The Mets have their best chance in years to finally beat their longtime rivals, the injured Braves, but it’s not going to happen this way.
It was a lovely calm night in Flushing, and the Mets were a blessing to all of Queens County, but the mood of fans soured as they began to realize that the Mets’ terrible slump was about to continue.
The boos started when Mets starting pitcher Paul Blackburn gave up a three-run homer early in his home debut against his former team, and there were half-hearted boos throughout this beautiful evening. It was well deserved.
The soon-to-be Sacramento Athletics ultimately defeated the Mets, 9-4, marking the fourth straight loss for the team from Queens, and raising further doubts about a team that had filled a big hole and made the playoffs but had recently been eliminated again.
Unlike the Mets’ wasted weekend in Seattle, there were no excuses.
The Mets are no longer playing a championship contender at the end of a grueling, exhausting four-city, three-time zone road trip. Instead, after a full day of rest, they’re playing a team they think will lose at Citi Field.
They’re not slogging away in the shadows of Seattle, where the grass is thick and the air even thicker, and they’re no longer facing the Mariners’ powerhouse pitching staff. The starting pitcher for what was still the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night was Joe Boyle, who was promoted from the minor leagues and was carrying a 7.16 ERA that night.
There was every reason to look past the Mets’ three games in Seattle, coming at the end of their longest road trip of the season in the city farthest from their home base. Sure, they played their worst series there, losing 28-1, but given the opponent, the conditions and, frankly, the fatigue, you can half forgive them here.
This is even more worrying: The Mets had no alibi for this.
And there would be no excuse for the Mets if they don’t beat the hated Braves for the sixth and final playoff spot. The Braves, six-time NL East champions, are in a physical mess right now, to say the least. For a change, they should be extremely vulnerable. If the Mets want to outdo the Braves, this should be the season.
The Mets bravely fought their way back from 11 games below .500 to make the playoffs, but this latest blunder has them falling 1.5 games behind the Braves, who are still holding a commanding lead.
Braves ace Spencer Strider is out for the season, and 40-70 wonderman Ronald Acuña Jr. is out for 2024. Plus, most of the rest of Atlanta’s elite players are out of form or underperforming, so a healthier Mets team should still be able to beat them, even if they haven’t been very good lately.
“They’ve been a thorn in our side since I’ve been here,” Brandon Nimmo said of the Braves, “We’ve lost to them so many times. They’re definitely a team we want to turn the tables on. It’s good to see Atlanta on the outside looking in.”
I get it. This was supposed to be a year of transition for No. 41 Seaver Way. But a lot has happened since these two rival teams last met in late March, and much of it has been painful for the Braves.
Injuries have debilitated the team, but they’re not done yet: “We’re hurt, but we’re alive,” was how a Braves official summed up the team’s situation.
“Now is the time for us to step up and get a grip on this situation,” Nimmo said.
The Mets are in better health than other teams, much better than the Braves. They lost their potential ace, Kodai Senga. He had issues with his shoulder, his playing time, and finally his calf. They’re still hopeful he’ll be back if they make the playoffs. But I think he has a much better chance of making it through October than Senga.
Despite past disappointments and the Braves being in the race, they’re sticking to their belief.
“I’m very confident in this team,” Pete Alonso said before the game. “The talent, the team chemistry, the form we’ve had so far. All the signs point to us being able to win.”
The Diamondbacks and Padres are likely to pull ahead and claim the first two wild-card spots, with the Braves, Mets and three teams in line behind them. The Cardinals, Giants and Cubs all still have a chance, which should please commissioner Rob Manfred and the powers that be who expanded the playoffs.
But at the end of the day, the Cardinals look like a prototypical .500 team, the Giants with their strong pitching staff look like a half-good team, and the Cubs look more focused on the future than the present. From here, the Braves still look like the team the Mets have to beat to get that final coveted spot. Always the Braves, right?
