Sunday? The Mets.

In the year of our Lord, 2018? Well…

WHAT HAPPENED, DON’T YOU EVER TELL ME THERE IS CONSEQUENCES:

The odd thing about having the final recap of the season is that, well, this article can go in multiple directions. Do you focus on Game 162 like it was any other? Do you turn one game into one long, drawn-out metaphor for a 77-85 season? I had the, let’s say, pleasure of recapping this very game last season. It ended, as follows: “Farewell, 2017, and may you rot in hell.” As you can tell, I wasn’t exactly filled with optimism for 2018. And, as you might remember, there was a lot to be upset about when we were here last season.

While 2018 was similar in a lot of ways, it felt different in all the wrong ways. Overall, it just felt tired. It felt exhausting to yell the same things into the same void and question if anyone with decision-making ability is watching the same game that you’re watching. As a sports fan, that’s just how it is sometimes. It’s one of the more pointless aspects, sure, but it’s a feature of fandom nonetheless. That’s because we view sports as our release. Our mental break from the seemingly endless grind for the thankless bourgeoise. No matter how in-depth your fandom is.

It’s this aspect of fandom, escapism, that allows fans to see themselves as owners much too often. It’s this aspect that allows fans to focus on the vision they had of themselves playing professional sports, for better or worse. More importantly, it is this aspect that creates an environment where the thing you feel so deeply invested in, well, it might not actually matter at the end of the day. It is this aspect that allows fans to tell themselves the game they see is completely devoid of the context of society. Out of sight and out of reach, even when it is so clearly, painstakingly not.

The Mets started Sunday by allowing an accused domestic abuser to hit and/or play the field. This, of course, isn’t new. For this specific player, Sunday marked the 315th game in which that statement reigned true. And while that might seem a bit abrasive, that fact about Jose Reyes cannot possibly be separated from him. It is central to how he even wound up here in the first place.

On May 13, 2016, Jose Reyes was suspended 52 games by Major League Baseball under the league’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. He was immediately released by the Colorado Rockies on June 15, 2016, upon completing his suspension and being taken off of administrative leave. After waiting the required amount of time, Reyes was scooped up by the Mets for the pro-rated Major League minimum. He was immediately welcomed with open arms. He received a standing ovation by Mets fans.

Everything since than has been pretty simple. Reyes has played at an awful level, but somehow managed to get a seemingly unlimited amount of opportunities. To anyone paying attention at the end of the year, it’s been pretty clear why. The Mets front office and the Wilpons have an insatiable desire to rehab the former great. Waiting for the perfect opportunity, all parties seized the David Wright opportunity. And, using the credibility/persona that is ‘The Captain,” the Mets seem to have been successful in their efforts to rehab Jose Reyes. Like he did the day he returned, he received a standing ovation on his way out the door.

Reyes isn’t the first person to be accused of domestic abuse and see their career rehabbed. About the only thing that makes him unique is that, despite poor play, he still found some form of redemption among the fanbase, which, ultimately, speaks to the farcical and downright awful fact that plenty of fans conflate athletic performance with some sort of corrective action for domestic violence charges. It lays barren the biggest lie sold to our society: actual domestic abusers, specifically high-profile ones, don’t face actual repercussions.

No matter how many times we repeat and shout about what Reyes allegedly did, nothing changed. People forgave in the absence of any true reason to forgive. People were eager to assume change and “time served.” He was immediately given a blank-check chance for redemption, as if the area of baseball were even remotely able to provide him such a thing, and never looked back. The Mets, who understood that the fanbase was truly eager for a reason to forgive, made sure this narrative was written in stone.

This type of treatment also holds up to what occurs in our world at large. Be it domestic abuse or sexual assault. Aroldis Chapman won a World Series ring the season he served his suspension. Not even a year after the public learned about some truly heinous acts committed by Louis C.K., he had a gig in New York at the Comedy Cellar. Chris Hardwick is back to riding whatever coattails “The Walking Dead” has left. Barry Bonds just had his number retired in San Francisco. If Brett Kavanaugh doesn’t get his promotion, he’ll just go back to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The list goes on and on.

