LOS ANGELES — Take a bow, Mets. You have made us proud.
Your overall talent is above average, but with extraordinary heart and grit, and a great ability to lead and overcome odds, you've written a wonderful and exciting script for October.
Unfortunately, the story was cut several games short of its fairytale ending. There is no Subway series. But again, there's no need to be heartbroken.
The Mets have nothing to be ashamed of. They played great October baseball against three teams with more wins, higher standings, and much higher expectations.
They did almost everything on the brink, and there's only so much you can survive on a cliff for so long.
He has no choice but to stage a comeback again and again before the burden becomes too great and the mission becomes too expensive.
Teams in transition only have a limited number of elimination games to win before they get things right and start preparing for next season. You can't keep coming back every game.
That won't happen. That's not the case in Major League Baseball.
Some people in the clubhouse were in tears after the team lost 10-5 to the Dodgers, leaving them just two wins away from advancing to the World Series. However, there was mostly hugging going on around them.
They were more words for a job well done than an expression of condolence. They play together and are a united group.
“Nobody expected us to be here,” J.D. Martinez said. “I'm so proud of them. The way we competed all year.”
For teams that had to wait until the last day of the season (actually the day after the last day) to qualify for this derby, they would have held off the Shohei Ohtani/Mookie Betts Dodgers in a number of games before going on to win. There is no other choice. Jump out and run away.
The Dodgers will face the Yankees, who have broken through again. They don't like playing against left-handed pitchers (the Dodgers are mostly fine) and never beat the Mets. But now it's just water under the whitestone.
Major League Baseball had its biggest break in history. After enduring Arizona vs. Texas (a tie outside of the Dust Bowl), MLB now has the dreamiest marquee matchup on its hands. Ohtani & Betts vs. Aaron Judge & Juan Soto. The 2024 World Series is like a superstar tournament. MLB won't say it out loud, but this is the happiest scenario for them coming out on top with a great postseason.
The Mets have come out of heaven this postseason. From Pete Alonso's wild-card game-winning home run that turned a near-certain loss into a victory, to Francisco Lindor's grand slam that packed Philadelphia, to Mark Vientos' grand slam home run right here at Dodger Stadium, for a short time in any case. The Mets gained the upper hand, but before reality finally set in.
The Mets have no regrets. The Dodgers are the better team. They have a more talented roster, even if two-thirds of their best starters leave.
The Mets had a chance in the deciding game. He left multiple runners on base in many innings. They can dream about what might have happened. But realistically, they lost 37-7 in their fourth loss in the NLCS. So the idea that they should have won makes no sense. That's not true.
The Mets managed the game well, like it was a must-win game. Sean Manaea wasn't at his best, but he lasted just over two innings, his shortest appearance since before he was with the Met. Edwin Diaz entered the game in the bottom of the fourth inning to face Ohtani. Rookie coach Carlos Mendoza did the best he could. His choices, and almost all of theirs, were correct.
They lasted the longest of the three Cinderella stories, surpassing the Royals and Tigers. They should be happy with themselves.
“There’s a lot to be proud of,” Brandon Nimmo said.
Some may not like the idea of the big-market Mets being the underdogs. But while their salaries are technically $340 million, they also have a record $90 million in “dead money” thanks to previous spending sprees.
With dead money off the books next year, expect the Mets to make big moves this winter and approach things with a little more thought than they did a few years ago. There will be no more record deals for aging Hall of Famers. You'll use your money better.
The Mets need to see if they can reach an agreement with raw power-hitting star Pete Alonso. They would want to bring Manaea back after he was forced to opt out, and should consider doing the same with Luis Severino and perhaps Jose Quintana.
It will be necessary to rebuild a pitching staff with many expiring contracts. But luckily they only have the duo to keep this going and come back here year after year. Owner Steve Cohen has deep pockets and is smarting quickly, and President of Baseball Operations David Stearns should do even better once the dust settles and he gets the keys to the vault. .
The past few weeks have been amazing. The future promises to be even better.
