What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾

• The Mets rebounded nicely against the Athletics in their 13-4 win to take the series against Oakland (Box)

• Max Scherzer was brilliant again in his second start off the injured list. He struck out seven in six innings while giving up just one run

• Seth Lugo did not fare as well and gave up three runs in the ninth inning when the game was well in hand for the Mets

• Pete Alonso is the franchise’s new single season RBI king. He launched his thirty-ninth home run of the year which put him in first place for the franchise record for RBI

• Francisco Lindor’s hot hitting continued at the plate. He went 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI

• Lindor and Alonso combined to go 7-for-10 with two doubles, a home run and eight RBI with six runs scored on the afternoon

• Eduardo Escobar also went 3-for-5 with two RBIs as he continues to hit in September

• The Mets went 4-2 on their road trip, set a franchise record with 18 wins in rubber games this season, are now 47-31 on the road, 14-9 in September, 35-10-3 in series, 19-5-1 in road series, 86-0 when leading after 8, 7-9 against the American League West, 73-5 when scoring five or more runs, and 39-22 since the All-Star Game

Injury Updates 🏥

• Starling Marte (fractured finger) underwent a CT scan on Sunday on his finger and it showed improved healing - he will be allowed to progress through baseball activities as tolerated

Who’s Hot 🔥

• Pete Alonso is hitting .298/.388/.667 over his last 15 games with six home runs and twenty RBIs

• Francisco Lindor has an 11 game hitting streak. He is hitting .354/.360/.563 with two doubles, a triple, two home runs and 11 RBI with eight runs scored during that span

• Over his last 30 games Eduardo Escobar is hitting .304/.351/.569 with seven home runs and twenty RBI

The Pennant Race 🏁

The Mets have clinched a postseason berth (9/19)

• NL East lead: 1️⃣.5️⃣ games

• Magic Number to win NL East: 8️⃣

• Win pace: 1️⃣0️⃣2️⃣

  • Playoff odds (Fangraphs):

    • Win the National League East: 78.9 percent ⬇️

    • Clinch a first round bye: 78.9 percent ⬇️

    • Win the World Series: 17.5 percent ⬆️

Today’s Game 🗓

The are off on Monday - they will take on the Marlins for a two-game series that starts Tuesday.

All Hail Pete Alonso, the new RBI king… 📝

When Pete Alonso stepped to the plate in the fourth inning with Francisco Lindor on-base, he was only one RBI away from tying the RBI record set by Mike Piazza in 1999 and then replicated by David Wright in 2008.

The record has stood since but one swing of the bat by Alonso helped him surpass the two and put his own name in the record books at the top of the list.

Even with the Braves breathing down their necks, it must not be forgotten that this has been a special season by the team and Alonso’s season is just another example of that. Not only does his 128 RBI put him in the Mets record books, he is currently tied with Aaron Judge for tops in the league. The Mets slugger is currently hitting .270/.349/.521 with 39 home runs while being a consistent mainstay in the lineup the entire season.

Back in spring training, Alonso was involved in a terrifying car accident and has been very open about how he struggled mentally afterwards. His perseverance and the support of his teammates helped him overcome his struggles and focus on his work on the field. His hard work has paid off and he is putting together a memorable season that should be appreciated. He has been a major reason why the Mets are heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, a goal Alonso has been striving for since he entered the league in 2019.

Since his rookie season, Alonso has been as exciting player to watch as anyone in baseball and one that seems destined to smash all the offensive records in Mets history, even with the pandemic-shortened 2020 season (just imagine where he would stand among the greats if he had a full 162 game schedule to work with in 2020).

That is if the Mets extend him long term. And now might be the time for them to keep the Polar Bear in Queens for the foreseeable future.

The Braves have extended a good portion of their young stars themselves including but not limited to Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II, so if the Mets want to continue to compete with them they will need to counter with their own firepower with their mighty checkbook. Decisions will surely need to be made on Jacob deGrom, Edwin Díaz, and Brandon Nimmo, Chris Bassitt and others, some of which might be more difficult to make than others.

But ensuring one of the most prolific hitters and personalities in the game (and undoubtedly the greatest power hitter they’ve ever cultivated), building a long-term brand around a young star and most importantly, not having to worry about who’s on first for a long period of time (like they did with Francisco Lindor) might be worth pursuing once the season reaches its conclusion.

Of course, this can be one of the many conversations and debates to be had starting in mid-November. For now, this will be Alonso’s first foray into the playoffs, and his greatest chance to-date to win and be at the center of a championship.

Buckle up and prepare for dingers!

Down on the Farm 🌾

• Jake Mangum (OF, Triple-A): 2-for-5, 3B, 2 RBI, R

• Nick Dini (C, Triple-A): 2-for-4, HR, RBI, 2 R

Box Scores: Triple-A

Around the League 🚩

• The Phillies Philliesed and dropped their final game to the Braves by a score of 8-7 in eleven innings - the Phillies are 1.5 games ahead of the Brewers for the third Wild Card spot, who lost 2-1 to the Reds at Great American Ballpark

• The Padres increased their lead over the Phillies for the second Wild Card spot to 1.5 games with their 13-6 win over the Rockies in Denver

• Aaron Judge was on deck when the rain came and was unable to make history in the rain shortened Yankees victory over the Red Sox

• The Royals scored 11 runs in the fifth inning to erase a nine run deficit against the Mariners

• Manager Don Mattingly and the Marlins will be parting ways after the season

• The Dodgers took down the Cardinals to clinch the number one seed in the National League and set a franchise record in wins

• The Guardians defeated the Rangers and broke out the champagne to celebrate clinching their first division title since 2018

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