The Mets' Homestand must reveal who they really are

Todd Frazier was part of several bad baseball teams. Some were so bad that in mid-August, the club's fans – and even its players – had already turned to football.

That happens to the baseball teams every year, even to a few good ones: down from August, N.F.L. games appear on the clubhouse TVs while discussions on fantastic football teams intensify.

But now that the Mets are in the playoff race, Frazier, the third-baseman, wants to keep everyone's gaze from drifting as far as possible to the grill.

"When the football season has started, I'll make sure the TVs are turned off so people focus on the task at hand," Frazier said before the Mets game against the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday. "I will tell them:" When the World Series comes, and I hope we played it, this is the time when quality football will be there. "

The idea of ​​putting the Mets in the same sentence with "World Series" would have been laughable just a few weeks ago. But with a solid second half and a remarkable winning streak, they were well placed, improved a little by a 9-2 win against the Indians Tuesday night.

The win marked perhaps the beginning of the most critical season of the Mets season: a nine-game family circuit against three ambitious teams, the Indiennes, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs. The chances of the Mets to play in the playoffs could depend on this collection of games at Citi Field.

"To be honest, these games are like playoffs," Frazier said.

Frazier helped the cause on Tuesday with a shot and a fine defensive play, but the big hits came from J.D. Davis and Michael Conforto, who each have two homers, while Steven Matz threw six times stronger for the win. Pete Alonso also scored a two-point double as the Mets opened the match with a seventh of four points.

After the victory, Davis echoed Frazier. "The playoffs started today," he said.

The Mets entered the match with a 64-60 record, placing them two games away from the Cubs in a race for the second slot for wild cards. Cleveland held the top spot for the AHL wild cards at 74-51. The Braves, who beat the Mets twice in their recent three-game series in Atlanta, started Tuesday's games at 74-52, placing them at the top of the NL. East, and Chicago was 66-58, a half-game behind the Cardinals of St. Louis in N.L. Central.

Even if this family group could serve as a benchmark for the group of Mets, the director Mickey Callaway will be more and more closely scrutinized while it faces a decisive pressure. In this respect, Cleveland is a distinctive test for Callaway, who coached Indian pitchers from 2013 to 2017 under Terry Francona, one of the most accomplished managers of baseball.

Callaway said that he had learned a lot from Francona, who often said "Tito", especially with regard to the importance of a balanced and calm approach. Callaway highlighted his former boss's reputation for dealing with the playoff games as if they were regular season games in May, and added that he hoped to convey the same behavior to his players.

"The games probably mean more," Callaway said. "There will be more pressure on the players. You just have to keep a calm and relaxed atmosphere and allow them to perform to the best of their ability. I think Tito does this better than anyone I've ever been to. I think it's very important.

Francona, one of the most gregarious leaders of baseball, said that he remained good friends with Callaway. They spent some time together at Citi Field on Tuesday, and although Francona did not disclose the details of their conversation, he then spoke with reporters about the pressures that a sudden manager in New York City.

"He did not lose the ability to laugh at himself, which is important, in my opinion," said Francona. "When you're in a market like this, if you do not win, you're going to be criticized or trapped when things do not go as planned. As a manager, you do what you think is right, have enough confidence in what you do, answer questions and move on. This is the best way to do it. "

Callaway's short tenure with the Mets has certainly led to a lot of criticism, including questions from last week about his draw. Matz from the start before the seventh inning and replaced by Seth Lugo, who left a lead in a loss for the brave. In addition to the occasional blunders of management, Callaway made some strange public comments and was involved in a horrific episode in which he shouted after a club house reporter earlier this season.