Kallet: Mets Have Something Cookin' So Just Sit Back And Enjoy
By Brad Kallet
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What a difference a week makes.
Last Wednesday night, the Mets looked dead and buried. After treading water for the better part of two months, they went to Washington, D.C. and got hammered by the Nationals. They were outscored 20-6 in the three-game sweep and fell six games back in the NL East.
Just three games above .500 and on a four-game losing streak, the Mets welcomed the Cubs, the best team in baseball, to Citi Field for a four-game series. A trip to rock-bottom looked to be on the horizon.
The possibility of a sub-.500 record and a 10-game deficit in the division were on the cusp of becoming realities.
I was hoping the Mets would take one from Chicago. If they caught a few breaks, they would earn a split.
In the opener on Thursday night, it was more of the same. John Lackey held the Amazins' scoreless for five frames before Yoenis Cespedes put them on the board with a 466-foot bomb in the sixth. The Mets scratched out three runs in the seventh to take the lead, and after Jeurys Familia somehow escaped a second-and-third, no-out jam in the ninth, New York had its undisputed best win of the season.
Sure, it was a terrific come-from-behind victory, but how encouraging was it, really? The offense was quiet yet again and the Mets were gift-wrapped the tying and go-ahead runs thanks to an error by Javier Baez.
Something happened that night, though. Maybe it was the energy of the crowd. Maybe it was memories of the four-game sweep of the Cubs in the NLCS. Maybe it was having David Wright in the building. Maybe it was Brandon Nimmo's infectious smile and youthful exuberance.
Or maybe the Mets were just due.
Whatever it was, Terry Collins' crew finally woke up and began playing like the National League champions they are. They hit five home runs in a 10-2 rout on Friday, eked out a win against the untouchable Jake Arrieta on Saturday and capped things off on Sunday with a 14-3, Home Run Derby-like massacre. This lineup, which has had so many problems scoring runs, chased Jon Lester after just 1 1/3 innings, the shortest outing of the three-time All-Star's career.
And just like that New York had managed to complete an almost unfathomable four-game sweep of the World Series favorites.
It was a reminder that this team is not dead yet. And it's not just merely breathing; it's surging.
On Independence Day, the Mets kicked off a three-game series against the Marlins, a club that always gives them trouble and is on their heels in the division and wild-card races. Collins made it clear before the game that his team absolutely had to build off the series against Chicago and ride the wave of momentum.
The game got out of hand quickly, as Miami plated three runs against Matt Harvey in the second and three more in the fourth for a 6-0 lead. But then the Mets began to chip away. Travis d'Arnaud and Curtis Granderson hit solo shots in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, and the Amazins' added two runs in the sixth and seventh innings with some excellent situational hitting -- something we haven't seen nearly enough of this season.
With two out and two on in the eighth, and the game tied at 6, Cespedes gave New York the lead with a booming two-run double into right-center field.
Familia retired the side in the ninth for his 29th save, and the Mets had their fifth straight win —and their new best win of the season.
So what has been behind their fast and furious turnaround? Well, many factors are at play. The starting pitching continues to be terrific, and it appears that Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz will be able to work through their bone-spur issues. Both the back of the bullpen -- Addison Reed and Familia -- and the middle relievers have been lights out. D'Arnaud has returned with a vengeance, Nimmo has made us forget -- at least for now -- about Michael Conforto and James Loney, with his terrific approach at the plate and solid defense, has been even more valuable than Lucas Duda.
Juan Lagares is back -- as is Granderson, who was sidelined briefly with a strained right calf -- and Cespedes is hitting like an MVP. And Wilmer Flores, who is red hot, has been an adequate replacement for Wright.
More than anything, though, the energy, confidence and swagger from last season is back. That's something you won't find in the box score, but it can be felt in the air at Citi Field.
Speaking of energy, Jose Reyes, who knows a thing or two about sparking a club, is set to be activated by the Mets on Tuesday. Regardless of how he plays, and how often he plays, his presence in the dugout, in the field and in the clubhouse will only make this team more feisty and hungry. He'll also give Collins a much-needed stolen-base threat.
With Sunday's win, the Mets improved to 5-3 on the hellish 14-game swing against the Nationals, Cubs and Marlins that was supposed to all but finish them. They'll play the Marlins twice more and then host the Nationals for four, which will take them to the All-Star break.
Four games out of first and in sole possession of the second wild-card berth in the National League, the rejuvenated and reborn Mets are again a force to be reckoned with.
Brad Kallet is the managing editor of TENNIS.com and a frequent contributor to WFAN.com. Follow him on Twitter @brad_kallet
