The dream of an undefeated season is over. Reality has set in, with David Wright already falling victim to the little known but mandatory MLB rule stating that a Mets star must get injured at least once a year.
But instead of dwelling on injuries and the Mets first loss, let's take a look at the positives of this early season for the first place New York Mets.
Ike Davis, Jason Bay and Lucas Duda are a combined 6 for 51. Why is that a positive, you ask? Well, the Mets are 4-1 with their 4 5 6 hitters combining for a .118 average. That is bound to change, and when it does the Mets lineup will be a force. Ike will eventually get a hit, Duda will hit plenty more bombs, and Bay will...umm, let's just move on.
The rest of the lineup is hitting. Most of us expected Wright to bounce back and Murphy to pick up where he left off. But the no-names that make up the rest of the starting nine have been a pleasant surprise. Rubensanity is taking off, with Tejada helping us forget He Who Shall Not Be Named. Josh Thole is channeling his inner Mike Piazza. And if Kirk Nieuwenhuis keeps this up we'll finally have to learn how to pronounce and spell his last name.
The rotation isn't half bad. We couldn't have asked for much more after one full turn through the rotation. Johan Santana not only pitched great in his return, but his arm didn't fall off in, or after, the process. R.A. Dickey was his usual quality start-ing self, and Jon Niese's new nose propelled him to six hitless innings. Even Mike Pelfrey pitched well enough to keep the Mets in the game, keeping his hands dry in the process. If Gee can bounce back and become a reliable 5th starter, this staff will be just fine.
So THIS is what a bullpen is supposed to do. Ramirez, Rauch and Francisco have been virtually perfect, a welcome sign following a year of 24 blown saves. We can finally watch the final innings without a bottle of Xanax at our side.
We're still in first place. The Phillies are 1-3, the Braves are 1-4, and the Marlins are 2-3. Oh yeah, and the Yankees are 2-3 too. Savor this moment.
Yes, it's very early, but at least for now it's good to be a Mets fan. And that's something we haven't been able to say in a long time.
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