LOS ANGELES — The final time the Mets had been in Los Angeles, they had been practically surprised into silence.
Sean Manaea, who began Recreation 6 towards the Dodgers, struggled to search out the phrases to sum up his begin as he fought again tears. The aid corps gathered round Adam Ottavino’s locker, reminiscing about higher video games whereas ingesting beers. Finally, the gang across the veteran right-hander’s nook locker swelled. Understanding it was the final time the group would ever be collectively, they weren’t prepared for the season to finish.
The season felt like magic from June on, and it solely intensified as they rolled by way of Atlanta and Milwaukee twice, and Philadelphia as they clinched a postseason spot and superior to the NLCS for the primary time since 2015.
Now again within the Southland for the primary time since October, it’s nearly as if that collection by no means occurred. The sting is delicate, at finest. The clubhouse felt no completely different Monday afternoon as they ready to face the World Collection champs for the second time in 10 days. The ambiance was upbeat however targeted, simply because it at all times is.
Possibly it’s as a result of the Mets took the collection from the Dodgers a few week in the past, or possibly it’s as a result of they’ve yet one more win within the column than their West Coast rivals. However the greatest purpose appears to be that the collection loss helped them take a large step ahead as a staff.
“It’s a different feeling knowing that you walk in this place, that this is where the season ended, it was kind of like a sour taste,” supervisor Carlos Mendoza stated Monday forward of the beginning of the collection. “But also understanding that after everything that we went through as a team, to get to the NLCS when nobody thought anything about this team, that we ended up facing the team that ended up winning the World Series.”
The Yankees might need ended up being the staff to face the Dodgers within the World Collection, however the Mets performed them harder, main many to make the joke that it was the Amazin’s that deserved the silver medal.
The factor concerning the present incarnation of the Mets is that they don’t usually look again on their less-than-illustrious previous. The present staff might need a variety of faces which were with the staff for some disastrous seasons, however they’re additionally a few of the identical gamers that hold the clubhouse wanting ahead.
The Dodgers practically broke them late final Could, nevertheless it was a collection sweep at their palms that led to a players-only assembly and in the end, the month that circled their total season. Already this season, the Mets jumped out to a sizzling begin after which slumped by way of Could, solely to beat themselves to win that collection towards Los Angeles. Now, they begin the collection in first place within the NL East, having received seven of their final eight to maneuver a season-high 15 video games above .500.
They’ve Juan Soto within the lineup, and whereas he won’t be taking part in just like the Soto that confronted the Dodgers within the World Collection, he’s nonetheless a risk and a presence within the lineup. Pete Alonso is an MVP contender already and the Mets personal the very best ERA in baseball with a pitching workers that struck out Ohtani 5 instances within the first collection.
The Mets are a unique staff and possibly even a greater staff partially due to that NLCS collection towards the Dodgers final fall.
“I think there are mixed feelings here, but we’re not trying to look back now, Mendoza said. “I’m just concentrating on today’s game, which is the most important thing. Try to go out there and win a baseball game and then win a series.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Again in New York, Manaea (proper indirect pressure) threw one other up-and-down bullpen Monday afternoon in Coney Island. Dealing with members of the Excessive-A Brooklyn Cyclones, Manaea threw 29 pitches. The Mets will see how he recovers earlier than making any choices as as to whether or not he’ll want one other dwell BP. Ought to he get better nicely, the Mets may ship him out on a rehab project.
Left-hander Brooks Raley is already throwing dwell BPs as he works his approach again from ulnar collateral reconstruction surgical procedure. Anticipated to be a key member of the bullpen heading into final season, Raley was injured in an April collection at Dodger Stadium final season, resulting in an inside brace process. The Mets signed him to a one-year contract with an choice for 2026, hoping he may contribute in some unspecified time in the future this season. To this point, he’s on observe, anticipated to go on a rehab project within the close to future.
ROSTER MOVE
Proper-hander Paul Blackburn was activated off the injured checklist to make his first begin of the season Monday. Proper-hander Chris Devenski was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to make room on the roster. The Mets will play with a six-man rotation and a brief bullpen by way of the weekend Colorado Collection, and probably once more later this month after they begin a stretch of 13 video games in 13 days.
