Mets Wild Card Push Comes Home

After taking the last two against the Astros, the Mets still believe they can fight their way into the playoffs.

"We got a shot," Jeff Francoeur said after the Mets finished this 10-game trip 4-6. We've got 65 games left, and I guarantee you every person on this team will fight their [butts] off to the end."

The Mets will play 21 of their next 34 games at home prior to September 1st, including the next 10 in a row, and tons of key games against other Wild Card contenders.

They open this stretch against the Rockies for 4, then the DBacks for 4, and the Cards for 2 more. Then it's back on the road for 4 against the Padres and 3 against the DBacks. Following an off-day, they come back home for 4 against SF, 3 against the hated Braves, and 4 against the even more hated Phils. They then Fly to Florida for 3 and go to Chicago for 3 more and close out August with an off-day.

This has a chance to be an incredible month plus of baseball.

Besides a month of home cooking, the Mets have something else to grin about--they are hitting again. Luis Castillo is red hot, batting at a .400+ clip over the last two weeks, David Wright has found something to work from--to my untrained eye he looks like he is flexing his knees a bit more in an effort to shorten his stroke. Jeff Francoeur is hitting and driving in runs, and the roles players are chipping in where they can.

We're all still waiting on new of a Jose Reyes return, and the rumor is he'll be back by next weekend.

The light at the end of the tunnel may be dim, but there is light.

The key for the Mets is to play every game like it's their last and get to September no worse than 3-4 games back.

National League Wildcard Standings
NATIONAL	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10
Colorado	54	44	.551	-	27-21	27-23	496	435	+61	Won 2	7-3
San Francisco	52	46	.531	2	31-15	21-31	391	368	+23	Lost 2	3-7
St. Louis	53	48	.525	2.5	26-21	27-27	444	424	+20	Lost 2	4-6
Atlanta	51	48	.515	3.5	27-23	24-25	440	409	+31	Won 1	7-3
Florida	51	48	.515	3.5	25-24	26-24	448	460	-12	Won 1	6-4
Houston	50	48	.510	4	28-25	22-23	413	441	-28	Lost 2	6-4
Milwaukee	49	49	.500	5	25-24	24-25	452	467	-15	Lost 1	4-6
NY Mets	46	51	.474	7.5	25-20	21-31	413	452	-39	Won 2	4-6
Cincinnati	44	53	.454	9.5	22-22	22-31	392	465	-73	Lost 6	2-8
Pittsburgh	43	55	.439	11	26-19	17-36	411	434	-23	Lost 2	5-5
Arizona	43	56	.434	11.5	23-31	20-25	446	477	-31	Won 2	5-5
San Diego	38	61	.384	16.5	24-26	14-35	359	504	-145	Lost 2	2-8
Washington	30	68	.306	24	20-33	10-35	420	535	-115	Won 2	4-6