Benjamin Grimm

The Nationals won another game yesterday, this time against the Phillies, but they gain no ground, since the Mets defeated the Marlins. The division lead remains at 9.5 games, the magic number drops from 11 to 10, and the NHOP drops to another season low, from .282 to .270. No more need for Tragic Number updates in the NL East, as the Marlins, Phillies, and Braves have all been eliminated, leaving only the Nationals, and their Tragic Number matches the Mets' Magic Number. Baseball Propsectus update: Mets are at 99.9% to win the division. World Championship odds for current division leaders: Blue Jays 18.5% Dodgers 18.2% Astros 13.5% Mets 11.3% Royals 8.5% Cardinals 7.8% DateMets RecordNationals RecordMets LeadMagic NumberGames RemainingNHOPAugust 356-5054-501571140.500August 457-5055-501561120.500August 558-5055-512541100.491August 658-5056-511.5541090.495August 759-5056-522.5521070.486August 859-5157-521.5521050.495August 959-5257-531.5511030.495August 1060-5258-531.5501010.495August 1161-5258-542.548990.485August 1262-5258-553.546970.474August 1363-5258-564.544950.463August 1463-5358-574.543930.462August 1563-5458-584.542910.462August 1663-5558-594.541890.461August 1763-5558-594.541890.461August 1864-5559-594.540870.460August 1964-5660-593.540850.471August 2064-5660-60439840.464August 2165-5660-61537820.451August 2266-5661-61536800.450August 2367-5662-61535780.449August 2468-5662-615.534770.442August 2569-5663-615.533750.440August 2670-5663-626.531730.425August 2771-5664-626.530710.423August 2871-5764-636.529690.420August 2971-5865-635.529670.433August 3072-5866-635.528650.431August 3173-5866-646.526630.413September 173-5966-656.525610.410September 274-5967-656.524590.407September 374-5968-65624580.414September 474-6069-65524560.429September 575-6070-65523540.426September 675-6171-65423520.442September 776-6171-66521500.420September 877-6171-67619480.396September 978-6171-68717460.370September 1079-6171-687.516450.356September 1180-6171-698.514430.326September 1281-6171-709.512410.293September 1382-6172-709.511390.282September 1483-6173-709.510370.270

I don't think so.

I like Travis!

Gwreck wrote: Werth hit a grand slam for Washington. Not looking so good for the Phillies tonight; Mets are going to need this one to keep the magic number moving down. I think you may have too much faith in the Nationals.

I see you can get guaranteed 2015 postseason tickets if you put down a $500 deposit on a 2016 season ticket plan. If you don't want a 2016 plan, you could put down the deposit anyway and look at it as a $500 surcharge for 2015 playoff tickets. The Mets will play between one and ten home games during the postseason. (One if the Dodgers get home field in the NLDS and sweep the Mets, ten if the Mets home field in the NLDS and NLCS and both series go seven games, and the Mets advance to the World Series and that series goes at least five games.) So it would be quite a gamble. The $500 might be okay if you're going to go to ten games but if it's just one game, that's a different story. But I wonder if anyone is pondering this strategy?

The Player of the Week Award goes way back... the first Mets player to win the award was Jerry Koosman, in 1973! Mets Players of the Week The Mets longest stretch without a Player of the Week is 159 weeks, from August 17, 2008 (Johan Santana) to September 4, 2011 (David Wright). That broke the previous record of 147 weeks, from July 31, 1977 (Steve Henderson) to May 25, 1980 (Frank Taveras).

I've never understood the blow-it-all-up-and-start-over impulse. I mean, I suppose there are times when such an approach is warranted, but usually that wouldn't be the case. It always sounds overly masochistic to me. I don't get why angst is such a big part of sports fandom for many people. I don't know who it was, and I'm not going to try to dig it up, but I'm pretty sure that some people here were saying that the Mets wouldn't contend again for the duration of David Wright's contract.

E-mail from the Mets wrote: Thank you for your registration at Mets.com for the potential opportunity to purchase tickets to potential 2015 National League Wild Card and National League Division Series Games at Citi Field. Unfortunately, your entry was not selected. Oh well. I'm not sure I would have taken advantage even if I was selected. (I would definitely have been tempted...) I'm content to watch on TV.

