Colorado Rockies 1976

He already said that he would…more than once.

Devils will need a real head coach at some point. But yeah, Blackwood played insanely well, in what is obviously a “now or never kid” season for him. Game had no business being as close on the scoreboard as it was. Team still going through some nASS-detox. Just keep at it.

No way do I re-sign him after this season if he opts out. No way.

The one myth that can now be put to rest is that the Mets have this automatic killer one-two punch at the top of the rotation. Jake doesn’t scare anyone right now.

And that’s that. Tough AB by Naquin but you knew he wasn’t getting it done. Up to Max.

Well Alvarez’s debut was a serious failure. Tough spot to put him in.

Big game against the Braves, of course the Mets disappear offensively and defensively. Two more games to put their vaginas away.

This is as same ol Mets as it gets. Hopefully Max can do something about that tomorrow. And save Megill for bottom feeders. That guy has no business pitching in a series like this…unless you’re waving the white flag.

Later Jake…someone else can buy your decline years. You were damned awesome in your prime though…no one can take that away.

Mets gotta figure out how to get McCan't the hell out of here this offseason. He went right back to being the zilch he was as a Tiger.

Not going to kill the Devils for the power play gaffes, for exactly the reasons stated by Ruff. And preseason games are for working out kinks anyway. And it’s never NOT great to beat the Rangers.

Some guys are just cursed. Given the "goofiness" of some of Nico's injuries, he seems like one of them at times...one of those "Goddamn it's always SOMETHING" players. If the Devils can get 140+ games combined out of Jack and Nico most seasons, I think the Devils are on their way to some fine seasons. If it's more like 120 or less...dammit all. I have a vision of what Nico's career will be...he'll be good to very good, when 90% or better healthy. But just when he's on some 30 points in 25 GP kind of run where it's all coming together nicely...bam. Injury. 10+ games missed. Then 5 to try to get back to where he was. Then 15 more terrific games. Then something else. So instead of 80 games or so and near a PPG pace, it will be 55-60 games and maybe 40-50 points, with every year ending on a "If he could just avoid..." note. I hope not. Basically, it will be "Man, he really was a good player, he had the talent, if only he could just stay on the damned ice!" I hope he proves me wrong, because I really like the dude...seems like a good guy and seems to like being a Devil.

I like Nico a lot, always have, but injury-prone primary core pieces are frustrating as hell…you can never count on them. Gotta be able to actually PLAY.

Seriously, think the over/under going forward for games played by Nico in any given season is 55.

Yikes...that lineup is about as "No thrills" as it gets... But at least we get to see more of Kid Ray.

Cramps...right

And to be clear, I am 100% not expecting a sweep…I will gleefully take 2-out-of-3. That means either one Met win or one Braves loss over each team’s final series and that’s that.

Having a one-game lead entering the series is huge, no question. And yeah, pointed it out a while ago, but win one game against the Braves, and you effectively have a one-game lead when tied. Part of the problem is Carrasco and Walker…both are complete wild-cards right now. A scenario where neither one gets it done against the Nats isn’t really that farfetched. But obviously right now, it’s don’t get swept against the Braves.

Crazy as it sounds, I almost feel like the Mets have to sweep the Braves...sounds extreme, but I have no faith in Carrasco and Walker...I can see both of them somehow imploding against the Nats, and suddenly that two-game lead that Mets would have after having won two out of three would be gone, with the division coming down to the final day of the season. But it's funny, and ironic, in that just like '7', I was in full "Randy Quaid" mode last night...when the Mets were down 2-0, I was already thinking "Way to go a$$holes, gonna get swept at home by the Marlins, at best now you'll be friggin' tied with the Braves heading into the big series!" I had the game as already decided, but they really haven't done much to deserve that kind of pessimism in 2022, they really haven't. With last night's win, they've won 9 out of 12 (I get it, somehow it doesn't feel that way). They've gone a solid 15-10 in September, yet '7' is using words like "collapse". Yeah, they've had annoying moments as of late, given the level of competition, but it's not like they've gone into some crippling lose 8-out-of-10 funk. They've avoided that ALL SEASON. I'm as guilty of it as times as everyone else (much as I've tried to stay level-headed), but it's like we all keep waiting for this disaster scenario to happen (I get that too, not like the Mets have never broken our hearts), and it never really does. Yeah, getting swept against the Cubs was pretty friggin' awful, but the Mets have won plenty since...it's not like that series set off some massive cliff-dive in the slightest. They remain consistent...they STILL have yet to finish under .500 for any of the 10-game blocks I've been keeping track of...they went 6-4 during games 131-140, and 7-3 over games 141-150. They're 3-3 so far over this final group (this one will be 12 games). Guess it's just another moment when I realize as much as we're almost expecting disappointment...maybe we should try to cut these guys some slack. And if the Mets lose the first game of this series and find themselves trailing in the second game early, I'm sure I'll go right back to ripping them for god-knows-what.

Agree re: Mattingly (it’s just never really truly happened for him, even with some postseason appearances), but I wonder if he gets a shot with the Yankees at some point…I mean, FFS, if they’re willing to just stick with Aaron Friggin’ Boone for this long…

And the fact is that come playoff time, it’s going to be guys like Escobar and Nimmo and some others who will have to step up. Am I going to be at all surprised if Pete and Francisco combine to hit about .200 with a couple of garbage time HRs in an extended playoff series? Not really. I know they’ve both been very productive, but they’re not Jeter, Chipper, Freeman…some guys you just KNEW were to going to find that way to shine in the biggest spots. I don’t see those two ever being that kind of player, who strikes fear into opposing teams and their fanbases.

Man Escobar seems like a pretty fun guy, heh heh.

Yeah and McNeil isn’t exactly Captain Clutch. I would’ve taken my chances against him.

Wow, would be nice if a team like the Marlins wasn’t such a damned chore to get past…but they got it done, and that’s all that counts. On to Atlanta.

And he does it again!