The Mets are on fire.
Everyone in the Mets lineup is contributing; on Thursday, eight of their starting hitters either tallied a hit or reached base via walk — giving the team plenty of chances to score which they took. In scoring 10 runs on Thursday night, the Mets achieved history. It was the first time in the existence of the franchise that they scored 10 or more runs in three consecutive games, as pointed out by Sarah Langs of MLB.com.
Some may scoff when they take a look at two of the games in which the Mets scored 10 runs. Those two contests came against the Washington Nationals — not exactly a powerhouse ballclub. But New York showed that their offense doesn’t just turn up against teams in the bottom of the standings, they can also hit hard against the best team in the NL East.
Alas, the Phillies started Taijuan Walker on Thursday, and that has most often been a recipe for disaster for the NL East leaders. Walker entered tonight with an ERA of 6.29, so it was always likely for the Mets to run up the score against a struggling starter. That’s exactly what happened, with Walker allowing eight earned runs in 3.1 innings of work as the Mets built a 9-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth that they would not relinquish.
The next three games will provide the ultimate test for the Mets. This stretch could also make or break their playoff hopes even though they are in the driver’s seat at the moment. They will be facing three elite Phillies starters in Christopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, and Zack Wheeler, giving their red-hot offense three difficult hurdles to overcome. But the Mets have defied expectations all season long, so they aren’t in the business of stopping anytime soon.
Mets have been on fire since the All-Star break
