About a week ago, there was a collective sigh across Met land.
Top of the 6th inning. Ace pitcher Max Scherzer was on the mound up to his usual tricks against the St. Louis Cardinals lineup, then all of a sudden… a gut punch.
Max Scherzer gesturing for the trainer and removing himself from the ballgame put every Met fan on alert.
The prized ace and difference-maker grimaced in pain. What could it be?
Did Mets fans think the worst? Of course, they did, and honestly who could blame them.
It’s part of being a Mets fan, after all just look at what has transpired with Jacob deGrom over the past year.
Thankfully the news on Scherzer was not the worst-case scenario.
Scherzer hurt his oblique. They’re tricky, he will miss around 6 to 8 weeks, but it’s not a season-ending injury.
That said, I wondered following the news how the Mets would respond down two aces.
So far, they’ve been at the top of their game.
On Thursday, the Mets overcame an Edwin Diaz blown save which in reality was the end result of bad defense, and turned that into a Pete Alonso signature walk-off homer moment.
Sunday, the Mets found a way to win yet another series against the Colorado Rockies with some clutch hitting, quality pitching, and top-notch defense.
It’s closing in on Memorial Day weekend which is one of those milestone markers in the baseball season to evaluate progress.
So far, everything about the 2022 Mets season has been a joy to watch.
The team plays hard, they have a ton of grit and unlike the teams of the last few years, they find ways to win.
The 2020-2021 Mets found ways to lose.
The 2022 Mets find ways to win.
Is that the direct result of Buck Showalter’s presence? Well, his leadership most certainly plays a role, because his approach to the game is easy to see all over the Mets team.
The Scherzer injury would have been a convenient excuse for a tailspin.
Not for the 2022 Mets. Not now at least.
It’s the end of May, but the more you see of this baseball team, the more you like…
You can listen to my podcast New York, New York every Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday evenings on the Ringer Podcast Network on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. You can also watch me nightly on Geico Sportsnight on SNY.
