Braves Coming
After the Braves swept the Marlins this weekend & the Mets lost their series with the Nationals, the Mets division lead has now dwindled down to just one game (as I write this).
After New York built up a large double-digit division lead. After every baseball commentator & analyst who works in New York City covering the Mets, declared this division race over. After the Mets tried to monopolize a trumpet song to the point that they said “it belongs to Edwin & no one else”. After the Mets offense’s luck has ran out, as I predicted. After the Mets took three of four games in their home series against Atlanta…the Braves are within one game.
ONE GAME.
The best lineup in baseball is firing on all cylinders. The best bullpen in baseball is locking it down (minus Kenley lately). Max Fried is Max Fried. Spencer Strider is the rookie & mustache that everyone wants. Michael Harris is a top-5 center fielder in the game. Robbie Grossman is the perfect platoon-mate for Eddie.
Meanwhile, the Mets are dropping series’ to bottom-5 baseball teams.
If the New York Mets are lucky, the division will be decided in the penultimate regular season series. If the Mets are the Mets, the Braves will mathematically clinch the division during that penultimate series.
The worst part? Everybody has been trying to warn Mets fans that this would happen. In the face of overwhelming historical evidence, Mets fans refused to believe their lead was in peril. With a manager most famous in baseball for his inability to seal the deal, Mets fans refused to believe their lead was in peril. With an offense dependent on infield singles & BABIP fortune, Mets fans refused to believe their lead was in peril. With the worst catching corps (field generals) in baseball among division leaders - by a country mile - Mets fans refused to believe their lead was in peril.
Living in New Jersey since mid-June has shown me two things:
Phillies fans don’t like the Mets anymore than us Braves fans do.
Mets fans are now scared of the Braves.
More on No. 2: when I first moved to New Jersey, Mets fans who noticed my Braves hats would talk to me about a possible Mets-Braves postseason series if the Braves got past the Padres.
NOW, every Mets fan that approaches me is just verbally expressing the “truths” they’ve repeated to themselves up to this point, while simultaneously fishing for a “this is yall’s year” from me that they’ll never receive. Calm confidence as they freak out just stresses them more.
But hey, good luck to the Mets against the Padres. Maybe we’ll see them if they can get past the wildcard game.