After the first losing home stand of the season, the Mets head to Cincinnati for a four game set for the weekend. The Mets have had a great deal of success at home, but this road trip has come at a perfect time. The Mets will leave Cincinnati and head to Philadelphia for a three game series. The team hopes to return to Citifield celebrating a division title and playing three meaningless games against the Washington Nationals. As nice as it would have been to clinch the division at home, the team is better off heading on the road right now.
The constant discussion amongst fans and sports radio has been, how will the Mets blow the division lead? Although Mets fans have every right to be nervous, this is a completely different team from the 2007-2008 collapses. Still, the vibe around the fan base is too negative for a division leading team at the end of September. The moans and groans of the Citifield crowd once a run is scored by the opposition has grown louder and louder. It has been a tough stretch for a very good baseball team, but as the late, great Yogi Berra once said, “Slump? I ain’t in no slump……I just ain’t hitting.” When the Mets were making miraculous comeback victories a few weeks ago, we knew that could not last either. The team is on a down swing of play, but it is not time to lose confidence in the team.
It will do this group of guys well to get out of the pressure filled city of New York. Terry Collins thinks the team is playing tight, and I could not agree more. All this team needs to worry about is playing the game of baseball. The scoreboard watching has been very good to the Mets of late, but it is time to focus on the task at hand. This team has two weeks to find themselves and turn things around. Once the playoffs begin, games against the Braves & Yankees will be long from the fans thoughts. Time for this team to get back to having fun and winning!
Steven Matz will have the task of starting this road trip on a good note. Matz has pitched well this season and rebounded nicely from his injury. Matz has not been at his best since the return from the injury, but he has gotten the job done. Tonight’s game will be another test for the rookie pitcher. Matz has earned his way into the playoff rotation talk, and tonight will be a good chance to put an exclamation point on that thought.
See you soon Dodgers!
