I have no idea where to begin. There are so many good vibes in Flushing right now it's difficult to find a starting point so I'll just dive right in. How about Wilmer Flores? He has three round trippers on the season and all three of them have been in clutch situations. Two of them have tied the game, sandwiched between a homer that came to be the winning run on April 18th, in beating the Miami Marlins. All three of Flores's homer's have come on this home stand. If you would have told me on April 6th that Wilmer Flores would be leading the team with three homers, I would have told you no way Flores leads the team in home runs at any point in the season. Hitting has been contagious for this Mets team. It's not just hitting either, it's timely hitting. Combine that with pitching and defense and this team now proudly owns a 12-3 record, leading the MLB and sitting atop of the division. Who would have thunk it?
I continue to say "team" because that is how they have been playing. They will do what they can to get on base, get that big hit, even make that big play - see Juan Lagares's stellar catch tonight- and make that big pitch. This team has been able to get great pitching combined with great defense because pitching is always helped by defense, mix that with timely hitting and you have what I like to call a team in first place fifteen games into the season. I didn't think the Mets would be alone in first place at any point in the season, so this is awesome. The Mets have the fans buzzing like they have not been able to buzz since the middle of the 2007 season. I don't want to talk to about the 2007 and 2008 season's, nobody wants to remember those season's. Here's the thing, the Mets haven't had a ten game win streak since July of 2008, almost seven years ago. That was probably the last highlight, as a team, that they had.
This team's pitching has been great. They pitching staff seems like they are trying to do better than yesterday's pitcher. To start things off, I can't believe Bartolo Colon's 3-0 and even he's hitting. It's not pretty but he's getting RBI hits. It's really quite amusing when Colon's helmet fly's off but it's even better when he connects to drive in a run. Matt Harvey keeps grinding out starts while Jacob deGrom builds upon his great rookie season. Maybe his great pitching comes from that great hair. Jon Niese and Dillion Gee have been pitching great and keeping the Mets in ball games as well. That's just the starting pitching. Now to the thing that has always seemed to plague the Mets.
The bullpen. Jeurys Familia currently leads that pen. With Bobby Parnell on the D.L. and Jenrry Mejia going down with an injury and then being suspended, the Mets needed a closer. Familia has rose to that occasion. As good as Mejia was able to end games and then proceed with that infamous stomp, Familia's fastball has been better. Even though Familia has been erratic at times, he has been able to get the job done. It's awful what happened to Jerry Blevins but the rest of the pen has stepped up. Sean Gilmartin was used tonight as that lefty specialist coming in to verse Nick Markakis - getting him to fly out to left - and Freddie Freeman, who he walked. Familia pitched a nine pitch ninth inning throwing seven of those pitches for strikes, striking out one and retiring the Braves in order in the ninth to earn his seventh save of the season. "WE HAVE A CLOSER!"
Tonight Dillion Gee showed why he deserves a spot in this rotation giving up two earned runs in seven innings. It is probably easy on the mind knowing that Juan Lagares is in center field tracking down fly balls that look uncatchable. Flores provided two RBI with one of those RBI being the game tying homer. Lucas Duda provided the go ahead hit, going to left field, in the eighth inning.
This team has been pitching outstanding, with surprising defense -at all nine positions- and manufacturing runs. I would like to see someone lay down a successful bunt attempt though, just seems like a lost art now. They should be practicing bunting, even Lucas Duda. If Duda gets confidence in laying down a bunt, maybe he can steal a hit laying it down the third base line when they put on that shift. It might make teams think twice about giving third base to Lucas Duda.
The Mets have been able to have interchangeable parts and all of them have provided to help with the team. In the early going, I can't even provide you with a MVP on the team. Maybe the pitching? But that's only a slight edge to the hitting and the defense that the Mets have provided. I know it's not just me that has been excited. I know because someone I know really hadn't been too into the Mets in the recent years, and to be honest, who can blame those fans? But now they are back! This fan in particular is really excited for the Mets early success and how can you not be? It gives fans hope.
I love what this team has been able to do on the field so far. I really can't do anything but say, "Thank you" with a smile on face but then ask, "How is this possible?". It's a lot easier writing after a win too. Do you think the Mets finally have a home field advantage? What do you think is the reason behind the Mets early success? Do you think they can keep up their winning ways? Do you think there is a MVP of this team so far?
I'm sorry if my thought's seem erratic, I'm just as excited as you are, possibly more and I want to keep writing but I need to save some things to write about in future posts. So I will end with this: In the words of Tug McGraw, "Ya Gotta Believe!" So until next time, Lets Go Mets!
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