You can agonize, you can swear, and if you’re a Mets fan, you can just look back at all the games this bullpen has lost so far.
Or look at these last seven games against the Orioles and Padres: point out the 4-3 record. The current minefield of 10 games, which includes three games against the red-hot Diamondbacks in Arizona this week, was supposed to end the Mets’ playoff hopes. But the Mets are playing their best game of the season and are within striking distance of making the playoffs, 2.5 games behind the Braves for the final wild-card spot in the National League.
After the Mets blew a two-run lead in the final two innings in a heartbreaking loss to the Padres on Sunday, you could look at the glass as half empty or half full. Both views would be understandable.
The Mets could be in a better situation. But they could also be in a worse situation. Keep in mind that the Braves have a tough seven-game series coming up, three against the Twins and four against the Phillies. They were fortunate to win two of three games at home against the Nationals over the weekend. And even though they split their four games against the Padres, the Mets have reason for optimism. Jose Quintana, the weak link in the Mets’ starting lineup, is off to his best start in a long time. Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and David Peterson are all hitting their stride at the right time.
Still, it’s easy to think about what ifs. Looking back at Edwin Diaz’s five failed saves, that doesn’t even take into account the loss on May 18 to the Marlins when the Giants blew a four-run lead but couldn’t close the scoring. Even before Jose Butto and Diaz couldn’t get the job done Sunday, there have been plenty of recent winnable games that turned into losses. On Aug. 15, the Tigers were up 5-0 against the Athletics before losing, 7-6. On Aug. 3, rookie Huascar Brazovan gave up a two-run lead in the seventh inning and lost against the Angels. It’s a long list.
Still, the Mets are still in that position. This dangerous period is almost over. After these three games against the Diamondbacks, the schedule is lighter, and the next 12 games are against the White Sox, Red Sox, Reds and Blue Jays. The Red Sox are fading, and the other three teams are eliminated.
So far, the Mets haven’t fallen apart. They’ve won more games than they’ve lost. Any fan would be happy to see them start 4-3 in their last 10 games, even if the latest game was a reminder of missed opportunities in a season that’s had its ups and downs and could ultimately cost them a playoff spot.
Today’s back cover
October Dream
One might break his own home run record, the other might become the first player in baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases.
Now, imagine a World Series with Aaron Judge on one side and Shohei Ohtani on the other. It’s certainly realistic. The Yankees and Dodgers have the best records in their respective leagues. I’m sure MLB executives don’t want to see that.
Judge and Ohtani are both having great seasons.
Judge hit his 50th and 51st homers of the season on Sunday against the Rockies, giving him seven in his last six games and putting him within reach of an AL-record 62 home runs in 2022. Despite batting and pitching issues, the Yankees have won six of their last eight series and are two games behind the Orioles in losses in the AL East.
Ohtani is having a stellar August, hitting nine home runs, stealing 12 bases and playing with an OPS of .870. The Japanese slugger became the fastest member of the 40/40 club on Friday night, and he did it in style with a walk-off grand slam. The Dodgers have won 12 of their last 16 games and are holding their own in the NL West after appearing to be overtaken by the Padres and Diamondbacks. They hold a three-game lead over Arizona.
Both Judge and Ohtani are heavy favorites to win MVP awards in their respective leagues, and they’re each led by other stars — Juan Soto for Judge and a healthy Mookie Betts for Ohtani.
There are no guarantees in the playoffs, especially with the expanded system in place. Even if both teams are the No. 1 seeds in their leagues, it doesn’t mean much, as we’ve seen in recent years. The Dodgers haven’t made it past the divisional round of the playoffs the past two seasons, and the Yankees haven’t made it to the World Series since winning in 2009.
But there’s clearly a chance they could meet in the Fall Classic, and what an incredible show it would be to see these two great sluggers face off on the sport’s biggest stage after such historic seasons.
Big decision
Connecticut is at the top of the basketball world, dominating the past two national championships. Coach Dan Hurley turned down an opportunity to coach the Lakers. The Huskies will have a new championship-caliber team next season and a chance to make it a historic third consecutive championship.
But that’s not why the University of Connecticut has been in the news in recent days. Rather, it’s because the university Possibility of leaving the Big East and joining the Big 12the rumors have not gone away and surface from time to time. It remains to be seen whether Big 12 presidents will pursue the University of Connecticut. In the past, they have rarely done so because the Huskies have a weak football program and are now independent.
Joining the Big 12 would bring more money to Connecticut at a time when name, image, likeness and potential future revenue sharing are all very important financially. It’s hard to blame the Huskies for their interest, even if the Big East rescued them from the wilderness that is the AAC. Without the Big East, Connecticut will never be able to regain its former glory. Recruiting won’t be the same. The brand won’t be the same.
The Big 12 is the best basketball conference in the country, but that doesn’t mean the Huskies will remain a powerhouse there. Things change. There will be more travel and a new conference could hurt recruiting. Connecticut would ruin something very good. The question the Huskies’ brass should ask themselves is whether it’s worth spending additional money to jeopardize their current status as the top team in college basketball.
What we’re reading 👀
🎾 The U.S. Open kicks off today, and Brian Lewis picks five men and women to watch at Flushing Meadows.
The Yankees’ trio of Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton led Larry Brooks to wonder if there had ever been a more lethal three-, four- or five-man in the history of baseball. But only one thing cemented their legend.
⚾ It all happened in the Little League World Series final, from bad calls to a last-inning comeback to a walk-off error in extra innings. When it was all over, Florida won its first championship in the tournament.
🏀 Sportsbooks have high expectations for the Knicks, and for good reason: They’re projected to finish second in the Eastern Division, which is nice, but it also comes with some tough expectations.
🏈 It’s been a while since Takk McKinley had a steady job in the NFL, but after an impressive performance against the Giants on Saturday, he may earn the Jets job this season.
As if the brutal loss to the Padres wasn’t bad enough, the Mets won’t be seeing Brett Batey anytime soon after it emerged he broke his finger after being hit by a pitch last Thursday.
⚽ Things heated up a bit between Rutgers and Massachusetts women’s soccer on Sunday when a flagrant foul led to a nasty brawl between the two teams.
