The Mets are playing like a postseason team, but they're still not in the playoff running.
They won their seventh straight game Wednesday night with a barrage of talent — pitch after pitch, at-bat after at-bat, strong defense after strong at-bat and some superb, resourceful coaching from Carlos Mendoza.
That may not be sexy, but it certainly worked in an 8-3 win over the Red Sox, and it certainly worked as the Tigers moved to a season-best 12 games above .500, within a half-game of the Braves for the final National League wild-card spot and, in case you're unaware, just four games behind the Yankees, who are enjoying the best record in New York.
“Overall, we've accomplished a lot of good things,” Mendoza said.
The Mets acquired the right pair of socks at the right time, with the Whites, who have historically struggled throughout the season, and the Reds, who are crumbling late in the game, resulting in back-to-back sweeps of Chicago and Boston.
And that's what it'll take. Until recently, the thinking was that at least the third wild card would probably play in the 84-86 win range. But it could take 90 or more wins to actually get in, so they'll have to be ruthless in their pursuit of victory against weaker opponents when they show up on the schedule.
So it's timely that the best version of the 2024 Mets is here, thanks in part to their most solid defense and relief pitching of the season. Leading 4-3, the Mets ended the fifth, sixth and seventh innings with double plays. Francisco Lindor was the anchor of all of this double-killing, getting the speedy Jarren Duran out in the top of the eighth with a great charging play and throw.
With two outs in the eighth inning, Rob Refsnyder hit a ball into the gap in right-center field. Harrison Bader got there quickly and drove the ball in, preventing Refsnyder from advancing to second base on a curved hit. So when Tyler O'Neill followed with a single, Refsnyder advanced to third base without scoring. Earlier in the game, Brandon Nimmo twice ran down the left field line, quickly catching what could have easily been a double, only to be singled instead.
Again, not glamorous. But it was a win. The Red Sox are made up of a wild, athletic fielding staff. They were wild, like they were when they upset the Yankees earlier this year. So a strong defense to stifle an explosive offense is key. That's certainly what the five Mets relief pitchers did, holding them scoreless through five innings. And Mendoza's aggressive and strategic use of his relief pitchers is what got the Mets this win.
Thursday was a day of rest, but Mendoza didn't let up after starter Tyler Megill gave up three runs in the third inning and a leadoff hitter in the fifth. Mendoza had this game in mind, and wanted to be “very aggressive” as a relief pitcher. He also wanted to be strategic with two left-handed relievers, Alex Young and Danny Young, because Boston was going to start with a left-handed hitter, and he had Alex pitch in for Megill.
That aggressiveness paid off, as four setup men not on the Mets' Opening Day roster — Alex Young, Huascar Brazovan, Danny Young and Phil Maton — held a 4-3 lead before the Mets mounted a huge comeback in the bottom of the eighth to give Edwin Diaz a comfortable lead.
“That was a complete game,” Jesse Winker said.
Winker was also part of that thoroughness. As the “MVP” calls continued, Lindor loaded the bases with a leadoff single, a walk by Nimmo, and a single by Mark Vientos in the first inning, extending his hitting streak to 15 games and his on-base streak to a career-high 33 games. After Pete Alonso struck out, Winker struck out Tanner Hack the other way for a grand slam.
Hawk regained his composure and Boston didn't allow any more runs until another strong at-bat against Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen in the eighth inning. The Mets earned five walks, three with the bases loaded, along with Bader's sacrifice fly, and the Mets secured a 76-64 victory, one more than they had won last season.
And it's getting further and further away from last year, with fans at Citi Field falling in love with the first Mets team under David Stearns and Mendoza, who are getting stronger and stronger and doing what good teams do, especially this time of year, taking advantage of struggling opponents.
The Mets did it by following up their win in Arizona with consecutive sweeps of Chicago and Boston. They did it with relentless competence. It may not be glamorous. And yet, they keep winning.
