ATLANTA - Forgive me. If you've been following along on this wonderful journey (so far, at least), you know I'm the eternal pessimist when it comes to the Mets.
Good times mean one thing - something heartbreaking is bound to be on its way. Along those lines, in a small sort of way, has been a recent inability to deliver with two outs. Running in scoring position left to heave a sigh of despair as they trudge back to the dugout at the end of a inning teasing with reward snuffed by an empty at bat.
Yeah, I document a counterpoint with some heroics here and there, but, on the few occasions times have been tough, a two-out hit being substituted with a deflating strikeout or harmless fly ball has been prominent.
Maybe I need a little more patience, like the kind Mets' batters showed during a four-run uprising that vaulted the Amazins past Atlanta, 8-5, on Friday night.
Trailing, 4-2, after five, New York got consecutive singles from Jeff McNeil and Robinson Cano to spark hope, which was temporarily doused by a Pete Alonso fly out, rekindled when Dom Smith walked to load the bases and seemingly extinguished yet again after Wilson Ramos struck out.
However, the painful and persistent script took a twist. Michael Conforto walked to make it 4-3. Amed Rosario walked and it was tied up and Jake Marisnick lined a two-run double to suddenly thrust us in front, 6-4.
The red-hot Rosario increased the margin in the eighth, socking a two-run homer - his third in two games and 10th of the season and, just like that, the Mets were on their way to widening their lead in the NL East to 5 1/2 over the Braves.
Not to be overshadowed, Rick Porcello showed guts, shaking off the eight hits and four earned runs surrendered to pitch six innings with a conservative 83 offerings thrown. Big props to Brad Brach, who went 1 2/3 innings of relief to get to Edwin Diaz, who nailed down his 11th save, second only to Arizona's Archie Bradley's 13 in the National League.
I have to be real and give credit to this crew. It was only less than two weeks ago, mired in a six-game losing streak and hit with the news our ace would be out of commission for an extended period of time, pending doom appeared to be lowering in on the inevitable boom.
Instead, the Mets have proven shown incredible moxy, picking themselves off the deck and responding like a crew that in this race for the long haul. Being realistic isn't to be fashionable but to be level headed. Getting out of Atlanta with 2 out of 3 would be exceptional. But, simply getting off on the right foot with a win in the series opener, and with Jacob deGrom inching closer to a return (possibly getting a rehab start in a week) fans promise and optimism.
Also worth noting, McNeil's 3-for-5 showing pushed his average to .303 and back in the neighborhood of what we've come to expect. By going 3 for 4, Rosario is up to .267, is second in home runs behind Conforto and tops the Mets with 37 RBI, which puts him 7th in the NL, six back of league leader Ronald Acuna.
