After two nights of incredible victories at Citi Field and three straight wins at home, the challenge for the Mets is clear: Take it to the Bronx.
The Subway Series switches trains tonight and it is the Mets who have all the momentum against the Yankees. But here is the really important lesson of the last two nights at Citi Field; the Mets can win on pitching alone. They will find a way to score runs and a result they have produced back-to-back 2-1 victories. Take it back one more game, a 4-2 win over the Braves Sunday and you have the starting pitchers leading the way.
Matt Harvey, who allowed one run over eight innings Tuesday night, is the reason for the success. Others are finally pitching in. On Monday night, Jon Niese allowed only one run over seven innings and on Sunday Shaun Marcum pitched seven innings allowing two runs.
Over that three-game stretch the Mets starters went deep into the games, pitching 22 innings, surrendering 18 hits, only four runs while striking out 26. That is pitching dominance. And soon Zack Wheeler will be in the rotation and Rafael Montero is not far behind Wheeler.
As one National League executive told me recently: “The Mets have the best pitching in the minor leagues bar none. They are really, really deep in starting pitching.’’
That is the plan and that is where the Mets are headed as a franchise if the young pitchers continue to progress. The Mets want to be like the San Francisco Giants, where good pitching carries the day and the team somehow finds a way to score runs.
There is still such a long way to go before the Mets plan is put into action, but that is the blueprint. That is why David Wright stayed. That is what Wright sees when he sees the future of the Mets. And it all starts with Harvey. The Mets finally have an ace that can lift an entire team.
When I asked Harvey Tuesday night if he has the sense the competitive nature of the team rises when he is on the mound he said, “I don’t know, I’m out there trying to do everything I can to do to win. They’ve somehow got it done and no matter what it’s taken they are getting wins when I’m pitching so. Even if I don’t get the win, we’re winning as a team so that’s the biggest thing.’’
Harvey is 5-0. The Mets are 8-3 on the days that he pitches.
Tonight is the other side of the coin with 0-5 Jeremy Hefner going against David Phelps at Yankee Stadium, but it will not be too long before Wheeler takes his place in this rotation and all that great pitching the NL Executive told me about being in the minor leagues, is on a major league mound for the Mets.
That is the blueprint to success.