Being in the top-heavy National League is the best thing the New York Mets have going for them.
Together with a few other sub-.500 clubs, the Mets (28-36) are still in the running for the postseason despite their dismal record and inability to go on a roll. With their victory on Sunday, they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5, but it left them 3 1/2 games out of the wild-card spot.
Owner of the Mets Steve Cohen believes that more time should be given to the situation before making any choices on the trade deadline.
“I know everyone is focused on the trade deadline but we have a lot of games to play,” Cohen said before the game. “Let’s stay focused on what’s happening now. We’re down nine games to get to .500 but four games out of the wild card and we shouldn’t be proud of that. But it gives us an opportunity to end the season on a success.”
But eventually, the Mets have to make a choice. Club insiders indicated a few weeks ago that decision-makers were still a few weeks away from knowing enough to declare the Mets competitive.
Steve Cohen feels that the decision-making of the Mets as an organization is “a lot sharper” than it has been in the past
Cohen with more on the big picture of the Mets: pic.twitter.com/KnPKb881yA
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 9, 2024
The most desirable trade candidate, assuming the Mets were sellers, would be first baseman Pete Alonso, followed by designated hitter J.D. Martinez, starting pitcher Luis Severino, and a plethora of other players. The Mets are quite intriguing in what looks to be a seller’s market because of where they are in the standings and how many players have expiring contracts.
Cohen is correct when he says the Mets have been playing better lately. The Mets had won five of their previous seven games before to their trip to London. But in Saturday’s defeat, the distance between them and the Phillies, one of MLB’s best clubs, appeared to be considerable.
“You certainly want to have high standards,” Cohen said. “If you get into the playoffs and you’re four games under .500, it’s nice to make the playoffs and anything can happen, but still you’ll say, ‘Wow, that was not optimal.’ It’s not the way you would envision it. But I’ll say it again we have a lot of games left. I think the team is starting to show signs and hopefully we’ll keep winning some games.”
Phillies’ Turner could return soon
Trea Turner, the shortstop for the Phillies, may be back in the starting lineup by the end of the following week, according to Phillies manager Rob Thomson. Turner worked out on Saturday on the West Ham United practice field near London Stadium. Turner has not played since May 3 due to a strained left hamstring.
“It went well,” Thomson said. “Wherever he was before we got here, we’re going to keep him right there, which is roughly 70, 80 percent. He did very well on the grass yesterday and he did all his ground-ball work and hitting the cages.”
Turner has been replaced on the field by Edmundo Sosa.
“I’m just living the moment, trying to have fun and do the best I can to help the team win, which is the most important thing right now,” Sosa said. “We all know Trea is a superstar and when he returns he’ll be one of the corners of our team. He’s an important piece so I’m just going to keep doing my job and preparing well for the team with the same hunger to win.”
A twist on tradition
On Sunday, MLB made a return to London Stadium, where players carried on albeit slightly differently than they had the previous evening.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson, Chase Utley, and Bryce Harper performed a comedic performance that culminated in the first ceremonial double play in the history of the game on Sunday.
The “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” The ceremonial first pitch was scheduled to be thrown by celebrity and Wrexham football club owner McElhenney. His wife Olson was expected to visit the mound from the dugout, while Utley was scheduled to come to home plate. Harper raced onto the field to finish the performance, having just finished his famous soccer celebration the previous evening.
MLB’s first ever ceremonial double play featuring @RMcElhenney @KaitlinOlson @bryceharper3 and Chase Utley at the #LondonSeries pic.twitter.com/0nSn3TFBbq
— Bat Flips and Nerds (@batflips_nerds) June 9, 2024
Lindor: Keep calm and carry on
Francisco Lindor called the London Series “fantastic” and said the “atmosphere is great.” The combined attendance for the two games was 108,956. (That is 55,074 for the second game and 53,882 for the first.)
However, the shortstop for the Mets noticed that the extra rest included in the schedule interfered with the regular-season flow.
“I do think that we had too much time off,’’ remarked the four-time All-Star. “I understand that there is a procedure for selling the games and other things, but in my opinion, it would have been a little more advantageous to just walk there and play the same day.
“It almost feels like an All-Star Game, like All-Star-type festivities. We’re in the regular season where games do matter. If it was up to me, let’s have the experience, but let’s show up and play the next day and get things done quicker.”
Phillies arrive in numbers
The Philadelphia native McElhenney felt completely at home at London Stadium. The cheesesteaks were the only thing lacking.
“It felt like Citizens Bank last night,’’ McElhenney said before the game. “I can tell you, objectively, there are a lot of Philly fans here, when you look around, when we were driving in, it seems like it’s 75 percent Phillies fans, so I don’t know, at some point the Mets fans will show up, but it might just be a little bit later.”
Utley, the former second baseman who joined the Phillies in 2003 and played for the team for 13 seasons, encouraged McElhenney to get involved with the London Series.
“To get a call from one of my best friends, Chase, and MLB to be a part of growing the sport of baseball in the UK was just such a great honor and a great opportunity,” he said.
Harper could be a DJ in the UK
Harper welcomed the opportunity to curate a playlist with a London theme and obviously thought carefully about his walk-up tunes. The Spice Girls’ “Wannabe,” The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun,” and Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” were among the songs he selected to listen to.
“I’ve been thinking about it for about a week now, seeing what I wanted to do, I thought I picked some pretty good ones.” Harper said after the game on Saturday night
(Top photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth / Associated Press)
