4 Up, 2 Down: Mets Show Off Power Against Padres

Things are looking a little bit better for the New York Mets.

With the end of the regular season fast approaching, the Mets moved another step closer to securing a postseason berth after taking the series from the San Diego Padres.

The Mets took two out of three from San Diego at Citi Field. As a result, New York is now a full two games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Cincinnati Reds for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. The Mets are also three games ahead of the Giants with nine games remaining.

Now 48-30 at Citi Field this season, the Mets very much have their destiny in their own hands as we hit the stretch run. It is now time to get the job done.

Before we reach that point, however, let’s recap everything from the Padres series in 4 Up, 2 Down…

4 UP

CHICKS DIG THE LONG BALL

We saw the full explosive potential of this offense throughout the Padres series. The lineup hit 10 home runs in the three games, which is the franchise’s most in a three-game series at home, per Elias. Now that’s impressive. What is also impressive is the fact that this offense now looks like a unit that can cause some damage in October. We saw how this lineup was able to blow away San Diego with brute force. Even in the loss on Wednesday, the offense was able to claw its way back into the game thanks to hitting four homers. Furthermore, the Mets have scored a total of 249 runs since August 1 – the second-most in the majors. If the pitching can sort itself out, then this offense has a chance to really set this team up for success in the postseason.

UNSTOPPABLE POWER SURGE

Pete Alonso seems determined to drag the Mets across the finish line all on his own. The slugger has now hit a home run in four consecutive games. All in all, Alonso finished with three homers, five runs scored and four RBIs against the Padres. Consequently, he now sits fourth in franchise history for the most RBIs in a single season with 121. This current captain clutch version of Alonso could give the Mets a real edge come playoff time.

BOUNCING BACK

Full kudos to Jonah Tong. Not only did the rookie bounce back from a nightmare start, but he also showed why he could be a weapon in the playoffs. The righty looked like a seasoned veteran in his outing against San Diego on Thursday, striking out eight and allowing just one unearned run over five stellar innings. Tong looked untouchable, retiring the final seven batters he faced and striking out four in a row at one point. His four-seam fastball was absolutely lethal and did the most damage. Tong showed a lot of maturity to respond the way he did to adversity. He also showed the kind of high upside that could see him play a starring role in October.

SIGNS OF HOPE

The Mets opted to piggyback Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea for Tuesday’s game. The experiment paid off. Both pitchers pitched well, with Manaea’s outing being particularly encouraging. The lefty allowed just one earned run – a solo homer – while striking out four over five solid innings. Not only did Manaea look good, but he also offered hope that maybe his best stuff could still be to come. Furthermore, maybe the strategy of piggybacking Holmes and Manaea could be one that potentially pays off in the playoffs.

2 DOWN

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM

The Mets officially have a David Peterson problem. The lefty struggled yet again in his latest outing on Wednesday, allowing six earned runs. That included a back-breaking grand slam that changed the entire tenor of the game. As a result of his latest struggles, Peterson now owns a 7.59 ERA over his last eight starts, allowing a total of 34 earned runs. That isn’t good. Furthermore, Peterson just hasn’t looked like the same pitcher since the All-Star break. He looked gassed and devoid of any confidence on Wednesday, which also isn’t good. If the Mets want to go deep in October, they will need Peterson to go back to the big-innings ace he was in the first half.

SETBACKS

Injuries continue to bite the Mets. Francisco Alvarez was hit on the arm yet again during Tuesday’s series opener. While it seems the catcher has escaped serious injury, you wonder how many more knocks he can take before he breaks completely. Plus, it is hard to get into a rhythm when you are constantly being hurt and removed from games. Meanwhile, Reed Garrett was placed back on the IL with a right elbow strain. Tommy John surgery is a possibility. If Garrett is indeed done for the year, then that will require another body to step up in the bullpen. As streaky as Garrett has been, this bullpen can’t really afford to lose key arms.

 

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