After the Mets rallied from six runs down Wednesday night only to lose in 13 innings, David Wright noted that "moral victories don't count in the standings." I wouldn't anyone on the Mets to feel any other way, but I did get some satisfaction out of the comeback, because it's not as if the Mets are making the playoffs this year.
A couple of days ago, reader Jonmouk71 wrote that the Mets would have to go 40-23 the rest of the way to win 90 games, and even if 90 wins got the wild card, the Giants would only have to be around .500 the rest of the year to get there.
Two days later, the situation is only getting worse. The Mets are tied for fifth in the wild card race, 6 1/2 games behind the Giants, five games behind the Reds and four games behind the Phillies, who look like they are about to get Roy Oswalt.
So even if the Mets go on a hot streak the rest of the season, they need to have all of the main contenders struggle, which is extremely unlikely.
No, it's not to exciting to root for the Mets to finish above .500 and ahead of the Marlins, but winning 85 games would still exceed most people's expectations at the start of the year and provide hope for next year.
Just not too much hope, since Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel still need to go after the season.
I have to admit... I agree with Wright on this one. "Moral" victories don't mask the fact that the Mets pretty much suck. Moreover I don't see any reason given their infrastructure, why the'll be any better next year.
ReplyDeleteThat game had several of the hallmarks of a "classic Mets game." A big comeback that makes people say "Ya gotta believe." Extra innings. Back-and-forth momentum. All that was missing was finishing the job.
ReplyDeleteI think it was telling that, down a run in the bottom of the 13th, Jerry Manuel decided to let Raul Valdes bat for himself, or else, in the event the Mets only tied the game in that inning and didn't win it, Manuel would have to bring Oliver Perez to the mound. He'd rather let a man with 10 big-league plate appearances (but an OPS of 1.125 as of right now!) bat than let Oliver Perez pitch.
As Cleveland Indians fan Arsenio Hall would say, that's one of those things that make you go "Hmmmm... "