The Mets are in trouble. This could very well be the second September collapse in a row for New York as they’ve now lost four straight while the Phillies continue their hot September and pulled into first by topping the Braves. Ryan Howard hit his 45th jack of the season to beat Atlanta 8-7 and is now in the driver’s seat while, looking at New York, I think they’re toast for the NL East’s top-seed.
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The Mets saving grace, though, may be the wild card since Milwaukee’s been faltering just as much as they have. In fact, the Brew-Crew just ousted their manager with two weeks left in the season. How that will help their cause, I don’t know. It’s far too late in the season to be making a key change like that.
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There is also the very real threat of the hot Houston Astros battling hurricanes to win a post-season berth, but I still find it quite hard to buy into their pitching staff.
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Then there’s the AL. While Chicago and Minnesota battle it out for the Central crown, the Red Sox and Rays are having quite the tilt on top of the East. The two were even tied (although Tampa’s winning percentage was .02 better) until the Rays defeated the Sox on a walk-off ground-rule single last night. With the distance these two teams have put between themselves and the Jays and Yanks in the East and the Twins/White Sox loser in the wild card, it’s a certainty we’ll see playoff baseball in St. Petersburg this fall. If you had told me that at the beginning of the season, well, if you had told anyone that in March, you would’ve been laughed out of whatever building you were in.