Too Good to be True?
Ya Gotta Believe!!!
It just doesn’t happen that often… a baseball team, playing on the road and on the verge of a crushing and overwhelming defeat, rallies to overcome a six-run deficit in the ninth inning, takes the lead, and then nails down the victory by mowing down the home team’s final three batters in decisive fashion.
In fact, including last night’s miraculous come from behind victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, this scenario has only happened three times in New York Mets franchise history! And to have two similar comeback wins plus a combined five pitcher no-hitter in the last ten days is the kind of stuff legends are made of. It’s the kind of magic that this team hasn’t seen in years and their fans are beginning to envision the possibilities for a dream season.
Mets TV announcers Gary Cohen and Ron Darling and radio announcer Howie Rose went crazy calling this improbable inning last night in Philadelphia.
“HOLY SCHNIKES! One of the most memorable comeback victories in franchise history!” shouted Rose. “UNBELIEVABLE!...A phenomenal victory, the kind of win you can live off for a month!” exclaimed Cohen, leaping to his feet and waving his arms. Darling added, ”The kind of win that makes the players feel like teenagers again!”
New Mets manager Buck Showalter, who has impressed fans with his knowledge of the game and strategic roster and managerial moves, mostly maintained his usual stoic demeanor, reminding reporters that while these types of magical wins are huge motivators, there’s still lots of baseball to play this season. When asked by a reporter, “What the Buck just happened out there?” Showalter almost managed a grin.
Mets center fielder Brandon Nimmo summed it up saying, “This doesn’t happen every day. No-hitters don’t happen every day Five-run ninth innings don’t happen every day. Seven-run ninth innings don’t happen every day. Those guys are getting paid a lot of money to get us out and they’re good at it, so this is not a normal circumstance.”
There’s no doubt that this has been a great start for the Mets (they lead the National League East by 5.5 games) but they are by no means the most successful team in baseball at this early point in the season. That honor goes to their cross-town rivals in the Bronx (for now).
But there’s no denying that the way the Mets are winning is the purest, most exciting type of baseball that can be played. Their starting pitching, despite the temporary loss of Jacob DeGrom, the best pitcher in the game, has been lights out. Their offense is no longer dependent on the home run and seems to manufacture runs with timely hits to the opposite field and in the gaps even with two strikes, two outs or in the last inning. They’ve got speed on the base paths and have made some spectacular defensive plays.
And above all, the players are functioning as a well-oiled team, picking each other up and contributing. In short, they don’t give in and figure out new ways to win every time they take the field, and in doing so are having the times of their lives. Ya gotta love it and “Ya gotta believe!”
opinion8ed2 
Well, they sure beat the Giants’ ass.Not looking forward to their visit to San Francisco in two weeks.
Editor’s response: It’s a long season and SF is every bit as competitive so it should be fun to watch regardless!
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Editor’s update: Well, the series in SF has come and gone and this time Joc Peterson proved too tough for Mets’ pitchers – he homered four times in two games. And although the Giants took 2 of 3 games to win the series, the second game was one for the ages. The Giants were coasting with a 6 run lead, the Mets came back to surge ahead and after two more lead changes, SF finally won in the bottom of the 9th.
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Not to give it a keinehora, but I couldn’t have expressed it any better. Are these really the Mets that we know and love? It’s been a pleasure to watch. I’ve already been to 4 games this year, which is more than I’ve seen them in person in the last 3 years. The whole family, including grandchildren for their first game, are going to see them play the Mariners a week from Sunday. LETS GO METS!!!
Editor’s response: Thanks for the keinehora qualification…I’m spitting on the ground after every win! We went to one game thus far and it was a disappointing loss but there does seem to be a different vibe in the air. And those comebacks!! LGM!
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