It's way to early to think about anything post-season in baseball, but Gothamist has a feeling that Mets fans are starting to believe. After winning 9 of 12, the Mets are one game over .500, which is nothing to be proud of. Then again, have the Mets had anything to be proud of in recent years? Their 5-0 win last night (box score) against the Phillies is a step in the right direction. During the next 12 days, the Mets have 11 more games against the Phillies and Marlins that will temporarily shape the NL East. Some might say the Mets are the hottest team outside Cincinnati.
Last night, Steve Trachsel threw 6 2/3 shutout innings and Mike Stanton and John Franco finished the game, extending the Mets streak of shutout innings to 22. The Mets got started in the 3rd inning when Mike Piazza, the man the Mets can always turn to, hit a single to scoring Danny Garcia. Piazza also had a solo home run in the 6th inning. In the 7th inning, with two outs and the Mets up 3-0, Ty Wigginton dropped the ball (literally) to load the bases, extending the inning and ending the night for Trachsel. The error is the latest thing to make Flushing Local wonder if it's time for him to go. Lucky for the Mets, Stanton struck out Jimmy Rollins to end the inning.
It's not just Gothamist that thinks there is something different in the 2004 Mets, but it's also obvious in the way they are playing. Art Howe sums it up the best when he says:
"They definitely believe in themselves. Last year we believed the other way. We believed we would find a way to lose. And we did a pretty good job of it. This year is a different story. These guys are out to prove something."
For the sake of sports coverage, Gothamist hopes that the Mets continue to play like they have.
