On June 1, the Mets cruised to a 5-0 victory over a weak Nationals team. He says “relative” because, as we all know, nothing in Major League Baseball is ever easy. Because ace pitchers Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer were on the injured list, they couldn’t get back to where they were in the standings.
Even so, the Mets have been making it seem simple. They led the defending champion Atlanta Braves by 10 1/2 games and the Phillies by 12 1/2.
The Phillies and Braves were projected to contend heading into the season, while the Marlins were considered one of the potential breakout teams. And the Mets were entering the third month of the season with 500 records.
Phillips Won Nine Games
However, the plot is deepening. The Mets haven’t even had a bad season yet. They split four games with the Dodgers in Los Angeles, dropped two of three to the Padres, and then won two of three in Anaheim. Despite this, the standings have changed.
The Phillies had just won nine games in a row heading into Sunday, bringing them to within eight games of the Nationals. The Mets beat them on Sunday, extending their winning streak to nine games. Even so, it slid back to the point where it wouldn’t be the ridiculous comeback of all time. They aren’t, however, the central menace.
Max Fried A Young Candidate
As reported by CBS, The Braves are still undefeated in June. The defending champions have won 11 straight games and are only 5 1/2 out of first place. William Contreras and Michael Harris, both rookies, are sparking the offense, while veterans Matt Olson, Dansby Swanson, Austin Riley, and Ronald Acuna are also hitting nicely.
The bullpen has been outstanding, with Max Fried looking like a Cy Young candidate and Kyle Wright looking like a frontline starter. They also exude the swagger of champions. You’re aware of what it is. They have an atmosphere about them where they go around like they know they’re those, um, guys. Opposing teams are annoyed, but it’s one of the many advantages of being the champions.
