Reversal of Misfortune...A Mets Dynasty

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Dick Selma's magical season took a down turn when the 25-year-old right hander with a 6-1 record and 1.30 ERA was diagnosed with an elbow strain that will keep him on the IL for THREE MONTHS!!! Mark it down...this comes at a time when the Mets are 24-17 and a 1/2 game out of first on May 22.

Let the crash begin!!

Jim Rooker will replace Selma in the rotation.

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Can't help it, I'm a Met fan so eternal pessimism tends to be my annual outlook.

The standings as of June 1...


Our offensive numbers...


Our pitching numbers...


Where we stack up against the others...


June has been this organization's Achilles' heel. Hoping to buck that trend.

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June has not been kind to the New York Mets in this dynasty.

But, the Amazins emerged from the month in relatively decent shape and head into the second half intent on making an organizational move we've been waiting a long time to arrive.

Been battling injuries, particularly at first base, but we have carried on.

Standings


Team rankings (I hate that we should be 21 games over .500!!)


At the plate


On the bump

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The time to make a move will be now. Mets hit road to open July with three against St. Louis, who is right behind us in third and four in Pittsburgh against the first-place Pirates, who are 2 1/2 up on us.

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The seven-game stretch against the Cardinals and division-leading Pirates was a golden opportunity for the Mets to put distance on the former and hunt down the latter.

New York handled the first part, taking 2 of 3 in St. Louis but got pounded in Pittsburgh, dropping 3 of 4 while being outscored, 32-19, during the four-game set.

To their credit, the Mets have rebounded to win 6 of their next 7 and, as of July 13th, are 54-37 (a high-water mark in the dynasty). We are still in 2nd place, three games back of the Pirates.

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Gotta say, real happy with where we are at as the All-Star break arrives...


Just a 1 1/2 back, so not much ground to make up, however we don't see Pittsburgh again until mid-September.

Our offense stacks up well against the competition and we lead the league in team ERA...



Overview of where we are at heading into the second half...


Third baseman Tony Perez and right fielder Roberto Clemente were voted to the NL All-Star team.

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On the off day before the All-Star game, Roberto Clemente was diagnosed with a sprained ankle and was placed on the 15-day IL. He will miss the MidSummer Classic and will most likely be replaced in the Mets' lineup by Reggie Smith.

I'm guessing manager Gil Hodges will reshuffle the outfield, moving Tony Gonzalez to left, Smith into center and Willie Crawford to right.

Never good to lose Clemente from the lineup. The guy is simply irreplacable, both offensively and defensively.

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One move by the Mets, who ship OF Tony Gonzalez to Baltimore in exchange for 1B Don Mincher.

With Clemente on the IL for a few more days, our outfield is currently depleted but the need for a bat at 1B was a priority.

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Mets are steaming into August, two games back of the NL East-leading Pirates, but with four games in hand.


A quick glance of our team rankings reveals our bullpen may be our biggest issue in the home stretch. The offense has been rock solid.


Team report


We will spend most of August tangling with the NL West, including a three-game set with the division-leading Cincinnati and a home-and-away vs. the Giants.

We have our work cut out for us but love where we are at...in our first pennant race!! #LFGM

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Getting back into the dynasty after some time away.

Picked up where we left off and maybe, time off ain't a bad thing. Mets takes 2 of 3 in Cincinnati while the Pirates get swept in a three-game set with the Dodgers.

Meaning? Mets and Pirates are now deadlocked atop the National League East. The caveat? The Mets have four games in hand. Next stop, four games in Atlanta.

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Horrible tone setter as Mets drop both ends of a series opening doubleheader...and get pile driven in the process. Cartlon loses 5-2 in opener and Briles gets clobbered in nightcap, 13-1.

Bench homers twice in 8-4 win on Saturday, salvaging the only win for the Amazins, who bowed, 9-6, on Sunday. A five-run seventh in which a Tony Perez error accounts for three unearned runs sealed our fate.

After a brief stint alone in first, courtesy of the Pirates (68-49) losing five straight, the Mets (66-48) are back in second, a half game behind the Buccos as they head to Houston (62-54) for the last three games of a 10-game road trip.

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Mets lose 2 of 3 in Houston while Pirates take 2 of 3 from Giants and we are now two games back in the East. Killer of the series? Losing 1-0 in 15 innings on a throwing error by CF Reggie Smith. Carlton spun a gem, going nine with three hits, eight strikeouts and ZERO run support.

Mets start a 10-game homestand with four against the Padres before Dodgers and Giants come calling.

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Mets head into September trying to keep pace with a Pirates crew that simply doesn't lose.

We have seven games with the Buccos coming up in the middle of the month. Our fate will be revealed during those series. We just have to keep them within arms reach until we get to see them face to face.

