The New York Mets’ home domination of the Toronto Blue Jays ended Wednesday. They’ll now have a day to prepare for what should be a challenging part of their schedule.
Doesn’t it feel like every time we hear an interesting historical fact or stat, it ends up being something against the New York Mets? That’s not actually true, but it sure feels that way lots of times.
Thankfully, I have one to share that’s actually in the Mets’ favor. Toronto Blue Jays fans should avert their eyes.
Since interleague play began in 1997, no team had produced a perfect home record against a singular opponent…except for the Mets when they host the Blue Jays in Flushing.
The @Mets are 11-0 all-time against the Blue Jays at home. Since interleague play began, no other team has a perfect home record against an interleague opponent (min. 10 GP).#LGM pic.twitter.com/x3EhvBvCjj
— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) May 15, 2018
Noah Syndergaard, Devin Mesoraco and friends kept this streak alive Tuesday night with a 12-2 victory before getting demolished in the finale Wednesday by a score of 12-1. This disappointing loss was interrupted by some rain, but the same thing happened the night before, too.
That 12-run outburst was a welcome sight for the offense after scoring just 15 over a five-game span entering their short series with Toronto. With an off day on Thursday, Mickey Callaway’s club will get to take a quick breath and hope they can recapture that magic from Tuesday before entering an important 17-day stretch, which will at least partly be happening without Yoenis Cespedes.
The upcoming two-and-a-half-week period includes three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks, three against the Miami Marlins, four against the Milwaukee Brewers, four against the Atlanta Braves, and four against the Chicago Cubs.
Of those teams, only Miami has a losing record, while the Cubs are the only squad that doesn’t at least have a share of first place. They’re right in the thick of things in the National League Central, though.
All the warm and fuzzy feelings from New York’s franchise-best 12-2 start to this season are long gone. The calendar hasn’t even flipped to June yet, but this is easily the most important stretch of their season-to-date. There’s an old adage that says you can’t win championships at the start of the year, but you sure can lose them.
With the Washington Nationals catching fire following a slow start and both the Braves and Philadelphia Phillies playing terrific baseball lately, the Mets must start playing more consistently if they plan on keeping pace in the National League East.
This includes actually stringing some wins together, which has been something that’s escaped them for quite a while, as Mike Puma of the New York Post noted.
Mets last won a second straight game on Friday the 13th in April. It's been a horror show ever since.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) May 16, 2018
That’s way too long for any team—especially one with playoff aspirations.
Watching the bats come alive on Tuesday was an encouraging sight, along with the hopes that it’d start some positive momentum. Any of those feelings were dashed just a few hours later on Wednesday.
Which team will show up for the next 17 days starting on Friday: the club that started this year on fire, the one that hasn’t been able to get anything going lately, or something in the middle?
We’ll find out soon enough.
