QUEENS, NY — Wednesday night at Citi Field felt like a playoff game for the Mets.
With a day off Thursday and New York looking to sweep the Boston Red Sox for a seventh-straight win to remain a half-game back of the Atlanta Braves for the final Wild Card spot in the National League, manager Carlos Mendoza deployed a short leash on starter Tylor Megill. He yanked him after allowing a lead-off single and the fifth and relied on four different relievers to nurse a 4-3 lead before the Mets broke it open in the eighth for an 8-3 win.
The seven-game win streak tied a season high while they improved their 2024-best record to 12 games over .500.
It could not be coming at a perfect time. The calendar has flipped to September — the final month of the season — and with 22 games left, they’re playing their best baseball of the season.
“I just like how the guys are going about their business,” Mendoza said. “There’s a sense of urgency. There’s some big plays. There are huge at-bats… We have to continue to do that in order to get where we want to go… There’s a lot of games left. There’s a lot of good teams in the race, but our mindset remains the same: One day at a time.”
The urgency that Mendoza referenced has been nothing new. On June 2, they were 11 games under .500 and facing the very real possibility of David Stearns breaking it all up by the July 30 trade deadline.
Instead, spurned by the brilliance of Francisco Lindor and starting pitching that has exceeded expectation, the Mets have been the best team in baseball with a 52-29 record since then.
“They began feeling like [playoff games] since June,” Mendoza said. “I think as far as the way we attack every day, the way we approach every day, I think we’ve been doing it for a long time.”
Jesse Winker, whose grand slam staked the Mets to an immediate lead in the first inning on Wednesday night, was one of the trade-deadline acquisitions brought in by Stearns to bolster a contending team rather than the harrowing alternative of a sell-job — an idea that felt as though it existed much longer than three months ago.
“I feel like every game I’ve been here has had a playoff vibe to it because they’re so meaningful to us as a team,” Winker said. “I feel like it’s so much fun to be a part of. All these games mean so much to us.”
Coming from the Washington Nationals, Winker has hit the ground running in New York. In the 30 games since his arrival, he is batting .306 with an .811 OPS, three home runs, and 13 RBI as an invaluable outfield and designated hitter option.
“As a player, your whole life, you want to be a part of clubhouses and teams like this,” Winker said “Everyone who is a part of this team is unbelievable. It’s a blessing for sure, and it’s a privilege any time you can help a team win a baseball game and be a part of winning baseball…
“It’s the guys in this clubhouse. Everyone is so professional and so welcoming… I’m so thankful for everyone in here. It’s a privilege and an honor to be here.”
