Do or die time at Shea
The Mets are beginning to slip, but still have the lead in the NL Wild Card race by a game and a half. However, the Mets were greeted following their loss to the Braves by a Brewers win and a Phillies win. This increased the Mets deficit in the NL East race to two and a half games.
At this point, the Mets have to be ecstatic that the NL-leading Cubs are coming into town. Why? The Cubbies have already clinched their division, meaning they can basically lay back for the next week. The four-game series at Shea begins tonight at 7:10 pm.
Tonight is rally towel night at Shea, and the playoff atmosphere should be alive and well as if it was 2006 again. The Mets should be in a comfortable position now, with their final seven games of the season being at home.
Writers easily find flaws in this team in every which way. I know the bullpen remains in a state of emergency, but that’s why the Mets give guys like Carlos Beltran $119 million.
In June, I didn’t think I’d be saying on September 22nd that the Mets control their own playoff destiny. The Mets don’t even need to win all of their remaining games to get into October. If they win five of their final seven games, they are guaranteed a playoff spot.