It is truly remarkable that people can say charges of domestic violence/sexual assault can ruin someone’s career. It is a boldface lie. It is always told to serve a purpose. And, with Jose Reyes in particular, it is so easy to see. Accept for a second the premise (a premise which has a abysmally low rate of even occurring) that some levied accusation is false, but believed as truth. Is there really any overwhelming evidence that someone already owning notoriety will even feel more than a slight road bump in their career?

We sit idly by as the powerful use their clout to shake off the irreversible and deep trauma that they have imposed on another human being. While I’d like to believe we’re better, the fact of the matter is that many of us look for any excuse at all for things to go back to the way they were.

We disregard the pain and suffering of people we don’t know in favor of more well-known people that we don’t know. We have no reason to give high-profile abusers cover or a pass because we like the way they used to hit a baseball or throw a fastball or act or vote in ways we would vote. And yet, here we are.

At the time of Reyes’ return, Sandy Alderson had this to say: “I go back to the fact that he was with this organization as a teenager, as a young adult, and during all of that time with us — admittedly a few years ago — he was a very good citizen across the board. We are confident we’re going to get the best possible version of today’s Jose Reyes.”

Even if Alderson isn’t running things nowadays, that quote is very telling. It lets us know where the Mets wanted to try and return Reyes’ career. It perfectly combines the use of a non-sequitur and a strawman to skate around the fact that people we view as obtaining all types of great characteristics can still do terrible things to other people. And, at the end of the day, those other people should be who this whole discussion deserves to be centered around.

So, this is (potentially) the last time we’ll see Jose Reyes in a Mets uniform. It is long overdue, but all the Mets have done to rehab his character should remain a stain on this franchise for years to come. The sad reality, however, is that it won’t. Because even though we think of sports as some event outside of the jurisdiction of modern society, it isn’t. And if our society and our culture is an indication of the future of Jose Reyes, he’ll have his number retired in seven years. What a just world this is.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

The other team. I think their socks are red, or something.

WHAT HAPPENED, SUNDAY-GROM:

Another day, another good start by Jacob deGrom. As the soon-to-be National League Cy Young winner has done all season, deGrom truly put the Mets in the best position to win. Without the third inning, deGrom really doesn’t have any messes to escape from. A walk here, a two-out runner there. Never having to deal with multiple runners on. But, alas, the third inning did happen.
It looked like deGrom had a clear path out of trouble, though. Rafael Devers and Christian Vazquez singled with one out in the third, putting runners at the corners for deGrom. His first baserunners of a game which, to that point, had seen him match Chris Sale punch-for-punch. Even after a Mookie Betts sac fly to center field scored Devers, two outs to the red-hot Brock Holt seemed preferable. Of course, even preferable scenarios can end badly. Jumping on a fastball deGrom left over the heart of the plate, Holt smashed a ball to right-field for a two-run homer. Given just how…let’s say inept…the Mets have been in deGrom-started games this year, that appeared like it could be enough.

Despite this, however, deGrom quickly returned to form. Against a lineup known for its ability to not strike out — specifically against right-handers — deGrom recorded 12 strikeouts across seven innings. And this time, he was even rewarded for keeping the Mets within reach! What a concept! Even if the game was ultimately decided with Seth Lugo on the mound, deGrom held the Red Sox long enough for the Mets to tie things up in the seventh inning.

For those keeping track at home, this was also deGrom’s 10th start in 2018 with double-digit strikeouts. It was also his fifth 12+ strikeout game. Sunday also saw deGrom extend his career-high season-strikeout total to 250, and gives him 982 career strikeouts. Translation? Jacob deGrom, the 2018 National League Cy Young award winner, has been really freaking good.

WHAT HAPPENED, YESTERDAY:

This week doesn’t feature an offense portion because, well, not much happened at the plate. Jay Bruce got caught stealing. Michael Conforto recorded a multi-hit game for the sixth time this month, and has generally been on fire. Given Conforto’s weird overall season, it’s pretty incredible that he’s clawing his way back to the .800 OPS mark. After Sunday, Conforto owns a .776 OPS with two weeks left to play. Largely enough, the same can be said for the other guy who recorded two hits on Sunday — Amed Rosario. It’s probably fair to say he’ll eclipse the .700 OPS mark before the season ends (currently .693) and he has shown flashes of what could (eventually) be a usefully hitter down the stretch.

