Wild Card round is here!
You got yourself a rivalry for the ages! Hatfields and McCoys, Montagues and Capulets, Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines....now...Hoff Mets and Zach Phillies!
Did most have the Mets written off? Sure. I mean, after this statement by the Mets skipper...
...the team lost eight straight, dropping them four spots in the standings and landing them in the one game playoff with the red hot, Red Sox. No one knew what to expect from that game especially when staff ace, Mario Soto was treated as Mario So-so and sat the game out.
Well, the Mets won that contest, despite that decision...will this light a proverbial fire under Soto and his underappreciated game, these playoffs? When asked for comment on this, Mets press secretary had this to say...
Anywho, that brings us the Wild Card Series at hand. Let's take a look at the head-to-head tale of the tape:
Suffice it to say, this doesn't look good for the Metropolitans on paper...but maybe they're due? It could be an uphill battle for sure as the Phightins are 3rd in ERA and WHIP.
That isn't to say, runs have been scored at these parks though, with Shea and the Vet being 4th in 5th and park OPS and 3rd and 5th in runs scored in their respective parks. The Mets just haven't been the ones scoring them, I guess. In four games at the Vet, the Mets scored a total of...8 runs. But let's not write the Mets off just yet, as they were 3rd in the league in slugging, so they have that "back in the game with one swing" potential! Oh sure you're probably going to bring up that the only park they slugged worse in on the season was Cleveland Stadium, right? Fair point. What's that? How did their top hitters do against Philly? Well, actually they did okay, as Stormin' Gorman, George Brett "and Butter" and Terry "The Terror" Kennedy had a combined .330 OBP and .449 SLG against Philly so...
Let's say they may need a little bit more than that though if they want to advance to the LDS. Especially since those three combined for just two homers and seven steaks, in nine game vs Philly.
Especially when the Philly's mashers have made the Mets pitching as soft as cream cheese...thawed, of course. Dale "Murph" Murphy, Chris Chambliss-ful and Jack "The Ripper" Clark...against the Mets this season....combined for a .356 OBP, .729 SLG, nine homers, 18 (Cheese)steaks and 17 runs scored.
Touched on Mario So-so being benched for the one-game playoff (despite actually pitching well in his regular season Shea outing vs the Red Sox) and having something to prove. Well, in his only trip to The Vet, it was no Mario Party for New York. He pitched five innings, allowed eight runs (all earned), eight hits, six walks and two homers.
On the other side, the Phils open the series with Joe Niekro on the hill and the Mets beat him once! .500 record against him! Of course the one time they faced him in Philly, he allowed one run over seven innings.
It's possible the Mets have some momentum now after snapping an eight game losing streak and maybe the glass slipper will fit them just right and they'll make a run!
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