Mets 2015 Collapse Is Just as Bad as 2007 and 2008, But…

new york mets jacob degrom curtis granderson 2015 baseball mlb

Image via New York Times

I’m a Negative Nancy. That’s no surprise. I was very apprehensive about the Mets’ postseason chances heading into the last week of the regular season. I tweeted about their lackluster record against opponents outside their division and highlighted their abysmal record against the Cardinals, Pirates, and Cubs. Then, the last week of the season happened. That last week, I booked a surprise birthday trip for my then girlfriend, now fiancee (btw, I really hate that F word, so I’m looking for alternatives). My promise to lover her forever wasn’t my only vow. I vowed to be in the moment during this vacation and not check work email or sports scores on my cell. When she fell asleep, I did. And I regretted it big time.

Gif via Buzzfeed

Heading into the final week of regular season play, the Mets had just swept the Cincinnati Reds and clinched the NL East title. That series had me feeling somewhat better after a pretty disastrous / brutal 3 series stretch in which they lost 2 of 3 to the Marlins, Yankees, and Braves. The Yankees I could maybe wrap my head around because of Two Face’s innings limit garbage, but Miami and Atlanta? The Mets owned the NL East and now in the most crucial time of the season, they’re playing well under .500 ball against them?

As many pundits pointed out, if the Nationals had any kind of cohesion or chemistry in that clubhouse and didn’t have a Walking Dead roster, the Mets would be home watching the playoffs for the 9th straight year. Luckily, the Nats took a tailspin, allowing the Mets to bumble their way to their second division title in the 21st Century. But, hey, at least Scherzer got his second no-hitter of the season and then acted like he’d won the goddam World Series.

Apparently, a division title was good enough for the Mets because starting on Tuesday, September 29th, Los Metros got swept by the Phillies and lost 2 of 3 to the Nats. I managed to catch highlights from the Phillies series and it looked like the Orioles game after the Baltimore riots. Since the Mets led the head-to-head matchup against the Dodgers 4-3, it seemed like they would have home-field advantage for the NLDS. And, game-by-game, that advantage slipped away.

Entering September 15th, the Mets were up 22 games over .500! Something that a lot of Mets fans hadn’t seen since 2006. From September 15th to the close of the season on October 4th, the Mets went 7-10. Four of those wins came against Cincinnati. So, the Mets were 3-10 against the Marlins, Yankees, Braves, Phillies, and Nationals and ended up with a final record of 90-72.

yoenis cespedes mets 2015 salute fans citi field mlb baseball

Gif via Cut4 (MLB.com)

Sound familiar?

The 2007 Mets went 88-74, finishing 1 game back of the Phillies for the division title. That was a team that couldn’t get it together at Shea, but was awesome on the road. Entering September 15th of that year, the Mets were 20 games above .500 then went 5-11 down the stretch.

The 2008 Mets went 89-73, finishing 3 games back of the division title and failing to clinch the wild card spot on the last day of the season. Entering September 10th, 2008, the team was 81-63, 18 games above .500. They went 8-10 down the stretch.

Had the Mets just stayed the course and played to their averages, they’d finish with at least 92 or 93 wins. How many wins did the Dodgers finish with? 92. Mets would’ve won homefield advantage.

Who cares, right? ALL Mets fans should. In a best of 5, the Mets could very well be 3 and done. They have to go TO Los Angeles to face Kershaw and Greinke, which wouldn’t be so bad if they decided to start Two Face in Game 2. Instead, Terry Collins opted to go with Thor, a pitcher who is no bueno on the road. “Well, you need Two Face to save us from the sweep in Game 3!” Is this real life? Why not steal a game in LA then come home where Thor is mas bueno.

DeGromination has thrown less than 7 innings in 6 of his last 7 outings. Both his and Thor’s ERAs climbed towards the season’s conclusion.

And, of course, you have Two Face being Two Face…

Enough! Neal, you gotta stay position. Ya Gotta Believe. So, even though, I’ve got a sinking feeling that rivals Familia’s money pitch, here are # positive notes to keepin’ … the … faith:

The 2006 Mets went 7-9 in their last 16 games.

They’ve had 4 days to lick their wounds and heal their injuries. That means Cespedes’ hand can get back to form and maybe Wilmer Flores can eat solid food again.

Cespedes is a MONSTER in the postseason. In 10 games over the 2 postseasons prior to last year (2012, 2013), he hit for an average of .350 and he’s slugging was top notch in ’13. I think the pressure of trying to win the division and clinch home-field is off, now it’s showtime. Time to step into the spotlight and show everyone why you were in the conversation for NL MVP in only 2 months of play.

Granderson has gone through a renaissance of sorts. He’s been the catalyst for this group. Though his numbers against Kershaw are horrid, he’s hit well against Greinke.

Steven Matz threw 80 pitches in an instructional game in Florida today (Thursday) and says he felt fine. He appears to be good to go for Game 4 at Citi.

Tejada is hitting .357 with three walks in 17 career plate appearances against Kershaw.

Murph has been solid in the batter’s box when facing Kershaw and Greinke. He’s just a liability in the field. Hopefully, TC comes to his senses and replaces him late in the game with a lead.

Luke Duda, like Grandy, has struggled against Kershaw, but has success against Greinke.

Captain America is healthy and feisty. He’s held his own against the Dodger Duo.

Both deGrom and Thor pitched really well against the Dodgers in LA in July; each hurler picked up a win against Kershaw and Greinke.

Michael Cuddyer hits well over .300 in divisional series. Granted, it’s been 5 years since he’s seen mid-October baseball, but his veteran experience will be CRUCIAL to New York’s success. His platoon partner, Conforto, should lean on Cuddy for guidance.

Kershaw is 1-5 with an ERA of 5+ in the postseason. Greinke’s playoff record is better, but not lights out.

If the Mets can steal a win in the first 2 games, they’re set up to win the series in Citi. I’ll take Harvey over Brett Anderson in Game 3 and whomever the Mets throw in Game 4 against a depleted Kershaw or Alex Wood.

Two Face… sorry… Matt Harvey, despite a subpar year in which he had a lot of uneven, down outings and controvery out the Ying Yang Twins, can still pitch REALLY well…