Getting away from Citi Field might be just what the New York Mets need to turn the 2017 season around.
[graphiq id=”4nYXWF1c621″ title=”New York Mets 2017 Schedule” width=”600″ height=”303″ url=”https://sw.graphiq.com/w/4nYXWF1c621″ frozen=”true”] Positive thoughts have been hard to come by in Flushing this season, and after dropping the first three games of a four-game series against Washington, you couldn’t blame the most devout Mets fan feel disheartened.But contrary to public opinion, all is not lost for the Mets. We saw evidence of that Sunday when Jacob deGrom shut down the Washington Nationals with both his arm and his bat.
Believe it or not, deGrom’s deGrominance offers the club a chance to build some momentum before they do battle with the Nationals again, in Washington, on July 3.
Of the Mets next 13 games, 10 are on the road. Take a quick look at the pitchers they are scheduled to face on this road trip.
| Pitcher | Team | W-L | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton Kershaw | LAD | 9-2 | 2.23 | 0.92 |
| Brandon McCarthy | LAD | 5-3 | 3.14 | 1.10 |
| Rich Hill | LAD | 3-3 | 5.14 | 1.47 |
| Alex Wood | LAD | 7-0 | 1.90 | 0.92 |
| Ty Blach | SFG | 4-4 | 4.23 | 1.23 |
| Johnny Cueto | SFG | 5-6 | 4.57 | 1.35 |
| Matt Moore | SFG | 2-7 | 6.00 | 1.62 |
| Dan Straily | MIA | 5-4 | 3.58 | 1.13 |
| Jeff Locke | MIA | 0-2 | 4.58 | 1.32 |
| Jose Urena | MIA | 5-2 | 3.64 | 1.24 |
Kershaw’s numbers are superb and this current incarnation of the Mets struggles to hit him. Combined, they own a lifetime .175/.220/.242 triple-slash line against the future first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee. Beating him is tough, but not impossible.
Yet aside from Kershaw, is there a name on that list that makes you shudder or think “Oh boy, the Mets have no chance against that guy?” Not really.
Facing his rotation-mate Alex Wood, who has transformed himself into one of the game’s premier starters this season, isn’t necessarily a scary proposition either. He’s winless over eight career starts against the Mets, going 0-3 with a 3.94 ERA and 1.38 WHIP.
Those aren’t awful numbers, but they’re not awe-inspiring, either.
While it’s hard to get too excited about the .500 record the Mets have on the road (14-14), it’s far superior to the 17-23 mark they own at home. Going cross-country is never easy on a team, but this is a road trip that’s full of winnable games.
And it might be exactly what the Mets need to start turning the 2017 season around.
The Dodgers are streaky. The Giants, a team the Mets took two-of-three from in early May, have been a mess ever since Madison Bumgarner was lost to injury and boast a lineup featuring guys like Gorkys Hernandez, Aaron Hill and Austin Slater.
We’re out west as we open up a series vs. LA tonight.
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? ➡️ https://t.co/LTNzwW1ikx pic.twitter.com/ZCnajvXH3d— New York Mets (@Mets) June 19, 2017
Here's how we line up for tonight's game. #LGM pic.twitter.com/P0EXlZ4Fvh
— New York Mets (@Mets) June 19, 2017
Miami may have won six of the 10 games the two teams have played this season, but the Marlins lack a pitcher that the Mets (or anyone else for that matter) can’t hit.
It’d be delusional, unrealistic and downright silly to expect the Mets to go undefeated or 9-1 on this 10-game jaunt. But it’s not so crazy to think that the team can win each of those series and finish the trip up having gone 7-3 or 8-2.
If the Mets can pull that off, it’d set the team up beautifully for a three-game stint against the rebuilding Philadelphia Phillies at home before heading down I-95 for that crucial series against the Nats on Fourth of July weekend.
The path for the Mets to climb back into relevancy and the National League playoff picture is there. It’s up to the 25 players on the roster just how far down that road they’re willing to travel.
