Them’s The Rules

I’m going to put this out there with the NL Wild Card race tightening up tonight with all the teams in losing, and all the teams out winning:

If you lost the season series to the Mets, you’re not winning the World Series.

Sorry Giants, 4-3 against you. Rays? 2-1. You’re out. Mariners? You were the hottest team in the league, dropped two of three to us. Whammied. You’re out.

That also means the Diamondbacks, after losing their fifth game to the Mets tonight in six tries, are not winning the World Series. And after tonight’s 7-1 win, a win that saw them crush ace Zac Gallen, the run differential in their six games is 36-15. So don’t bet on them on Fan Duel or Draft Kings or Points Bet or You Bet Your Ass or any of those sties. Sorry Arizona, them’s the rules.

Joey Lucchesi was brilliant again tonight, throwing seven innings and giving up one run that was inherited. He’s had a few great starts up here while not pitching that well in Syracuse. And he explained post game that the ABS system down there was messing with him, which was interesting to hear if for nothing else his honesty. But Lucchesi has done enough here now to show that he can be a piece next season for the Mets.

And now that he’s shown that, the Mets should shut him down. He’s pitched 125 innings after missing all of last season with an arm injury. The argument for pitching him was presented to me as “let’s see what he’s got.” If the Mets don’t know what they’ve got with him after more than two years in the organization, then David Stearns should fire them all. After tonight, the Mets should definitely know what they’ve got, and that they’ve got enough to give him a real shot at a roster spot next season, whether as a fifth starter or a swing guy (unless we get the robots in the majors, in that case, cut him because he’ll obviously be useless.)

Shut him down. He’s done plenty. No need to risk his achilles tendons. See you in 2024.

Pete Alonso drove in three with a single and a double, and Mark Vientos hit a two run homer for his fifth of the season. But other Baby Mets didn’t fare so well. Brett Baty had two hits, but pulled a muscle in his leg and left the game. Ronny Mauricio didn’t even make it to the game as he was struck with an illness. As he’s a Baby Met, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Hand Foot and Mouth Disease, as this franchise has some history with that.

Today’s Hate List

Since the Braves clinched the N.L. East tonight, just pick five Braves and tweet them to me. I trust your judgement.