It was only two games, and in the long scheme of a 162-game season - it won't be THE reason why the New York Mets make the playoffs, IF they even get there.
But for a few hours anyway the Mets sent a direct message to both the Philadelphia Phillies and the National League with their 5-1 and 9-0 victories over the Phillies the past two nights. That message read: the Mets (correction) the first place New York Mets are ready to play. And if you don't like it, deal with it.
For a better part of the first month of the season, the Mets have been one of the most inconsistent to downright poor pitching staffs in all of Major League Baseball. After a weekend series in St. Louis that saw the New Yorkers lose two of three to the Cardinals, the Mets had the 25th ranked team ERA in baseball at 5.66, surrendering 4.15 walks per nine innings, ranked 24th, and had allowed about two homers per nine innings, ranked 23rd. Overall the Mets were getting outscored by -19 runs through 21 games.
With the Phillies and Brewers -- (two teams that look like powerhouses in the early season) -- coming to Citi Field this week, the fear was that things could get ugly. Real ugly. Then Steve Matz and Zack Wheeler decided to pitch to their potential.
On Tuesday, Matz bested former Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, holding the Phillies to an earned run over six innings, and recording six strikeouts. One of those strikeouts angered Bryce Harper so much that he was ejected from the game. The Mets bullpen, which has been anything but flawless this season, combined for three clean innings of relief as the Mets won 5-1, backing up a pair of RBIs by Pete Alonso and a homer by Jeff McNeil.
Then came Wednesday night, and Zack Wheeler was on a totally different level. A level we saw in the second half of last season from the right-hander.
Wheeler struck out 11 batters over seven innings of work, and contributed his first major league homer and three RBI in the Mets 9-0 victory. Wheeler was so on point Wednesday night that he struck out seven consecutive batters between the second and fourth innings, and looked virtually un-hittable -- even if he did give up five hits on the evening. He mixed and matched with a fastball that touched 98 mph, a splitter and slider that danced around 91 and a curveball that broke back over the plate at 83 mph. It didn't matter what speed he came at the Phillies, because they were missing and missing badly.
Wheeler is now 2-2 on the season. His ERA is down to 4.85, and his 33 strikeouts places him third on the team behind Jacob deGrom (36 Ks) and Noah Syndergaard (34 Ks). But more importantly, Wheeler was effective, and that is something the Mets have not seen a lot of this year from the pitching staff.
With game scoreless in the bottom of the second, and Luis Guillorme and Wilson Ramos on base, Wheeler stuck his bat out over the plate and pulled the ball down the right field line for a two-run double to give himself a 2-0 advantage. Wheeler later scored on an error by Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez as he had a ground ball off the bat of Brandon Nimmo slip under his glove.
Fast forward to the bottom of the fourth and Wheeler crushed a Zach Eflin pitch over the left field wall to push the Mets lead to 4-0. Finally in the fifth inning with the bases loaded with Mets, Todd Fraizermade his triumphant return to the lineup, blasting a Drew Andreson fastball over the left field wall for a grand slam homer to blow the game open at 8-0.
For the first time all season, the Mets pitching has matched the prowess of an offense that is ranked fourth in baseball in runs scored (128) and eighth in team batting average (.262). And for one night anyway the Mets find themselves all alone in first place at 13-10. Even if the Mets lose tonight with Jason Vargas on the hill, the efforts of Wheeler and Matz the past two nights should do wonders for the Mets confidence moving forward.
Consider it message signed, sealed, and delivered. Now the key is to keep the momentum going as this series against the Phillies wraps up, and the Brewers series begins Friday night.
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