Remembering Mets History: (2016) Mets Win Fifth Straight- Now Just One Game From Top Wild Card Spot

Terry Collins New York Mets (74-66) have taken it to a new level. Just like 2015, the Mets were making a late run after hanging around most ofthe season.

Just like the NL Champions of 1973, the Mets are making a fine September run, there is a lot of baseball left to go but the Mets are on the right track.

The Mets swept the Reds at Great American Ball Park with a little help from the Reds of course, but in any event it's a win as well as a series sweep.

 

The Mets have now won four straight, 7 of 9 games & since falling two games below .500 on August 19th where everyone had them dead, they've won 13 of their last 17 games. With all major injuries to the familiar roster, including three main infielders & three main starting pitchers, the team has turned it up a notch or two.

Thanks to everyone on the team contributing to the effort, a healthier Yoenis Cespedes, a rejuvenated Jose Reyes, more fine young pitching from the minor leagues (how good of a job is Frank Vioala doing down there) & a great speech calling out his team by Terry Collins, as well as an "atta boy" "I'm Proud of you guys" speech a few days later. The Mets finished this game just 1/2 game behind the second wild card spot & just one game from the top wild card spot.

Wednesday September 7th 2016: The Mets took on Bryan Price's Cincinnati Reds (57-81), as Noah Syndergaard went up against the Reds Anthony DeScafani.

Jose Reyes set the tone leading off with a HR to start the game. It was Reyes sixth HR of the year, his second in as many games & he has now driven in runs in four straight. The game slowly rolled along, with the Reds providing entertainment making base running mistakes & errors while not covering bases.

As Noah Syndergaard gave up a season high four walks, he was helped out by the Reds especially in the 2nd inning. Brandon Phillips was thrown out trying to steal & then Scott Schebler did the same, except he didn't even try to slide. In the 3rd inning with two men on. Eugenio Suarez was caught in a rundown on a double steal, Mets short stop Asdrubal Cabrera alertly threw home & nailed Jose Peraza. Catcher Rene Rivera making a fine play on the tag out.

Noah went five shutout innings, striking out seven while allowing the four walks on six hits. He earned the win (13- ) & kept his ERA at 2.48, placing him at second best in the National League. He entered the game fourth in the NL in strike outs & fifth in strike outs per nine innings.

In a wacky Mets 3rd inning, Synderagaard got his 8th hit of the year but was thrown out at second on a force play. Jose Reyes stole second & went to third when Yoenis Cespedes reached on a Reds error. Reds pitcher Anthony DeSclafani then tossed a wild pitch, as Reyes scampered home, DeSclafani never covered the plate as the catcher was ready to fire the ball back. 2-0 Mets.

Curtis Granderson added a solo HR, his 25th of the season. Granderson by far the Mets leader in games played, has struggled all season but has gotten hot as of lately. He has five hits, three HRs & six RBIs in six September games batting over .300. The Grandy Man is also one HR shy of last season.

The Mets also set a club record for most pinch hit HRs in a season beating out the old mark set in 1983. In the 8th inning after Granderson singled with his second hit of the day, pinch hitter Wilmer Flores connected for his 11th HR of the season.

The Reds woke up with three runs in the 8th inning, Addison Reed was brought on & struck out two batters although he did allow a single & then a double to Jose Peraza, that was almost a grand slam making it 5-3. In the top of the 9th, Asdrubal Cabrera doubled & a bad hop assisted Yoenis Cespedes with an RBI double making it 6-3.

Jeruys Familia came on for his 47th save of the year, on his way to the magic 50th.

Tuesday September 6th, 2016: Terry Collins Mets continued to feel comfortable in the Great American Ball Park, (remember they clinched here last year) winning their 14th straight game over the Reds.

 The Mets earned their fourth straight win, their seventh win in nine games, fourteen wins in the last eight teen games.

Rafael Montero took the mound against the Reds' Brandon Finnegan. The Reds put up a fight, as they got Montero with a two run HR from Adam Duvall (his 30th) & a rocket line out from Joey Votto following Hernan Iribarren's pinch hit triple.

