The good times of mid summer...being involved in a pennant chase, boasting a record well above .500, a pitching staff shoving on a daily basis...gave way to the brutal dog days of August. And, with them came a slow, gradual collapse.
The Mets imploded, going 9-19, in August, including a string of six successive losses.We were outscored, 38-12, during that abysmal stretch.
Losing to the Giants is something you can live with, but bowing to the Dodgers, Pirates and Cardinals, all teams we were in the mix with, just plunged us into a tailspin. And, dropping 2 of 3 to lowly Houston is unacceptable.
So, as of Sept. 6, the Mets - once on the heels of the San Francisco Giants for the NL pennant - are now 68-71 and a painfully disappointing 20 1/2 games back.
Maybe the sting of disappointment is good. This was the Mets first actual taste of competing at a higher level since we popped on the scene in 1962. I have to take that as a positive sign. We just have to build our organization to sustain the fight for the long haul.