You can wallow in anguish. You can curse. You can go back and look at all the blown games from this bullpen if you’re a Mets fan.
Or, you can look at these last seven games, against the Orioles and Padres. Point to the four wins and three losses. The current 10-game minefield, which continues with three games against rampaging Diamondbacks in Arizona this week, was supposed to be a death knell to the Mets’ playoff hopes. Instead, they have played some of their best baseball of this season, and remain well within striking distance of the playoffs, 2.5 games behind the Braves for the last NL wild card spot.
After the Mets’ gut-punch of a loss to the Padres on Sunday when they blew a two-run lead in the final two innings, you can take the glass half-empty or glass half-full approach. Both would be understandable.
The Mets could be in a much better position. They, however, also could be worse off. The Braves, remember, have a difficult seven-game road trip coming up, with three against the Twins and four against the Phillies. They were fortunate to take two of three at home over the weekend over the playing-out-the-string Nationals. And despite splitting four games with the Padres, the Mets have reasons to be optimisitic. Jose Quintana, the weak link in the Mets’ rotation, turned in his best start in quite some time. Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and David Peterson are all hitting their stride at the right time.
Still, it’s easy to wonder what if. To think back to all the blown games, Edwin Diaz’s five blown saves that don’t even account for the May 18 loss to the Marlins when he was given a four-run lead and couldn’t close the door. There have been plenty of would-be wins that became losses of late, even before Jose Butto and Diaz couldn’t get the job done on Sunday. There was a 5-0 lead against the A’s that became a 7-6 defeat on Aug. 15. There was the Aug. 3 loss to the Angels, when newcomer Huascar Brazoban gave up a two-run lead in the seventh inning. It’s a lengthy list.
And, yet, the Mets are still right there. This treacherous stretch is almost over. After these three with the Diamondbacks, the schedule lightens up, the next 12 against the White Sox, Red Sox, Reds and Blue Jays. The Red Sox are fading and the other three are out of it.
So far, this stretch hasn’t broken the Mets. They’ve won more than they’ve lost. Any fan would’ve taken a 4-3 start in these 10 games — even if the most recent one was a reminder of all the missed opportunities of this up-and-down season that could cost the Mets a playoff spot in the end.
One guy may break his own home run record. The other could become the first ever 50 home run/50 stolen base player in the sport’s history.
Now, imagine a World Series of Aaron Judge on one side and Shohei Ohtani on the other. It’s certainly realistic — the Yankees and the Dodgers boast the best records in their respective leagues. You can bet MLB executives sure wouldn’t mind seeing it.
Judge and Ohtani are having sensational seasons, respectively.
Judge hit his 50th and 51st homers of the season in Sunday’s win over the Rockies, and now has gone deep seven times in his last six games. His 62-homer, 2022 AL record is within reach. The Yankees, despite their issues in the lineup and pitching staff, have won six of their last eight series and lead the Orioles by two games in the loss column in the AL East.
Ohtani is having a monster August, with nine home runs, 12 stolen bases and an .870 OPS. The Japanese slugger became the fastest member of the 40/40 club on Friday night, and did it in style with a walk-off grand slam. The Dodgers have won 12 of their last 16 games, getting hot at a time it looked like the Padres and Diamondbacks could overtake them in the NL West. They lead Arizona by three full games.
Both Judge and Ohtani are heavy favorites to win the MVP award in their respective leagues. They are carrying their respective teams, with help from other stars. For Judge, it’s Juan Soto. For Ohtani, it’s the now healthy Mookie Betts.
There are no guarantees in the playoffs, not with the expanded system in place. Even if the two teams land the No. 1 seeds in their leagues, as we’ve seen in recent years, that doesn’t mean much. The Dodgers haven’t gotten out of the divisional round of the playoffs the last two seasons. The Yankees haven’t reached the World Series since winning it all in 2009.
But it’s obviously possible they could meet in the Fall Classic, and what a show that would be, these two great sluggers on the sport’s biggest stage after historic seasons.
Connecticut is on top of the basketball world. It has won the last two national championships in dominant fashion. Its coach, Dan Hurley, turned down an opportunity to coach the Lakers. The Huskies will enter next season with a chance for a historic three-peat boasting another roster that can win it all.
But that’s not why UConn has been in the news the last few days. Rather, it is the result of reports the school could leave the Big East for the Big 12, rumors that aren’t going away and have surfaced from time to time. It’s still uncertain if Big 12 presidents want Connecticut. They haven’t in the past, mostly due to the Huskies’ weak football program, which is currently an independent.
Joining the Big 12 would mean more money for UConn at a time when finances are so important due to name, image and likeness, and the potential of revenue sharing down the road. It’s hard to fault the Huskies for their interest, even if the Big East saved them by bringing them back out of the wilderness known as the AAC. Without the Big East, Connecticut doesn’t reclaim its former glory. Recruiting would not be the same. Neither would its brand.
And while the Big 12 has the best basketball conference in the country, that doesn’t mean the Huskies will remain a powerhouse there. It will be different. Extra travel, a new conference landscape that could hurt recruiting. Connecticut would be messing with a very good thing. That’s the question Huskies higher-ups should ask themselves — is the additional money worth risking their current perch atop college basketball?
???? The U.S. Open begins today. Brian Lewis picks the five men and women to watch at Flushing Meadows.
⚾ The Yankees’ Aaron Judge-Juan Soto-Giancarlo Stanton trio has Larry Brooks wondering if “there has ever been a more lethal three-four-five in baseball history.” But only one thing will cement their legacy.
⚾ The Little League World Series title game had a little of everything, from a blown call to a final inning comeback to an extra innings walk-off error. By the time it was all over, Florida had captured its first championship in the event.
???? Sportsbooks are high on the Knicks, and for good reason. And while being predicted to finish second in the East is flattering, it also comes with some daunting expectations.
???? It’s been a while since Takk McKinley had a steady NFL gig, but after an impressive game against the Giants Saturday, he may have landed himself a job with the Jets this season.
⚾ As if losing in excruciating fashion to the Padres wasn’t bad enough, the Mets won’t be seeing Brett Baty anytime soon it was determined he had fractured a finger after being hit by a pitch last Thursday.
⚽ Things got a little heated between Rutgers and UMass in women’s soccer Sunday when a hard foul touched off a nasty brawl between the two teams.