who's "Familiar" name I passed over?)

Until we see more consistency from this team, however, there is no reason to get ahead of ourselves. Hell, until they secure a playoff berth, there is no reason to get ahead of ourselves. Until this team wins the World Series, there is no reason to get ahead of ourselves. I will always be frustrated over the fact that the Wilpons keep proving us all right; that the organization will never have sustained success year to year as long as they are owners. I thought it in 2015 and I desperately wanted them to prove me wrong. They reverted to the mean, however. And I'll always be sad about that.

I'll also be sad that Yoenis Cespedes will most likely never play another inning for the New York Mets after breaking his ankle...falling into a hole on his ranch?

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

KEEP. ON. PUSHIN'.

LET'S. GO. METS.