Improbably, one out away from a loss, Carlos Beltran belted a dramatic grand slam to give the Mets a 5-2 going into the 9th.
Beltran shows a little clutch for a change. Swings on first pitch - sure is an improvement over striking out with the bat on your shoulders in Game 7 of the NLCS, isn't it?
Yet dramatically, with Luis Ayala left to save or blow the game on his own and struggling with a sort of hamstring ailment in the bottom of the 9th, the Magical Murph, rookie hotshot, made a rather incredible relay throw to hold pinch runner Alfredo Amezaga at third after Jorge Cantu's double and one Marlin later, the Mets finally had the victory.
Typical drama. Typical edge-of-your-seat finale that is the trademark of a very unremarkable bullpen and once again, the Mets somehow managed to escape.
No victory is certain, no defeat is unavoidable. Somehow, night after night, the Mets defy the odds with their one-legged marathoner of a team. Even when David Wright strikes out with the bases loaded in the 7th.
And to make matters better still, the Cubs were battering the Phillies again to raise the Mets' lead to 2 games after having lost the NL East lead in heart-breaking fashion only 4 nights before.
No one will accuse the Mets of being boring and frankly, so long as they continue to win more than they lose, this has to be by default, one of the more entertaining ways to see a season through.
A team of guts that doesn't allow injury, set-back or even dramatic losses foil them.
A team to be proud of, grinding it out without a bullpen to speak of.
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4 comments:
I have not made a study of it but lately it seems the Phils lose most of their games on the road against good teams. I guess the Dodgers were good when they hosted them. If that continues against the Cubs, and against us, we could be in good shape. Especially if the Brewers are ready to begin their second straight September El Foldo. They do have a healthy Sheets this year and the Big Boy, so maybe that will not happen, but I think Ned Yost is dumber than both Willie Randolph and Charlie Manuel. Hope I am right.
I'm not so chuffed about facing the Brewers, jdon. Even if we aren't going to have to face CC, they aren't a bad road team and have several plays hitting well over .300 in the late innings which should be a real boon to our pen. Considering they are so far ahead in the wild card race this is a good look at what the Mets are capable of against playoff calibre teams, the Phillies notwithstanding since they're destined of course to finish second in the NL East and out of the post season....
actually, the Brewers are pretty much the best road team in the NL. Oddly enough though, whilst they are only so so against Righties, they tear it up against Lefties.
(for whatever that information is worth...)
we shall see. I think the Brewers will fade. They may make it as the wild card but II think their September will be rocky. And they are overpitching CC. When does Sheets get hurt this year?
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