Backs Against The Wall, The Mets Clinch A Postseason Berth

“Remember, the sun will come out tomorrow, as difficult as that may be to realize.”

 

Those were the words uttered by a speechless Gary Cohen, as he signed off after another heartbreaking Mets loss. They gave up 5 runs in the 10th to the Giants, falling to 22-30. That was on May 25th, a whole week after I wrote an article declaring the end of the season. The sun came out on the 26th, but things only got worse. Despite the talent on board, it was one of the worst Mets teams that I had ever laid eyes on. But it was my duty as a writer and as a fan to stay positive. So Gary’s quote became my motto. The sun will come out tomorrow and the season can’t be over if there’s still baseball to be had. 

 

On a gloomy Monday afternoon, facing the potential end to the season, I had no choice but to keep repeating it to myself. For the first 7 innings, we saw that same Mets team that couldn’t keep it together. Despite a respectable outing with 8 strikeouts, Tylor Megill couldn’t get it done. He allowed 3 runs on 8 hits and the Mets were dead in the water offensively. Rookie sensation and Saginaw native, Spencer Schwellenbach, held the Mets to only 3 hits in 7 innings. It seemed more than clear that they would go quietly back to the clubhouse and bring their tired bodies out for game 2 and provide not much of a spark. There was very little reason to believe, but I still believed that the sun would come out tomorrow.

 

Two weeks after that loss on May 25th, a certain McDonalds mascot threw out the first pitch to a game against Miami. The Mets won that game and then won the next game and the next game and they didn’t lose for a whole week. They didn’t lose much after that, harboring the best record in baseball between June and August. The Summer Of Grimmace was an insanely fun time to be a Mets fan and it’s one that I’ll always hold close to my heart.

 

Going into the 8th inning, Tyrone Taylor battled Schwellenbach for 10 pitches. The 11th pitch was sent into the gap in left field for a leadoff double. The Braves went to the bullpen and Joe Jiminez faced off against Francisco Alvarez. In the last month, Francisco has brought vital life to the Mets lineup. He’s never afraid of the spotlight, relishes under pressure and cooly knocked the second pitch he saw into centerfield for an RBI Double. Starling Marte was also quick to attack, poking the third pitch past the infield for a single. This brought up team MVP, Francisco Lindor, playing through an immense amount of back pain and just trying to support the team as much as he physically can. On the third pitch, he sent an outside fastball to centerfield for an RBI single. 

 

Now only up by one run, the Braves sent out their closer to stop the bleeding. Raisel Iglesias took the mound to face, you guessed it, Jose Iglesias. It was the battle of churches. On one side, Raisel Iglesias has been lights out all season. He came in with a 1.72 ERA with 33 saves. On the other side, Jose Iglesias has been a catalyst for this crazy season. He simply brings the clubhouse together. His chart-topping single, “OMG”, blasts through Citi Field after every home run. And all it took was another single, a line drive to right field to be exact, to tie the ballgame at 3. Mark Vientos had the first out of the inning, a shallow fly ball that went just deep enough to send Lindor home to take the lead. And then Brandon Nimmo, the one guy that no matter what is always “happy to be there”, pimped an absolute moonshot. It was Raisel’s first home run given up in 33 appearances and it blew the game wide open. Everything that happened in the top of the 8th inning felt fun and unreal. It felt like Grimmace Ball had returned. 

 

Because of course, the magic had to fade away eventually. Despite maintaining a stellar record, the Braves and DIamondbacks spent all of September well on their heels in the wild card race. Every win mattered and every loss felt like the world was collapsing. After an enthusiastic win last Sunday night, they traveled to Atlanta and everything fell apart. They listlessly lost Tuesday night, 1-5 and then a hurricane came. It was decided that if necessary, the Mets and Braves would play the remaining two games in a doubleheader the day before the Wild Card series. The Mets suddenly had 3 out of 4 days off this past week and when they arrived in Milwaukee, they appeared to already be in offseason mode. The bats went cold and the magic felt long gone. At the beginning of the week, it was a foregone conclusion that they would play in the postseason. Going into Monday’s game, they still had to win to clinch and the Winter felt like a harsh reality. 

 

Phil Maton took the mound in the bottom of the 8th, clearly showing fatigue from pitching 4 days in a row. He hit the first batter and gave up a one-out single to Travis D’Arnaud. The sky started falling again. Manager Carlos Mendoza called to the bullpen for his closer, Edwin Díaz, to get a 1.2 inning save. He immediately got the first out and then Pete Alonso made a fantastic leap to smother Jarred Kelenic’s grounder. Only problem is that Edwin didn’t cover the bag, Jarred was safe and a run scored. Angry at himself for such an obvious error, Edwin started pitching wildly. He threw 7 balls in a row and then Ozzie Albies roped a fastball down the middle for a bases clearing double. The Braves took the lead again, 7-6. There’s no way this could be happening. No matter how good the Mets have been, the Braves have been right behind them. Now the bullpen is depleted and they would have to go into the second game facing elimination.

 

Remember, the sun will come out tomorrow, as difficult as that may be to realize. 

 

Already using their closer, the Braves sent out Pierce Johnson to get the save. He’s been a solid middle reliever, holding a 3.42 ERA on the year. He also has a hilarious name that I like to refer to as “Prince Albert”, but I digress. Due to a pinch runner situation, the Braves were forced to put third baseman, Gio Urshela, at shortstop. Starling Marte took advantage of this and hit a one-out single through the gaping hole at short. And then came Francisco Lindor and the faithful at Truist Park held their breath.

 

To start the season, Francisco Lindor was an easy out. In fact, he was one of the easiest outs on the team. Everything he touched was a lazy pop fly. And then, at some point in May, he changed his walkup music to “My Girl” in honor of being a Girl Dad. His batting average slowly started to climb and then it didn’t stop. His defense is unmatched, his personality won over and led the entire clubhouse and he has had some of the biggest hits of the season. If Shohei Ohtani were not in the National League, Francisco Lindor would be league MVP and it wouldn’t even be close. He is the heart and soul of the team that has become the heart and soul of the city. Through all of the phrases, songs, gimmicks, mascots, ups, downs, in-betweens, he has been the captain of this roller coaster.

 

And in the 9th inning, on a day when there wasn’t supposed to be baseball, for a team that wasn’t supposed to be in contention, Francisco Lindor hit the biggest home run of his life and sent the New York Mets to the postseason. 

 

On top of that, Edwin Díaz went back out and had a relatively clean 9th inning. This ensures that his ego won’t be bruised when the Mets ultimately need him again. As my goosebump-covered hands type away, the second game of the doubleheader has started. If the Mets win, they will go to San Diego to get revenge on the Padres. If they lose, they will go to Milwaukee to get revenge on the Brewers. Either way, two things will remain true: Revenge will be attempted and the sun will come out tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.