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Commentary: The Mets have won the series, but now's not the time to stop

Don't look now, but the Mets are clawing their way towards being in a Wild Card position.

Seems strange to say after a season that has seen so many injuries that have brought a potential pennant to potential early October off-season.

But that's where the Mets sit, having won the first three games of this four game series against the Miami Marlins.

8-2 the last ten games, the Mets have moved within 1-1/2 games of the second wild card spot, currently held onto by the St. Louis Cardinals.

It's a position many didn't think the Mets would be in after Matt Harvey, David Wright and Lucas Duda all checked out for the season due to injury.  But the team has pulled through, with new and existing talent working together to crank out wins when they needed to.

It's not to say that it has been easy.  There have been multiple moments when the Mets looked like they were about ready to wave the white flag for 2016.  But off the heels of two rough series against the Arizona Cardinals and another against the San Francisco Giants who were in the midst of a major tailspin in August, the Mets have bounced back to win the next three series, including two critical series against the St. Louis Cardinals and now the Miami Marlins.

But now's not the time to ease up on the gas.  The Mets have a tough road ahead of them.

It has nothing to do with their strength of schedule -- the Mets have the easiest schedule the rest of the way.  But that easy schedule means that opportunity needs to be taken advantage of.  Granted there will be road bumps along the way, such as two upcoming series against the Washington Nationals, but series against the Braves, Phillies and Twins is where the Mets will need to show promise. 

Losing those series will likely hand the Mets the fatal blow that will end any playoff chance they have in 2016.  And because they're not in the driver's seat yet, now's not the time for the Amazin's to let up on the throttle.

It's crunch time.  

Glens Falls Dragons Enter Important Stretch

The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League playoffs are a week away.

The Glens Falls Dragons currently sit in the third and final playoff spot for the East.  The Dragons are not safe, however, as the Albany Dutchmen trail them by only two games, with the two teams set to play each other twice in the coming week.

Team	Glens Falls Dragons	Albany Dutchmen
Record	22-26	22-25
Remaining Schedule
Friday	@ Amsterdam L @ Amsterdam L	@ Mohawk Valley W
Saturday	Amsterdam L	@ Adirondack W
Sunday	off	off
Monday	@ Albany L	Glens Falls W
Tuesday	Saugerties W	@ Amsterdam L
Wednesday	@ Saugerties	Amsterdam
Thursday	Albany	@ Glens Falls

The Dragons face the task of facing the top-seeded Amsterdam Mohawks three times in the next two days, wanting to maintain their advantage over the Dutchmen for the final playoff spot.  After a day off on Sunday, the Dragons will have two against Albany and two against Saugerties to complete their season.  Saugerties is 20 games back of first place Amsterdam, and 8 games behind the Dragons, thus eliminating the Stallions from playoff contention. 

Albany's schedule isn't easier.  After a game against the second place Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs, the Dutchmen travel to face Adirondack, who is only a half game behind Utica for the final playoff spot in the West Division and will be fighting for their playoff lives.  Then sandwiched between the two games with Glens Falls are two against Amsterdam.

The Glens Falls Dragons can technically clinch before heading into Monday's game, but will need to win all three games against Amsterdam, while Albany would need to drop their two games.  There's also a possibility of the Dutchmen to come into the rivalry game ahead of the Dragons, if the two teams should reverse the aforementioned fortune.  

But keep an eye on the weather.  The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League will attempt to reschedule lost games due to weather, but rescheduling is not guaranteed.  The loss of games due to weather last year resulted in the Dragons (last year as the Golden Eagles) being eliminated from the playoffs due to a rainout.