The Metal Mets are Knocking and Citi Field’s Rocking

It’s been a loooong time since I’ve written a Metal Mets column. Really, I haven’t had much reason to.

BUT HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS! I mean, I don’t wanna get too excited yet — there’s still PLENTY of time for them to blow it — but this feels pretty good right now, doesn’t it?

It’s not like that 11-game winning streak to kick off the season. That was fun, but we all knew the Mets were getting lucky, taking advantage of bad opponents, riding a wave that would inevitably crash into the beach and get sucked back in with the tide. The whole thing felt phony to me. It was clear it wasn’t gonna last.

This doesn’t feel like a wave. It feels real.

Given, they’re not gonna win out between here and the end of the season. They’ll lose games. Tough ones, sometimes. But no longer does it feel as if the starting pitchers have to put up 1s or 0s every single night to win. Cespedes, Uribe, Kelly Johnson. d’Arnaud’s return. Conforto’s emergence. Guys like Duda and Granderson seeing better pitches as a result of the extra protection in the lineup. Suddenly the Mets starting line got a 5/8ths makeover. And boy are they hitting.

The funny thing is, the starting pitchers ARE putting up 1s and 0s every single night. Just as they have been all season. But now it’s no longer going to waste. I’ll bet the pitchers feel more relaxed too, knowing they’ve got a little wiggle room. Really attack hitters instead of having to nibble, knowing that if they make a mistake they have an offense that can pick them back up.

And Citi Field these days! Any of you Suckalos have a chance to catch this past weekend’s series against the Nationals? I didn’t, but I heard the stadium rocked like Shea. As in shook, literally. I remember fearing for my life in the ’99 and ’00 playoff runs, and then again in 2006, when that place would explode and you felt as if the entire upper deck might come crumbling down. Even watching on TV, it feels like that again — fans are fucking AMPED. When the Mets are good, NYC is a Mets town. You can feel it in the air.

So what’ve we got? A schedule the consists of mostly sub-.500 teams the rest of the way. A really solid looking bunch. Wright’s return on the horizon. Lots to feel good about. Not too good… we’ve been through this song and dance before. But damn, this is fun, ain’t it? Ride it while you can. Watching the Mets is fun again, consistently. Opportunities like this don’t come along often for us sad sack Metropolitans fans.