Despite the overwhelming “sky is falling” attitude at times this season, the New York Mets finished the job today by clinching the NL East.
By Robby Sabo
Believe it or not, today happened. You’re not dreaming, the New York Mets are the 2015 NL East champions.
The team who came into 2015 miles behind the “best team on paper” in the Washington Nationals, celebrated on the very same field ace Jacob deGrom blew away three of the best American League hitters on 10 pitches in early July.
After fans actually glued their eyes on the 10-2 final score against the Cincinnati Reds today, only one word surfaced across Queens: remarkable.
Remarkable, considering how rough a home-stand New York just suffered through. Remarkable due to deGrom and the starting rotation’s current struggles. Remarkable simply because of “seven in 17” during the 2007 season.
Fans of this team continued to wait for the other shoe to drop. It never did.
Today, during the division-clincher, it was Matt Harvey who took his team home. In a stark contrast to his disappointing and head-scratching five-inning performance against the Yankees, Harvey went 6.2 innings while only surrendering two runs. It wasn’t a vintage Harvey outing by any stretch of the imagination, but it was good enough to keep his postseason prospects at a high level.
#Mets fans, this is for you! #TheEastIsOurs! #LGM pic.twitter.com/CD7xkRdvZF
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 26, 2015
For the 1st time since 2006, Mets win NL East! NY defeats Cincinnati, 10-2, cementing postseason berth. pic.twitter.com/ELUuP4JBhD
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 26, 2015
STRUCK HIM OUT!!! #MetsWIN 10-2! We are National League East Champions! #Mets #Whiff pic.twitter.com/mVKyHHpvHz
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 26, 2015
What’s interesting about this club since the trade deadline is not only the coming together of a lineup, but it’s been an evolution of a club who can suddenly play on the road.
After a dreadful 3-9 home-stand, their first with a losing record all season, New York has simply turned the power back on while in Cincy. They’ve scored 28-runs in the first three of the set.
Lucas Duda is one of the guys benefiting from the smaller park on the road. His streaky play on the positive side is back as two homers on Friday night were backed up by a grand-slam of a moonshot in the first-inning.
10 RBIs in two games … the Duda abides! http://t.co/mold8GTh16 #Mets pic.twitter.com/ly1CBsjDhM
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 26, 2015
The shot put any hopes of a Reds win today to bed early.
From there Harvey kept pitching and the lineup kept hitting. Granderson added two hits and a home run and Wilmer Flores and Daniel Murphy played stout defense up the middle.
The perfect symbol for the Mets turnaround as a franchise came in the ninth-inning.
With two-men on and the Mets locker room already buttoned up for champagne, the captain, David Wright, took a pitch to left-center field to add the cherry on top of a terrific season.
The champagne is on the bar and on ice…#LGM #Mets pic.twitter.com/uVJfZp4WNo
— Rising Apple (@RisingAppleBlog) September 26, 2015
HOME RUN #DAVIDWRIGHT!!!!! pic.twitter.com/QbWAadZeDR
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 26, 2015
Once down and out – both the Mets and Wright – are now on top of the baseball world.
With the NL Central sending three teams to October, the Mets are locked into the N.L.D.S. with Don Mattingly’s Los Angeles Dodgers. The are essentially tied for who’ll receive home-field.
This is the Mets sixth division title in franchise history and first since 2006.
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