Even if Sale kicked off a bullpen game for the Red Sox, their bullpen proved insurmountable in the end. The Mets fought hard to tie it up, and Lugo surrendering one extra-base hit proved to be all it took for the Red Sox to put it away. The positive, sort of? This series was the first the Mets have lost all month, as they have played much better down the stretch. Maybe it’s fool’s gold going into 2019. Well, no maybe. It is fool’s gold. But it keeps us going. You can feel free to decide if that’s a good or bad thing.

WHAT HAPPENS, TODAY:

The Mets square off against the Philadelphia Phillies in their penultimate road series of the year. Zack Wheeler will face Jake Arrieta, as the Mets look to end things on a high-note leading up to the final week of the 2018 regular season.

Photo credit: Winslow Townson – USA Today Sports

The Mets, who are suddenly good

WHAT HAPPENED, WE’VE GOT CONFORTOOOO, ON A CLOUDY DAY:

Michael Conforto is good again, and this is reason to rejoice. The lefty outfielder drove in four runs on Sunday, made some phenomenal plays on defense, and beat out a groundball to first. These are happy times — no, the best of times. To properly honor his resurgence, a song is in order. I give you ‘My Girl’ by the Temptations, but Michael Conforto.

[We’ve] got sunshine on a cloudy day
When it’s cold outside [we’ve] got the month [before] May
Well I guess you’d say
What can make [us] feel this way?
Mi-chael (Mi-chael, Mi-chael)
Talkin’ ’bout Mi-chael (Mi-chael)

[He’s] got so much [talent, opposing teams] envy [us]
[There’s no] sweeter song than the [crack of his bat]

Well I guess you’d say
What can make [us] feel this way?
Mi-chael (Mi-chael, Mi-chael)
Talkin’ ’bout Mi-chael (Mi-chael ooh)
Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey
Ooh yeah

[We] don’t need no [Yelich], [Harper] or [Lorenzo Cain] (well…yes we do)
[We’ve] got all the riches baby one [fanbase] can claim (oh yes [we] do)

I guess you’d say
What can make [us] feel this way?
Mi-chael (Mi-chael, Mi-chael)
Talkin’ ’bout Mi-chael (Mi-chael)

[We’ve] got sunshine on a cloudy day
With Mi-chael (Mi-chael)
(Talkin’ ’bout Mi-chael Mi-chael) I’ve even got the month of May
With Mi-chael (Mi-chael, woah)
[He’s] all [we] can think (Mi-chael)
(Talkin’ ’bout Mi-chael Mi-chael)
Talkin’ ’bout, talkin’ ’bout Mi-chael (Mi-chael, woah)

WHAT HAPPENED, SETH LUGO (MOSTLY) SLAMS THE DOOR:

Over the past few weeks, Seth Lugo really proven that his July woes are in the rearview mirror. Coming into Sunday, Lugo hadn’t allowed a run since August 21; over that time span, we’ve seen his fastball velocity consistently improve, a pitch which he is upping the usage of. That development really played into Sunday’s action, as the righty threw 13 fastballs over two innings of work, recording a whiff on four of the seven swings he was able to garner.

We know the Statcast darling generates a healthy number of swings-and-misses, but his ability to create them with his heater increases the potency of his curveball. It’s a great sign moving forward, and is certainly an area to watch moving forward. Will Lugo touch 100 mph next season? Probably not. But his move to the bullpen gives him an ability to sit in the upper 90s far more consistently, so it’s not unthinkable to see him sit 97 mph in the near future.

As for his actual performance? Lugo was lights out. He was tasked with a two-inning close, and was able to wrap things up in seven batters. The only blemish? A solo home run to Carlos Santana with one out in the ninth. Though not ideal, it certainly is acceptable when you finish with five strikeouts en route to maintaining the lead that closes out another series win.

