Make or break time for the Mets in Milwaukee
The team needs to stay ahead in the Wild Card race before the doubleheader in Atlanta
What’s Up with the Mets? 🌧️
The Mets are set to open a season-critical three-game series with the Brewers in Milwaukee tonight at American Family Field - they have not played since Tuesday night in Atlanta
LHP Sean Manaea will pitch the series opener against the Brewers with the rest of the rotation still up in the air, as they have not announced the rest of their rotation through the remainder of the weekend
Even with the rainouts, the Mets still have a path to playoffs - they just need to take it (MLB.com)
Francisco Lindor was in the lineup before the rainout and the team will need their MVP as they push towards the playoffs (NY Post)
The Braves are saving Chris Sale for their elimination game, which could mean he faces the Mets during Monday’s doubleheader in Atlanta (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Adam Ottavino isn’t retiring after the season - he intends to play winter ball in the off-season (New York Post)
Playoff Race 🏁
The Mets, Braves, and Diamondbacks all did not play and the Padres lost to the Dodgers.
The Mets and Diamondbacks are a game ahead of the Braves for the third Wild Card spot, tied with the Diamondbacks for the second Wild Card – although they have the tiebreaker – and three games behind the Padres for the 1st Wild Card.
The Mets magic number is 4 against the Diamondbacks and 5 against the Braves with five games remaining.
How does the magic number work?
Per FanGraphs, the Mets have a 78% chance of making the postseason.
Tiebreakers:
vs. ATL: 5-6
vs. ARI: 4-3 (finished)
vs. SD: 5-2 (finished)
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (87-70) at Brewers (91-68)
Where: American Family Field - Milwaukee, WI
Starters: LHP Sean Manaea (12-5, 3.29 ERA) vs. RHP Frankie Montas (7-11, 4.85 ERA)
When: 8:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
The Mets still control their destiny despite obstacles ahead… ✍️
Just win baby.
It sounds so simple. Yet it’s something that has alluded the Mets the past few seasons.
And September has been their waterloo.
With the wounds of 2022 still fresh and the scars from 2007 and 2008 still at the forefront of fans minds, it’s no wonder anxiety among the fanbase is at an all time high. Now add to that a trip to Atlanta, a loss, a rainout, and a doubleheader after the season, it has turned the humor and joy that has defined this team for the last four months into anxiety, nausea, and dread.
To make matters worse, Milwaukee has sneakily been its own house of horrors for the Mets in recent years.
In the last decade, they have only won one series in Milwaukee which came in 2022.
And of course, who can forget how the 2024 season started.
On Opening Day, Rhys Hoskins and his lingering Phillies-ness led to a benches clearing situation when he took out Jeff McNeil in the Mets loss. That was just the start of the terrible sweep at home by the same Brewers they are now facing with their season on the line.
The one thing the Mets have going for them is that Milwaukee does not have anything to play for this weekend - they’re locked into the third seed in the National League, so they probably won’t be allowing their starters to go deep into games and could rest some of their regulars ahead of Tuesday’s wild card series against whoever wins the third wild card.
Meanwhile, the Braves face the Royals next, the latter of which seemingly has a Wild Card spot locked up. The Diamondbacks take on the Padres, the latter of which has a comfortable lead as the first Wild Card leader in the National League.
Of course, the Mets can’t rely on help and will have to take care of business themselves in Milwaukee. But, if the Mets go 2-1 or sweep the Brewers, they will be in good shape heading into that dreaded doubleheader in Atlanta. Two wins for the Mets means Arizona needs two wins against the Padres in order to keep the Mets in the race heading into Monday.
For the time being, the Mets are still in a good position heading into the last five games of the season. The tiebreaker against the Diamondbacks is looming large right now and working in their favor.
In the end, it’s hard to believe the Mets won’t handle this weekend the way they’ve handled all of the adversity and uncertainty they’ve faced throughout the year, having overcome all of them to get to this spot today to emerge as the best team in the sport since May 30.
They now they have to find a way to do it for one more weekend, plus two.
If they play well and get a little bit of help, maybe Monday won’t matter for them.
Just win baby. Figure everything else out as you go.
Around the League 🚩
The Yankees blew out the Orioles to clinch the AL East with a 10-1 win
The Tigers beat the Rays 4-3 as they continue their improbable march towards the playoffs - they are tied with the Royals for the second wild card in the American League
The Twins lost to the Marlins 8-6, which puts them three games behind the Tigers and Royals in the AL Wild Card race with three games to go
The Dodgers clinched the NL West division with a 7-2 win over the Padres
A judge in the Dominican Republic ruled that Wander Franco will stand trial on charges that he sexually abused a minor after it was determined the prosecutor had presented enough evidence for a trial to proceed
The Athletics heartbreaking end in Oakland closed with a 3-2 win over the Rangers
DBacks have a tougher series. If they lose 2 of 3 and we take 2 of 3 we are in and who cares about what happens to the Braves