The Mets Are Proving To Be Clutch During Recent Streak
After finding themselves with a 20-23 record and in fourth place in the tough NL East division about a week ago, the New York Mets have won five straight games from Wednesday to Sunday to climb back to second place.
They are now, as of Monday afternoon, 25-23 and in second place, five games behind the Atlanta Braves.
That’s a much better spot than where they were early last week.
After dropping the series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, they took Wednesday and Thursday’s games before sweeping the Cleveland Guardians at home over the weekend.
The five wins were of the one-run variety.
That was good enough to tie a record in Mets history.
“All five victories during this Mets winning streak have been decided by one run. It’s tied for the longest streak of one-run victories in franchise history. (The 1984 team also had a five-game streak),” Mets insider Anthony DiComo tweeted.
All five victories during this Mets winning streak have been decided by one run. It’s tied for the longest streak of one-run victories in franchise history. (The 1984 team also had a five-game streak.)
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 22, 2023
To win a lot of one-run games, several things are needed.
One of them is a good bullpen and a little luck can help, too.
Of course, situational hitting also matters a lot.
In the Mets’ case, they scored two of those five wins with walk-off hits, a hit by Francisco Lindor on Friday against the Guardians (his former team) and a home run by Pete Alonso on Wednesday against the Rays.
It’s good to see the Mets’ stars performing when the team needs it the most: Alonso, Lindor, and pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.
Both hurlers combined to throw 14 innings of one-run ball on Sunday to secure a doubleheader win.
Little by little, the Mets are starting to look like contenders.