WHAT HAPPENED, YESTERDAY:

Michael Conforto reminded us why we can maintain just enough optimism about 2019 to keep going. A healthy outfield featuring Conforto, Brandon Nimmo and Yoenis Cespedes should not be slept on, to say the least. Seth Lugo slammed the door, and Corey Oswalt had…a start. Which, of course, is the typical Corey Oswalt start. In the end, it’s another series win for a team that now…wins all their series? It’s a wild game, this baseball.

WHAT HAPPENS, TODAY:

Barring rain, we hope to see another installment of The Jacob deGrom Show. He’ll be going on an extra day of rest, thanks to the drizzly Sunday afternoon that was the Mets-Phillies finally. I’m sure he’ll be delighted by the trade, though, as the Mets will square off against the Miami Marlins and Jeff Brigham.

Photo credit: Gregory J. Fisher – USA Today Sports

The Mets, but on the West coast

WHAT HAPPENED, THE NOAH SYNDERGAARD SHOW:

Sunday featured some interesting storylines. Michael Conforto homered. Jeff McNeil and Todd Frazier recorded a pair of hits. Most important? Noah Syndergaard was freaking good. It’s no secret that August was a rough month for Syndergaard, whose 2018 has been lukewarm at best. As I’ve written in earlier recaps, it isn’t that a 3.51 ERA was all that bad. It’s just that we’ve been spoiled by what Noah Syndergaard can be. On Sunday, Syndergaard returned to pre-2018 form.

Allowing just one run, Syndergaard struck out 11 batters in the first complete game of his career. It was magnificent. It was beautiful. It was a reminder that the true form of the God of Thunder is still in there, fighting back from what has been about a year and a half of various injuries. When Thor throws 89 strikes in 114 pitches (about 78%), garnering 22 whiffs in 69 swings (about 32 percent of the time), you know it was a great day. Sure, his velocity was some of the best we’ve seen from him this year. Sure, his curveball and slider were fantastic. But his changeup? It was in another dimension. Throwing it 24 times, Syndergaard garnered 16 (!!!) swings and nine whiffs, good enough for a 56% whiff/swing rate. It was absolutely unhittable.

So, what worked for Syndergaard? Literally everything. His entire repertoire didn’t just border on untouchable, it was astounding. With the exception of an error in the seventh, not a single Giants batter reached base past the fourth inning. It was a truly dominant outing for Syndergaard, one of the best performances we’ve seen from him in nearly two years. Maybe an abrupt turnaround from his final outing of August means that the power righty has finally solved his woes, though only time will tell.

WHAT HAPPENED, YESTERDAY:

/Lucy places an ample looking football on the ground

Syndergaard finally joined what has been a resurgent starting rotation. Coming into Sunday, the Mets have posted a 2.75 ERA over the past month — good enough for the third-lowest in the National League. Sure, they’ve been carried by Jacob deGrom and Zack Wheeler, but it’s easy to sleep on Steven Matz and Jason Vargas. Looking at the season overall, it’s probably well deserved. But it’s hard not to recognize the string of solid outings they’ve put together, with Syndergaard now looking to join them before September ends.

/Charlie Brown eagerly readies to kick the football

Maybe the Mets have finally realized the potential of their rotation, and maybe they can carry the momentum into 2019?

WHAT HAPPENS, TODAY:

The Mets wrap up the west coast portion of their roadtrip with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team in the midst of an absolutely thrilling NL West race. The Dodgers have gotten hot at the right time and will look to keep it that way. They’ll send Alex Wood to square off against Jacob deGrom, who is about six starts away from being named the National League Cy Young award winner (editor’s note: just because you say it forcefully doesn’t make it so, Shawn).

Photo credit: D. Ross Cameron – USA Today Sports

The Mets! Another series! Rejoice!

WHAT HAPPENED, VARGY DOES HIS THING:

It’s no secret that Jason “Vargy” Vargas has faced his share of struggles. Entering Sunday as one of the worst starters of the year, the lefty managed to look just good enough to hold the Phillies for five innings. Sure, the only NL teams below the Phillies in OPS against left-handed pitchers are the Mets and Marlins, but for five innings, Vargas looked like he might actually be fine. After all, five innings of scoreless baseball isn’t a small feat.

