The Mets had every reason in the world to fold and just ship in the NLDS against the Dodgers. In a matter of 2 weeks, their two best pitchers were knocked out by strange calf injuries. The wierdest being of El Duques mishap of simplely warming up. However, championship teams don't fold, they press on.
That's exactly what the Mets did with this series. A series where every player on the team put forth 100% effort and played together. Not as one individual looking for impressive stats or shiny MVP trophies, but 25 as one. The way it should be.
The key to the series was four fold. One, heads up defense. Nothing could be more clear than the play at home for Game 1. Maine was in a little bit of trouble and it looked like the Dodgers were going to score two. However, a strong throw by Green to Valentin to LoDuca got the first runner out at home plate. Then in one of the strangest baserunning gaffs I have EVER seen, the second runner (the overhyped and overpaid JD Drew) was flying down the baseline right into LoDuca's arms. Litterally. This wasn't a diving tag by LoDuca. Paul simply turned around, and there was Drew in all his glorry. There were other great plays. Diving stops by Wright and Reyes. Key double plays. Once again, the team played as one and it showed.
The second key was dominant bullpen support. We all knew that our starters weren't going to be pitching complete games. However, the starters kept us in the game, which was all we and Willie Randolph wanted. From the seventh inning on, the Dodgers didn't have a chance. Sure in the first game Wagner was a little shakey, but overall the Mets kept the Dodgers at bay and basically demoralized the opposing team. The Dodgers were perhaps the best offensive team the Mets were going to face in the NL if not all of the playoffs, and the bullpen kept their offense generally in control.
The third key was timely hitting. The Mets are just starting to get red hot with the bat and that doesn't even account for Jose Reyes who just got two hits. However, even he seemed to be getting hot in the last game. Delgado walked into the playoffs like a man driven to succeed. Going 4 for 5 in the first game with a monster homerun in his first at bat. David Wright batting close to .400 also showed he was ready for the big stage and got several key RBI. Beltran, as usual, struggled at home but did manage to get on base with several walks, then as scripted from the regular season, came to life on the road going 2 for 4 at the lone game at Dodger Stadium. I can go on and on, but you get the point. When the Mets needed runs, they produced them. Not just with power but also with bunt single (Chavez) and moving the runner over in important situations. In the playoffs, one run can make or break a game let alone an entire series. That is why it was so encouraging to see the Mets score even when they couldn't hit the homerun. The Mets used their speed to confuse and push the opposing defense, while at the plate they worked the count with severl 6, 8, and 10 pitch at bats. The Mets bats also answered teh annoying question of hitting left handed pitchers, as the Mets knocked out Kou and would have had an additional two homeruns by Wright and Floyd had not the wind kept the ball in the park.
The fourth key was Glavine. The rumor that the Mets have no starting pitching has been greatly exagerated as Glavine showed on game 2 just how good he is. Tom Glavine pitch 6 shut out innings against the mighty Dodgers. Fooling and confusing their hitters with an 88 mph fastball and several off speed pitches. I'm not a pitching coach, but I could tell Glavine was in perfect form as he painted the corners and controlled the flow of the game. Not one batter could hit the ball hard off Glavine and by being so dominant, he allowed the bullpen to rest for the night and get ready for game 3. If you look around baseball you notice that there is no team that is really deep in starting pitching. The Tigers are the closest to that distinction, especially after they knocked out the overrated Yankees and their bloated line up. Glavine is now set up to lead the Mets staff into the NLCS as he'll get the ball first.
So to wrap everything up, the Mets came into this series with every "expert" predicting their exit. Mysterious scouts and front office personel from other teams predicted them to be first round exits. However, perhaps they were talking about another team in New York. The one thing about playoff baseball is that you can never predict what will happen based on statistics alone. The series are too short to be bared out by math. No, these and the next two 7 seven game series to follow are controlled by much more than seasonal statistics. These series are about heart and a little bit of luck. The fly ball that hits or misses the foul pole. The base hit that falls just out of the outfielder grasp. The baserunner who makes a costly blunder. This team has shown through adversity through the season and into the playoffs that they will not lay down and die. That attitude and that play will push them far into the post season. How far? Well, we are just going to have to watch and see.
