MILWAUKEE — These Mets seem to get over it when they absolutely have to, but once again they're at a scary point.
The Mets had some very big wins throughout an almost magical year. But now they finally have a match that can only be described as a must-win.
Technically, they needed all 89 regular season wins to qualify for October. But they will play their first real elimination game on Thursday. A decisive winner-take-all Game 3 in this wild-card series is looming, and it became essential after the Mets blew a late lead and lost 5-3 on Wednesday.
“We got knocked down, and we have the ability to bounce back quickly,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “And here I am.”
It's not easy.
The Brewers have a lot going for them and now they have momentum. They outperformed the Mets in the standings and on the field all season, defeating them in five of six games, but this series started out much different.
In fact, the Mets outscored the Brewers through the first 16 innings of this series, winning Game 1 and leading through the 8th inning of Game 2. Nevertheless, the Brewers were able to tie the game late in the series thanks to the 20-year-old rookie's eighth-inning home run. Jackson Cholio (second of the night) and Garrett Mitchell took away reliever Phil Mayton.
Mendoza then said star closer Edwin Diaz could be available. But he only played one inning against him at most. There, Mayton, who had been pitching solid baseball since coming to the Mets in mid-July, stole the ball for the eighth time.
When Maton entered the game, the Mets held a one-point lead and were close to arranging a trip to Philadelphia for the division series against the Phillies. They were ready to turn Cheeseland into cheesesteaks.
Additionally, they were beating the Brewers at their own game, outscoring them on defense and on the basepaths.
Mets lost Game 2. Jason Suzens/New York Post
But in the end, the Brewers overwhelmed the Mets with long balls.
The Mets have made a lot of magic happen this year. This time I will explain it a little more.
They've come back from an 0-5 start to the season and an abysmal early May with a 22-33 record. They finally qualified for the playoffs the day after the final regular day of the season, the 161st game to be exact. Although they couldn't afford it, they survived in Atlanta, a historically fearful city.
It speaks well for them that they were able to defeat the Devils and enter October with a win in their weakest spot in the South. From now on, they'll probably have to do it in their second least favorite place.
There's no panic on this Mets team. That can't happen now.
They kept coming back, and even on this trip they might have killed fewer people. Their journey started with a loss in Atlanta and then dropped two games to Hurricane Helen. (In the end, that may have helped them, as it was postponed until the end of the regular season, meaning the split sparked a rare dual celebration).
A comeback was awaited. Game 161 was a classic.
They came back twice in it. After the bullpen explosion by Diaz, they had to have a second one. That time, it was MVP and star of the season, Francisco Lindor, who provided the magic.
His two-run homer that night in Atlanta may have been the biggest in the franchise's 63-year history. Lindor's drives also punctuated the season over the years. They hope this is just a happy comma as the season continues and the exclamation point hasn't arrived yet.
The Mets played a lot of games that looked like they should have won. And technically they all did, as they only advanced to October via tiebreaker, but this was their series record against the Diamondbacks, 4-2. But this is absolutely the case.
“I'm excited about the challenge,” said Pete Alonso. “This is what it is about.”
There are many positive signs. they are always calm.
It's the same whether you win or lose. They didn't panic all year long. There's no reason to think they will now. But there are also many reasons to worry. It starts with a bullpen that causes serious upsets at times.
Equally worrying is that Diaz may not have much left. Diaz wasn't warming up when Chorio's reverse-side bomb tied the game in Game 2. It was Adam Ottavino.
Diaz threw 66 pitches on Sunday and Monday, and while the Mets said he was ready, it appears it was only a little bit.
“He was available,” Mendoza said. “We couldn't contact him.”
But even if Diaz is ready for Thursday's decider, who knows what he'll get.
In Monday's first leg, he had to hold onto the lead twice, and although he didn't look particularly consistent, he ultimately did.
Even after Lindor hit his fateful home run, he insisted he remain in Mendoza. And he did. But are there any more bullets left?
Will the Mets play too?
We'll find out on Thursday.