Yes, balls were hit hard. The clock struck midnight when we entered the sixth frame, but it was a fine start overall. Vargas has now allowed just four earned runs in his last 11.1 inning, striking out just as many over that span. He isn’t blowing guys away, but his change-up worked for him  last night and, more importantly, so did the gloves of his defenders.

Of course, we’re past the point of convincing, but it leads one to believe that Vargas might have something left to give. Some area left where he can succeed. Surely, it’s not against righties. Oh God no. He’s one of the worst in the league there. And, well, he’s not great against lefties either. Not as a taker of meaningful innings, that’s for sure. Maybe it’s somewhere more remote. Against offenses that don’t hit lefties well. Or, generally, well at all. Maybe it is on Sundays, when The Lord has commanded opposing hitters to rest. Somewhere around this area seems to make the most sense.

WHAT HAPPENED, THE METS MAKE AN ALBUM:

At the plate, the Mets had a very unique outburst. You look at the linescore, and one thing sticks out. The Mets scored a ton of runs (8) on a ton of hits (14). When you look at the boxscore, it looks even better. Jeff “JT” McNeil, Jose “JoeyBats” Bautista and Kevin “Plaw Dawg” Plawecki recorded two hits apiece, Amed “El Niño” Rosario recorded three. That’s a lot of hits, but here is the kicker: they were all singles. Only one (1) of the Mets’ 14 hits on Sunday netted extra-bases — a pinch-hit, RBI double from Dominic Smith in the eighth inning.

It’s certainly one of the wilder things I’ve ever seen, and was most apparent in how the Mets got to Nick Pivetta early on. In the top of the second inning, the Mets put up four runs on five singles. Singles to left, center, right. The Mets were hitting the ball everywhere, and everywhere it was earning the Mets exactly one base. It was an effective tactic, as it bounced Pivetta in the fourth inning after throwing 79 pitches. It wasn’t your usual outburst, but it was an outburst nonetheless. It only left one question to be answered: will the Mets go platinum with this album?

WHAT HAPPENED, YESTERDAY:

Vargas and the pen finished strong against the Phillies. The lineup singled the Phillies to death. Overall, the Mets have officially spent the last two weeks…not losing? It’s a wild concept, I know, but the Mets have played better ball against mostly subpar opponents. Who knows if it will last, and I’m sure you’ve stopped caring, but it’s fine. Everything is fine.

WHAT HAPPENS, TODAY:

The Mets head back home to start a seven-game homestand, which starts with the San Francisco Giants. Derek Holland with face the scorching-hot Zack Wheeler, who owns a 1.41 ERA over the last month. It’ll be interesting to see if the Mets can keep up their improved play to wrap up the month of August, despite the competition getting a little tougher.

Photo credit: Bill Streicher – USA Today Sports

The Mets, who apparently win series now.

WHAT HAPPENED, ON JOSE REYES:

On Sunday, Jose Reyes recorded his third home run of August. However, it should also be noted that Jose Reyes is bad. I could list all the reasons why this is true, but you’re reading the game recap of the 49-66 New York Mets. Suffice to say, you’re not ignorant of the countless reasons why Reyes should not be on this club. You’re not an idiot. You’re not management.
What is troubling is what is looming. A hot end to 2017 served as justification for re-signing Reyes during this past offseason, a re-signing which afforded him the opportunity to challenge for the crown of worst player the league has to offer. Comments about the FO’s loyalty to Reyes also lead one to believe that they’ve dug their heels in until Reyes is ready to call it quits. Either that, or they see admitting Reyes is bad and cutting bait as an admission that they were wrong — effectively viewing it as a sign of weakness.

One home run doesn’t matter. Two home runs don’t matter. Jose Reyes is still bad at baseball. In addition to that, his constant platform as a leader in the clubhouse, despite his DV past, is past the point of being just problematic. It is deeply ingrained into how Jose Reyes ended up back here in the first place. It is flat-out wrong.

Maybe this comes off as holier-than-thou, or maybe it comes off as grandstanding on a clearly bad player. But consider how fanbases really work. The better you play, the more you’re liked. All can be forgiven, so long as you can produce. This is why it is so awful for Reyes to still be here. The opportunity to play his way into ‘redemption’ narratives is the only real purpose Reyes has left. Every good outing gives the fanbase, which gave Reyes an ovation upon returning from his DV suspension, greater reason to rally behind him.