The Mets scored first as Curtis Granderson blasted his 24th HR of the year, a solo shot in the 2nd inning. The next inning Jose Reyes hit a solo HR of his on his 5th of the year.

In the 7th inning, it was the star of the show taking center stage, The Mets superstar Yoenis Cespedes showed why he is just that. With Asdrubal Cabrera on after a base hit, Cespedes launched a HR to dead center field putting the Mets ahead for good with the winning runs 4-3. Alejandro DeAza added a solo HR in the top of the 9th as well. His 4th HR & 16th RBI since August 1st.

Quotes: Jose Reyes -"Every time we see Cespedes at home plate, we feel like he's going to do something special for this ball club. That's the kind of talent that he has. When you see him at home plate, you think every at-bat he's going to hit it out. That's the feeling for us in the dugout, so that's a good feeling to have."


Cespedes showed off his arm as well, throwing out Brandon Phillips trying to stretch a single into a double the next inning.

Quotes: Manager Terry Collins- "Veterans run the team, they're the ones who set the tone here. Our guys really do set a tone here. They are greatly prepared, they spend a lot of time with our young guys talking about getting prepared, and they come out ready to play. … They know it's time to step up."

Tonight with all the September roster players now on board, Terry Collins took advantage using seven pitchers out of the bull pen. It was Josh Smoker who got the win in relief getting to an incredible 2-0. Addison Reed got hold #34 & Jeurys Familia save #46.

 

Monday September 5th, 2016: A Labor Day matinee at Cincinnati was next up, after a quick flight from New York the Mets were ready to continue their hot run. Today it was all about "Big Sexy" Bart, or whatever you want to call him. Bartolo Colon, the Mets winningest pitcher in each of the last three season, went out again with another great performance.

Colon pitched six shut out innings, allowing five hits with one walk & two strike outs. The win got him to 13-7 with a 3.22 ERA, yet another very good season for the veteran.

In the 3rd inning, Matt Reynolds who was on a fight from Salt Lake City just a few hours earlier. playing on almost no sleep after rejoining the club, hit a solo HR his third HR of the year. He added an RBI single later scoring Travis d'Arnaud. The hitting machine of Kelly Johnson added a solo HR ( his 10th). Asdrubal Cabrera & Alejandro De Aza both added RBIs sealing the 5-0 win.

Looking Back on the weekend Washington Series:

Saturday September 3rd, 2016: A Citi Field crowd of 36,118 came to see the Mets snap their two game winning streak & get back to their winning ways of August.

Tonight Robert Gsellman went to the mound, with his Jacob deGrom look alike hair & pitched like him as well. After allowing a 1st inning run on a sac fly, he settled in for six innings of one run ball. Gsellman struck out four, gave up six hits & walked three on his way to his second victory.

With the September rosters expanded, the Mets used five pitchers (Jim Henderson, Josh Smoker, Addison Reed & Jeurys Familia) to notch down the win. The Mets got two runs off Nats starter Tanner Roark & a run off Matt Belisle, on their way to the win. Dusty Baker used seven relievers in this one.

In the home 3rd, Jose Reyes walked & Asdrubal Cabrera doubled setting up for Curtis Granderson's two run single. It would be all the Mets needed but James Loney added an RBI double to top off the 3-1 win.


Sunday September 4th, 2016: A crowd of 30,257 came out for the nationally broadcast ESPN Sunday Night Game as Seth Lugo, coming off a previous fine performance went up against Reynaldo Lopez.

In the 1st, Jose Reyes walked then advanced to third, on a Asdrubal Cabrera single & wild pitch. After the Nats came back with a Danny Espinosa solo HR, the Mets came back again.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Curtis Granderson hit his 23rd HR of the year, a two run shot scoring Yoenis Cespedes who had singled. In the bottom of the 6th, Jay Bruce hit a two run HR scoring Wilmer Flores capping off the 5-1 victory.

Seth Lugo scattered six hits across seven innings, allowing just the HR, walking no one & striking out four. Lugo lowered his ERA to 2.38 besting his record to 3-2. Addison Reed came on for his incredible 33rd hold of the season as Jeruys Familia closed it out.