TransMonk wrote: No matter what happens in October, the 2015 has exceeded my expectations from nearly every angle on multiple occasions. I agree with that. In early August, when things were looking far from settled, I told myself that I'd be delighted with the division title and anything beyond that would be a bonus. Now, of course, I want more than that. I want them to go deep into the playoffs. I want them to win the World Series. But even if they lose quickly in the first round, this has been a great season and a successful one. I'll be looking forward to 2016 more than I have any season in almost a decade.

If deGrom had a short outing in Game 1 and the Mets were down 2-1, I'd consider starting deGrom in Game 4. It's not a likely scenario, but it could happen.

I'd put Colon and Niese on the roster and see what the situation is when (and if) Game 4 comes around. Are the Mets up 2-1 or down 2-1? And who was pitching better at the close of the regular season. There's always a chance that deGrom starts Game 4.

This thread seems to be worth bumping now.

I'm okay with Cuddyer or Lagares starting against a lefty but Conforto has certainly earned the starts against righties.

It ain't over 'til it's over.

Kevin Kernan in the Post is reporting that the plan is to start deGrom in Game 1 of the NLDS. Game 2 will be Syndergaard if it's at Citi Field, and Harvey if it's at Dodger Stadium.

Zvon wrote: Can the Mets approach MLB about the scoring in this game? Or do they just let that slide. How many errors were called hits? 4? Home team scoring can have an edge, but you can't outright cheat and call those things hits. They should let it slide. This is no time to focus on things that don't matter. Anyway, if you argue for your pitcher, to get earned runs turned into unearned runs, you're also arguing that your fielder should be charged with an error. It's better not to go there.

This may be the first game all year (except for the game I attended at Citi Field in June) where I watched the entire game, from beginning to end, entirely in real time. I've been in the habit of recording the game on my TiVo and starting my viewing 30 to 60 minutes after the game has started. I missed being able to fast-forward through the commercials, but it was a helluva game!

The way things have been going, it could end up as 101 wins! But I'm thinking it will probably settle in somewhere around 93 or 94. And yes, 95 is possible. They'd have to go 13-6, which certainly seems doable.

Box score! Conforto 1.5 Granderson 1.5 Lagares 1 Murphy 2.5 Niese 2.5 Parnell 1

Nationals won today in Miami, and if their hopes started to rise when they saw the Mets down by 3 in the 9th with two out and nobody on, those hopes were quickly dashed. Mets win 10-7 in 10 innings. The Mets division lead remains at 9.5 games. The magic number drops to 11. NHOP goes from .293 to .282. DateMets RecordNationals RecordMets LeadMagic NumberGames RemainingNHOPAugust 356-5054-501571140.500August 457-5055-501561120.500August 558-5055-512541100.491August 658-5056-511.5541090.495August 759-5056-522.5521070.486August 859-5157-521.5521050.495August 959-5257-531.5511030.495August 1060-5258-531.5501010.495August 1161-5258-542.548990.485August 1262-5258-553.546970.474August 1363-5258-564.544950.463August 1463-5358-574.543930.462August 1563-5458-584.542910.462August 1663-5558-594.541890.461August 1763-5558-594.541890.461August 1864-5559-594.540870.460August 1964-5660-593.540850.471August 2064-5660-60439840.464August 2165-5660-61537820.451August 2266-5661-61536800.450August 2367-5662-61535780.449August 2468-5662-615.534770.442August 2569-5663-615.533750.440August 2670-5663-626.531730.425August 2771-5664-626.530710.423August 2871-5764-636.529690.420August 2971-5865-635.529670.433August 3072-5866-635.528650.431August 3173-5866-646.526630.413September 173-5966-656.525610.410September 274-5967-656.524590.407September 374-5968-65624580.414September 474-6069-65524560.429September 575-6070-65523540.426September 675-6171-65423520.442September 776-6171-66521500.420September 877-6171-67619480.396September 978-6171-68717460.370September 1079-6171-687.516450.356September 1180-6171-698.514430.326September 1281-6171-709.512410.293September 1382-6172-709.511390.282

All of the groaning and chuckling that Keith is doing is entertaining in its own right.

I don't recall ever seeing such dark shadows during a day game.

Yes. That was nice to see.

Still Bobby.

So who pitches now? (They didn't hit for Parnell, did they?) Do you keep Bobby in, or go with Gilmartin or Goeddel?