We went 18-12 in August. Pittsburgh was 17-9. Pirates suffered a five-game losing streak early in the month but enter September riding a run of six straight wins.

The standings. It's a two-horse race in the NL East.


Our offensive numbers...


Our pitching numbers...


And, how we stack up against the rest of the league...

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It's Showtime...or should we say Showdown time.

We did what we needed to do, keeping the Pirates close. We whittled what was once a four-game deficit down to 2 1/2 leading to our arrival in Pittsburgh for a three-game weekend series.

The Game 1 matchup...


Stay tuned.

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A two-out, two-run rally in the bottom of the third sparked the Pirates to a 3-2 win in the series opener, sinking the Mets 3/12 back of the NL East pacesetter.

Couldn't generate any hits versus Boswell - let alone timely hits - and we failed to cash in on his generous six walks. Lefty pitched well enough, fanning 11 but the RBI triple to Hunt and subsequent run-scoring single by Jones in 3rd were crushing blows.

We made it interesting in the 9th. Down, 3-0, Perez singles and goes to third on a double by Crawford with no outs. Thought we were in business. Reggie Smith pops out to first, runners hold. Wild pitch scores Perez, Crawford moves up a bag. Harrelson draws his fourth walk of the game and we tying run aboard. Nettles Ks for second out. Another wild pitch by closer Ted Wills allows Crawford to trot home and Buddy to grab second, getting the tying run that much closer but Joe Morgan fans to end it. Ouch! Gotta grab these next two.

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Pirates hopped on Nelson Briles early en route to a 4-2 win.

Pittsburgh scratches out a run in the first, keyed by Pat Kelly, who draws leadoff walk, steals 2nd and darts to 3rd on Bench throwing error before scoring on a ground out.

Joe Morgan boots a ground ball with two outs in the second inning, leaving the door open for Buccos to strike for two more runs and it's 3-0.

Fergie Jenkins shoved on us, complete game with nine Ks. Roberto Clemente and Graig Nettles tagged him for solo homers.

Loss drops us 4 1/2 back. Darkness is setting upon us.

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Johnny Bench belted an RBI triple and solo home run in support of Lew Krausse as the Mets picked up a 4-1 win to salvage a game in Pittsburgh.

Win gets us back to 3 1/2 behind but running out of time.

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Mets licked their wounds exiting Pittsburgh and ran off five straight wins, whittling the gap to 1 1/2 just in time for - guess who? - the Pirates to pay a visit to Flushing for a pivotal four-game set.

Here are the pitching matchups....
Friday: Jim McGlothin (8-5) vs. Lew Krausse (14-5)
Saturday: Gaylord Perry (18-9) vs. Dick Selman (14-1)
Sunday (DH): Rick Wise (13-8) vs. Grant Jackson (13-12)
Dave Boswell (11-5) vs. Steve Carlton (11-12)

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Look who's climbed into first place!

The Mets fashioned an impressive weekend performance, taking 3 of 4 fro the Pirates to bump the Buccos out of the top spot in the NL East with seven games to play in the regular season.

Willie Crawford sent an immediate shot across the bow on Friday night, unloading a three-run homer in the bottom of the first that sparked a a 5-2 victory.



On Saturday, it was all Dick Selma, who yielded three hits and fanned 11 over seven innings to inspire a 5-1 drubbing. Johnny Bench supplied two hits, including a seventh-inning double that plated the final two runs. The win temporarily jumped the Mets into first place.



Trailing, 7-2, in the bottom of the seventh, the Mets rallied for five runs, keyed by a two-run homer from Don Mincher, to even matters. New York seized the lead in the eighth when Bench scored from third on a balk, but the Pirates got a pinch-hit, RBI single by Bill Heath with one out in the ninth to tie the game and a sac fly from Don Landrum in the 12th to grab a 9-8 win.



Tony Perez put on a show in the nightcap of a the doubleheader, going 4 for 5 with five RBI to key a 12-5 trouncing. Perez highlighted a five-run outburst in the second with a three-run homer (his 42nd of the year) and added a two-run double in the fourth to help Steve Carlton even his mark at 12-12.



The Mets kept the momentum moving with a 5-1 decision against the St. Cardinals, claiming their ninth victory in their last 10 games.

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The Mets take two off of the Cardinals while the Pirates swept a three-game set with the Phillies.

What's it mean? The Mets and Pirates are now deadlocked atop the NL East with a identical 95-62 marks.

New York takes to the road, with three over the weekend in Philadelphia before a schedule quirk gives them two days off before two games in Chicago.

In the meantime, Pirates host Cubs for three and the Expos for two to close the season.