Mets Game 79: Win Over Dodgers
Mets 5 Dodgers 0
This is getting to be a habit.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like a Yankees fan watching this game.
Mets Game Notes
Johan Santana pitched as expected, considering he was facing a decimated AAA squad. It would not have been shocking to see him toss a second no-hitter. This Dodgers team is really, really awful right now.
I felt like a Yankees fan because I fully expected the Mets to win this game — and had they lost, I would have been furious. In a way, it’s a can’t-win situation for the Mets — if they lose to this present Dodger team, there is something very wrong. If they win, well, it’s expected.
Looking at the Dodgers’ record and knowing about their tremendous start to the season, and then seeing what LA looks like at this specific moment, and one realizes how much timing can affect the W-L record of the Mets. Sometimes, the Mets run into a club that is red-hot. Other times, such as now, they have the luck to run into a team when it is at its lowest point. How do you judge this series? By midnight tonight, the Mets should have completed a sweep of a team that had the best record in baseball only a week or so ago. Does that mean the Mets are awesome? Or just lucky to hit a good team at a really bad time — for four games?
Next Mets Game
The Mets look to complete the sweep starting at 8:00 p.m. EST. Dillon Gee takes the hill against Clayton Kershaw.
About the Author
Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers.
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I’m not sure it matters, Joe. In fact, it seems like you are implying that the Mets have been opportunistic with their wins. Considering their winning record against teams with winning records this season I say that you are wrong. Regardless, it seems any time the Mets look like they are coming back to Earth, they go on a winning streak and erase their recent woes. I think this team is in it for the long haul. At least a wild card contender, possibly even the division.
1. The Dodgers were a very good team.
2. They lose Kemp, Ethier, Lilly.
3. Now they’re bad.
Were they really all that good in the first place, or is the line between very good and very bad really this thin? Seems like it shouldn’t be.
Same thing w/ the Phils.
Joe, I think even against this Dodgers offense we should be happy with 3 out of 4. Kershaw has had the Mets’ number in previous years, and we’ve got our #5 guy on the mound, so even with a “Yankee fan mentality” tonight’s game looks like one we can expect to lose. A win to complete the sweep would be a nice surprise.
Win some, lose some. Then win some more. Then lose some more. Etc. and so on.
The Mets haven’t won or lost more than four in a row all season, a model of (maddening) consistency that will trend to a .500 finish if they keep it up. That is to say, the Mets are neither awesome nor loathsome, just like the 1975 team. But a win tonight could shake them free of this trend, and then who knows? Maybe they could be like the 1976 team that won 86 games. But that would require Dickey not regress to the mean, and that’s some kind of statistical unlikelihood.