Mets turning point game? 5 lessons to keep the momentum going

Game of the year? No. Game of the century! Wednesday night’s game between the New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays should force Congress into making May 17 a national holiday. That’s how important it was to history. Because of how involved several international players were, let’s get the whole world to celebrate what was easily the most spectacular performance in sports history. The Jordan Flu Game can eat dirt.

So maybe one come-from-behind victory isn’t quite as grandiose in a few hours as it feels this morning. How the Mets respond is far more important. A win is a win no matter how it happens. In a season which has had fans already seeking the exit, Wednesday’s game could at the very least be a turning point.

It had all of the makings of it. And to keep the momentum going, the Mets need to keep these three things in mind.

1) The best solutions for the NY Mets are sometimes the most obvious

Calling up Mark Vientos proved to be the right call for the Mets. Maybe Billy Eppler was on some sort of social media strike and hadn’t heard of the guy. Mets fans have been begging for Vientos to get promoted for weeks now. A clutch home run from the kid proved that sometimes the best solution is the most obvious.

2) Starting pitching hasn’t gone out of style

Somewhat lost in the game was how well Kodai Senga pitched. Six innings and 12 strikeouts against the best team in baseball is no easy feat. Mets starting pitchers have been slumping through the season. Senga has been one of the more entrusted arms even with some hiccups of his own. Stay with the original intended plan of winning the arms race. The weapons may need to change but keep steady with how you win the battle.

3) It’s okay to clear out the entire NY Mets bench for a victory

Buck Showalter submitted a head-scratching starting lineup with Eduardo Escobar batting second and playing second base. Why don’t we just change him to number two while we’re at it? He was pinch-hit for early by Jeff McNeil. So was Tommy Pham, by Daniel Vogelbach, early on in the game. It probably wasn’t the preferred choice to manage a game in 2023. It worked for one night.

4) Home runs are pretty

It all came to an end with a Pete Alonso home run. In fact, it was the long ball that carried the Mets through this one. Power is something the team has lacked throughout the 2023 season. They needed a couple of bombs in this one to get through it unscathed. Power hitters on teams falling out of contention will look nice in blue and orange beginning this August.

5) Nothings ever easy for the NY Mets, is it?

Every emotion possible was felt during this game. Anger. Relief. Sadness. Exhaustion. Ecstasy. Whatever’s it called when a puppy is so adorable you want to squeeze it. Apparently the team is “cute aggression.” All of it ran through our veins on Wednesday. From the bewilderment of the starting lineup posting to social media to Alonso dropping more than a home run bomb on live TV, this was a game where the Mets were able to remind us that we’re all still alive.