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Mets Lose Home Field Advantage With Loss To Nationals, Dodgers Win

By Kenneth Teape

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When the New York Mets clinched the NL East division crown last weekend, they knew there was still some work to be done as they were battling it out with the Los Angeles Dodgers for home field advantage in the National League Divisional series. The Mets were in good shape, as they led the Dodgers by two games heading into the last week of the season, as they finished the four game sweep of the Reds while the Dodgers were getting swept by the Rockies.

Well, that seems like an eternity ago, as the Dodgers have taken a two game lead on the Mets for the race for home field in the NLDS. With only one game remaining though, that means the Dodgers have clinched home field and the Mets will be on the road to start the 2015 playoffs. How did this happen you ask? Look no further than the performance the Mets have been putting forth on the field.

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With a four-game winning streak and the division crown to their name, the Mets were rolling. With series against the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals on the docket, the Mets looked like they would be able to hold off the Dodgers for home field. But, their NL East rivals had other ideas, as they showed up to games in which the Mets looked flat in.

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The end of their road trip against the Phillies was a disaster. They lost Bartolo Colon’s start in the series opener 4-3, as Lucas Duda was the only position player to show up, blasting two home runs, and accounting for all three of the Mets runs. Things only got worse against the Phillies, as the Mets then experienced something that hasn’t happened to them much this season; the injury bug striking.

The weather played a part in the final two losses in the series to the Phillies, but the biggest problem was Steve Matz injury. Matz had developed soreness in his back but with the Mets poised to use him in the postseason rotation, they wanted to get him some work. So, they kept pushing his stats back, but things never got better. It resulted in Logan Verrett starting Game 2, and Sean Gilmartin starting Game 3.

Verrett picked a poor time to have his worst outing of the season, as he wasn’t able to get through five innings. He never seemed to get into a rhythm, and the Mets bullpen would go on to disappoint again, as Bobby Parnell suffered yet another loss. Gilmartin and Tim Stauffer did their best to keep the Mets in the game, but their offense was nonexistent as Jared Eickhoff dominated, making it five consecutive starts with seven innings pitched and two or less runs allowed.

Also in that game, Yoenis Cespedes was hit by a pitch in his left hand. While he left with just bruising and no broken bones, it seemed to sap some of the energy from the team. When he was hit, there was a ton of doom and gloom in the Mets dugout, one that was full of elation and excitement just days prior.

Oct 3, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) reacts after pitching a no hitter against the New York Mets during game two at Citi Field. The Nationals defeated the Mets 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

It seems to have a lasting effect on the team as a whole, as they do not look like NL East winners since Cespedes was hit by that pinch. They have played three games since the incident, and have scored a grand total of one run. To add insult to injury, they were no hit for the second time this season, as Max Scherzer picked up his second no-hitter of the season in the night cap of Saturday’s doubleheader. Scherzer was dominant right from the start, striking out 17 Mets, including nine straight from the sixth-ninth innings; in other words, the Mets had no shot.

While the Mets have reverted back to their pre-July 25th version in the past week, on the opposite coast the Dodgers have been doing the exact opposite. They clinched the NL West title when they demolished Madison Bumgarner on Tuesday behind Clayton Kershaw, but haven’t slowed down.

Aug 15, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets pitcher Jon Niese (49) delivers a pitch during the first inning of the game at Citi Field. The Pirates won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

After resting most of their regulars Wednesday, the Dodgers have since pulled off a three-game winning streak. They are taking full advantage of the Mets shortcomings, as they have looked strong in all facets of the game. Also, with Kershaw slated to pitch today in the season finale, they have a great chance of entering the postseason with a four-game winning streak and a ton of momentum.

On the other hand, the Mets will be entering the postseason backwards. Their offense has become a major question mark all of a sudden, and their bullpen has been troublesome again. Terry Collins has been trying new things out in preparation for the postseason, but sometimes it seems that it came at the expense of winning games.

For example, the Jon Niese experiment has been a disaster thus far. Niese is yet to have an outing that he hasn’t allowed a baserunner in, which will make it tough for him to be a trusted option out of the bullpen in the postseason. Also, Collins has been tinkering with his lineup, which should already be set heading into the postseason. It seems to have knocked a team out of whack that had a load of chemistry coming into the week, but this looks like a totally different group of players than the ones who were taking the field just a week ago.

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It has caused the Mets to fall out of the second seed in the NL, and forcing them to start the postseason on the road. This may not seem like a big issue to some people, but the Mets would have held a huge advantage having that Game 5 at Citi Field. The Dodgers have the worst road record in the NL of playoff teams and are the only ones to finish below .500 on the road.

But, with them having home field advantage, that isn’t as big a deal now. They just have to win home starts by Kershaw and Zack Greinke to start the series, and then one more in Game 5 if it comes down to it. Facing those two on the road is a tall task for any team even if they are rolling. For a team playing as poorly as the Mets are currently, that could be a death sentence for their playoff hopes.

It was going to be a tall enough task for the Mets to win a series with the inexperience on their roster, but they added to that pressure by losing home field advantage. With the pitching staff the Mets have, they should never be counted out of a series. But with how the offense has looked, having the home field advantage would have been huge.

Alas, that is no longer in the cards, as the Mets are ending the season as poorly as any playoff team is outside of maybe their New York co-tenants in the New York Yankees. They have no one to blame but themselves, as home field advantage if downplayed in baseball more than any other sport during the playoffs, but for a team as dominant at home as the Mets are and as poor on the road as the Dodgers are, it could have meant the difference between advancing to the NLCS or going golfing.

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