The issue isn’t just that every win where Jose Reyes is prominently featured feels problematic. It isn’t that Reyes can’t perform above his current level. The issue is that Jose Reyes becomes normalized with every positive PA. His very real and very consequential decision has been reduced to an ability to hit over the Mendoza line. An ability to present a respectable OPS, or play decent enough defense. And with every opportunity he is presented by the Mets, this issue has a chance to grow.

I fully expect Reyes to get hot again. It always seems to happen that way when Reyes is close to the chopping-block. But it really doesn’t matter how well he plays. It distracts from the real issues at hand: that Jose Reyes should not have the opportunity to fix his credibility by swinging a hot bat. That Jose Reyes should not be on this team, nor should he have ever been allowed a chance at a second stint (considering the context).

WHAT HAPPENED, YESTERDAY:

So, yeah, Jose Reyes wasn’t the only good thing to come out of Sunday’s action against the Miami Marlins. Noah Syndergaard pitched well, Michael Conforto homered and Seth Lugo recorded his first save. The Mets won their second consecutive series! There were other positives that could’ve drawn the focus of the game, but the Reyes issue cannot possibly be addressed enough. Especially when he appears to be on the precipice of a hot streak.

WHAT HAPPENS, TODAY:

The Mets stay in the New York area to make up a rainout against the Yankees. It’ll be a battle of aces as Jacob deGrom squares off against Luis Severino. After a two-game mid-week series against the Baltimore Orioles, the Mets go up against the Philadelphia Phillies five times. In facing the Phillies, the fifth game of that series will be the MLB Little League Classic, which takes place in Williamsport, PA.

Photo credit: Steve Mitchell – USA Today Sports

An NL East team…but not the Mets

WHAT HAPPENED, FOCUSING ON THE POSITIVES:

Though you might consider Sunday’s action against the Atlanta Braves to be one of the many soul-crushing defeats that the Mets have suffered this year, it wasn’t all bad. Some good occurred. Salvageable in a game where the Mets blew a 3-0 lead, as well as a game-tying homer in the ninth inning, the best starting place for this conversation is Corey Oswalt, who looked decent yet again.

Oswalt worked six innings of one-run ball before Mickey Callaway sent him back out for the seventh inning. Until that point, things had looked pretty good; Oswalt had surrendered just five hits (all singles except Julio Teheran’s solo homer to left), struck out four and walked none. If he had been stopped there, the 24-year old rookie would’ve handed the bullpen a two-run lead with nine outs to get. But, of course, this is the Mets. That isn’t what happened, and Oswalt’s seventh inning went something to the tune of single-homer-single, a rough ending for a generally good performance. Should he ever be able to overcome his home run problems, Oswalt looks to be someone who has a lot to gain down the stretch. It’ll be fun to see if he can continue this trend of decent performances. One which started in July.

As for the Mets’ performances at the plate, Wilmer Flores and Michael Conforto recorded multi-hit games. Jeff McNeil continued to hit well, recording the only non-home run extra-base hit of the game. A minimalist might even say he doubled. Devin Mesoraco homered for the first time in a month to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. All that is great and looks good, but one performance stuck out: Austin Jackson.

The left-for-dead outfielder was claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants toward the end of July, which appears to have been a very good decision. Maybe Jackson has taken tips from Jose Bautista, another waiver claim that played well for the Mets upon coming over. Maybe Jackson got upset about being a waiver transaction between literally the Giants and Mets. All we know is that, coming into Sunday, Jackson was 7-for-22 with one home run as a Met. Leaving Sunday, Jackson is now 8-for-24 with two home runs.

Suffice it to say, Jackson obviously doesn’t have a long-term fit with this team. The Mets, should Jackson continue to hit well for the rest of the month, might even try flipping him before the waiver-deadline at the end of the month. Regardless of how he plays, though, his ability to serve as a fourth outfielder will prove interesting for Callaway the rest of the way.

