Elimination Time!

The second best thing about early September (besides college football getting started again) is that the countdown to elimination in Major League Baseball races can be taken seriously. The playoffs and World Series are just around the corer.

So, after going to Philadelphia last Monday and getting their collective heads handed to them in a four game sweep by the Phillies, the Mets went down to Georgia and looked like Sherman. They sucked it up and swept the Braves in a three game set with a combination of excellent pitching and timely hitting. While that was happening, the Phillies who had moved up to just 2 games behind the first place Mets, went down to Miami and lost two out of three games to the Marlins.

[i note that despite defeating the Yankees this afternoon, Tampa Bay has become the first team to be officially eliminated from playoff contention. Sorry GuyK.]

It’s Labor Day and the Mets have moved out to a four game lead over the Phils and an eight game lead over Atlanta. That’s a pretty comfortable position, especially with Pedro Martinez set to make his season’s debut Monday against Cincinnati.

After six games against the Reds (away) and Astros (home), the Mets will again face off against the Braves and Phils for three games each in Shea. They have done well against the Central Division teams this year and a good showing against their division rivals will definitely put them in the catbird seat come September 17.

Of note is that the Mets are one of the oddities in sports. They have a better record on the road, 41-30, than they do at home, 35-30. They have more home games remaining than away games and cold improve upon that record, however.