Stick a Fork in Mets? Not Yet, But Getting Close

I believe it was Sal Marchiano (or maybe it was Len Berman, but either way, it was a WNBC sportscaster) who famously said of the Mets during a pennant race in the 1990s, “stick a fork in them, they’re done.” I am not ready to say that about the 2014 Mets, but we are getting closer to that tipping point.

The Mets entered the second half with such optimism after going 8-2 in their last 10 games before the All-Star break and closing to within five games of .500. But all that optimism has gone out the window with losses in three out of the four games since the break, two of those to a poor Padres team. The Mets have managed to score just three runs in their last three games, all of them defeats, of course.

The Mets have reverted back to their impotent hitting, which was bound to happen on a team consisting generally of average to mediocre hitters. And with six more games on this trip — two in Seattle and four in Milwaukee against teams in the thick of their pennant races — this could turn into an ugly road trip for the ages.

But maybe not. Maybe the Mets can rally the forces and win four or five of the remaining games. They did it before; perhaps they can do it again. It is too early to stick a fork in the Mets. Let’s just see where we stand at the end of this grueling trip.