WHAT HAPPENED, YESTERDAY:

The Mets lost a close one. The Mets lost a game they should’ve won. The Mets, well, had one of those games that drive a fanbase crazy. It was right there, and then it wasn’t. Such is the nature of the beast, I guess. Winning games becomes secondary, at this point, to the development of players like Oswalt. It’s good they tried to extend him, as he even finished below 90 pitches. Callaway leaving Oswalt in for the seventh inning proved to be a crucial mistake, but it wasn’t a terrible decision. It just didn’t happen to work out this time.

WHAT HAPPENS, TODAY:

The Mets welcome Cincinnati to Citi Field as they kick off a week featuring six games against the Reds and Miami Marlins. This week presents a real chance for the Mets to win consecutive series for the first time since April, plus a return to Citi Field for Matt Harvey. Noah Syndergaard will go up against Homer Bailey as the Mets begin what will surely be an interesting week.

Photo credit: Wendell Cruz – USA Today Sports

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

For the 55th time, it wasn’t the Mets

WHAT HAPPENED, THAT PESKY SEVENTH:

Before the seventh inning, there was rain. Corey Oswalt held the Washington Nationals to one run in five good innings of work. Welp, now you’re all caught up with what happened before the seventh inning. It was a Mets team that looked not great against Jeremy Hellickson, who is apparently good now. What a world we live in. Neither the Mets nor Nationals are over .500 and Jeremy Hellickson is good. What is this, 2011?
Speaking of history being a never-ending cycle where we never learn anything and just repeat our prior mistakes, the seventh inning featured the Mets once again finding themselves in a tough spot against Daniel Murphy. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Murphy did what was expected — driving in two runs in the process. To make matters more interesting, the Mets would have a chance to escape with just a 3-1 deficit when Jerry Blevins was tasked with facing Wilmer Difo with runners at second and third, two away. Instead, Blevins hit Difo and Adam Eaton to force in a run. To continue to add insult to injury, a Trea Turner single would tack on another run for the Nationals. When everything was said and done, the Mets left the seventh-inning trailing 6 to 1.

WHAT HAPPENED, THE FIRST HALF:

Closing out the first-half last season, the Mets were 39-47. They would, of course, go on to finish the season 70-92 before entering an offseason where it was easier to hope than face the reality of what we knew all along. We were expected to believe that health was the only issue at hand, and that 2018 would be better. Here we sit on the first day of the All-Star break, 39-55. The Mets played eight more games this season leading up to the All-Star break, losing every one of them. They have a legitimate chance to come away from 2018 with the worst record in the National League. For every bit of optimism heaped onto the 2018 season, the Mets have outperformed their 2017 season in the worst way. Things have been bad, things are bad, and things will likely continue all the same.

Anyway, here’s Wonderwall.

For the 51st time, it wasn’t the Mets.

WHAT HAPPENED, THE GOOD:

There were plenty of bad things that happened on Sunday, but cheer up. It wasn’t all for naught, right? There were…some good things that happened. Right? …Right. Here were the positives that came out of Sunday:

• Brandon Nimmo singled in the seventh to break up the Nathan Eovaldi perfect game
• Devin Mesoraco singled in the ninth inning
• Tyler Bashlor and Tim Peterson threw clean innings
• Jacob deGrom was selected to the 2018 National League All-Star team

Surely more happened, though. Well, uhh, I mean…there was [checks notes] a 9-0 game completed in under three hours?

WHAT HAPPENED, YESTERDAY:

The Mets started the day by dropping a series to the Tampa Bay Rays in style — being near-perfect game-d by Nathan Eovaldi amid a 9-0 loss. To make matters worse, the Mets ended the day with the realization of Brandon Nimmo as an egregious All-Star snub.

WHAT HAPPENS, TODAY:

Now just a game ahead of the Miami Marlins for the worst record in the National League, the Mets will face the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies four times in three days. With two games on Monday, the Mets will send Zack Wheeler and Corey Oswalt to the mound to face Aaron Nola and Zach Eflin. The Mets will surely face stiff competition as they attempt to not enter the All-Star break as owners of the title “worst team in the NL.”

Photo credit: Gregory Fisher – USA Today Sports