The Mets, sitting a half game behind the Braves and Phillies in a contested battle for the NL East, need wins outside the moral realm, but Friday's narrow defeat to the Dodgers offered the group the reinforcement that they can compete with baseball's best.
With 12 more games against Los Angeles and the Giants, owners of the league's record, coming up in the next two weeks, New York could use a reminder that it is capable of hanging with the elite as it desperately tries to avoid slipping out of the playoff race.
"Everyone wants to win, but there were a lot of positives that game," Jeff McNeil said. "Being down 4-0 and clawing back and fighting back, we were right there and had the winning run at the plate in the last inning. We played well, are gonna hopefully play well [Saturday] and get some wins.
"Every game is gonna be high-energy and real tough. The Dodgers are a good team. We know the next 13 games we play a couple really good teams. We're gonna battle and hopefully have a nice little stretch here."
McNeil dunked in a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit to 4-3, and a passed ball allowed the Mets to tie it in the four-run frame, forcing extras before falling in the 10th. The loss snapped New York's three-game winning streak, but still inspired hope that the Mets could make it out of this upcoming gauntlet still very much alive in the divisional hunt.
"Always proud of the guys," manager Luis Rojas said. "Every single one of them…falling down 4-0 against this unbelievable Dodgers team, and just being resilient. They've done that a bunch of times this year…I'm proud of them. this is who we've been the entire season, and to do this against a team like this, it shows we don't shy away."
The Mets will have to continue that fight for the next two weeks, though it won't get any easier as they hit the road following this series. But they showed a boisterous Citi Field crowd on Friday that they can play with the top dogs in the National League, but that promise will have to turn into results sooner than later
"I always feel encouraged with the guys," Rojas said. "I know we're gonna compete our best against any team. There's no difference. We always talk about the challenge of different teams, but we prepare every day to win a ballgame."
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