The New York Mets (76-64) are now in the home stretch of the season, making every game so important. Their next task will be to take care of business at home against the Cincinnati Reds (68-73), who have won four-consecutive games. The margin for error is so slim, and winning the games you are supposed to will be key in the race for a playoff spot.
Before we get to the upcoming series, let’s take a look at what happened earlier this week.
Photo by Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
It appears the Mets are hitting their stride at the most important time of the year. Their hot streak continued this week, taking each of their three games against the Boston Red Sox. The Mets held their offense in check, allowing a total of six runs throughout the series. With the race in the National League going down to the wire, any slip up could be costly. The Mets showed no let up, displaying their dominance against another team fighting for the playoffs. A second-straight sweep has given the Mets the longest active winning streak in baseball.
The National League Wild Card race has changed significantly in the last week. Seven days ago, the Mets were three games out of the final spot. That gap has quickly evaporated, however, as the Mets are now tied with the Braves as action continues Friday. The Mets not only have taken care of their own business, but also gotten help elsewhere. In addition to making up ground on Atlanta, the team has closed the gap on the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres. The Mets are now 2 1/2 games behind the Diamondbacks and three behind the Padres.
Despite what their overall record suggests, the Reds are coming into this series high on confidence. They are coming off a three-game sweep of the first-place Houston Astros, capped by a 1-0 victory on Thursday afternoon. The Reds’ playoff hopes are nonexistent, but the motivation to finish above .500 and play spoiler still exists. The Mets will not see any of their top three starters, as Andrew Abbott, Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo are all on the injured list. That being said, this weekend series will still test the Mets.
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