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Sports Commentary
The New York Mets have been a fairytale story as of late.
R. A Dickey is a 37-year-old knuckleball pitcher who is tied for the most wins the majors and is without a doubt in the Cy Young race.
Johan Santana pitched his first no-hitter and the first no-hitter in Mets history after coming off of surgery.
David Wright has stepped up immensely and is having an MVP caliber season.
The young players of the Mets are contributing solidly through a never-say-die attitude.
And who can forget, Terry Collins is doing a sensational job at managing this team and you can see he is having a blast.
None of this was expected of a team that many picked to be at the bottom of the NL East standings after the All-Star break with no chance at a playoff berth.
Yet, here they sit. They are in third place, just 4 ½ games back of the Washington Nationals and with the new wild card rule, they are ½ game behind a berth for the wild card play-in game. However, with just 2 ½ months remaining, the Mets can no longer be content with good.
In order for the Mets to make a run for the playoffs, they need a GREAT second half. They need to win series, go on winning streaks, win games against divisional rivals, and capitalize on opportunities.
They had a great opportunity last week before the All-Star break and lost 4 out of their last 7 games against the Dodgers, Phillies, and Cubs, teams who were reeling heading into the break. The Mets cannot afford to give up golden opportunities if they expect to ascend to the top of their division like that.
They have been great during short stretches, but when there is a chance to catapult to the top, the Mets cannot get the job done. For instance, against the Washington Nationals, they are 2-5.
Unacceptable.
Consistency is key when you are hunting for a divisional title and the Mets do not possess that consistency against top competitors.
For the Mets to have a great second half, they need wins against teams like the Nationals, Pirates, Cardinals, Giants, Reds, etc.
In order for wins to happen, they need some help in the form of a consistent reliever and another hitter to complement David Wright. Sandy Alderson needs to have his phone glued to his ear with crazy glue and his legs chained to the desk until he finalizes a trade that can bring those assets. Without those assets, the road to the playoffs will be very difficult and the road in the playoffs will be far more difficult.
The only concern with bringing in new talent is disrupting what has gotten the Mets this far, which is their chemistry.
The team gels so well together that the overall sense is that you can't break them apart. Also, the Mets possess a lot of talent in their farm system now as showcased in the team today that has many individuals who played together in the minors. Giving up a prospect may be tricky and it is hard to believe that Alderson would trade a starting position player.
If you want to talk about win now mode, the Mets need to be in that mode and that starts this weekend. They have an opportunity in the coming weeks to overtake the NL East. They start with the Atlanta Braves on Friday and then after Sunday, they travel to Washington to face the NL East leading Washington Nationals.
Forget about the month of August for now, the Mets need wins right now and they need wins against the Braves and Nationals. If they can win 4 out the 6 games they play in this 6 game stretch, the Mets are in good shape. Anything less and then the journey to the postseason becomes more difficult.
It's all in the Mets hands. During the first half, they have shown they want to play and they will do whatever it takes to win. Well here is your shot to make a big splash in your playoff chances. The Mets have a chance to take a big step forward or a big step backward.
Consistency mixed with resiliency breeds positive results. If the Mets can do this, no questions will be asked because they will be in the hunt come September and be a formidable force in the majors.
