First Series Recap: A Mixed Bag

The Major League Baseball season just started. Yet, much like returning to school after Summer vacation, it doesn’t take long to feel as though baseball never left. If you scour over the landscape this weekend, teams of most fans feel as though the 2024 season is still continuing. The Dodgers are winning, the Pirates can’t get out of their own way and the Guardians continue to prosper despite offseason maneuverings. For those of us who are Yankees, Mets and Phillies fans, the same highs and lows that have been a part of this household for years were on full display over these past four days.

New York Mets

One can say that last season’s NLCS appearance should absolve the Mets from early criticism. However Matthew and I seem to have the same conversation every year. They pitch really well but they can’t hit when it matters, and sometimes like Saturday night, not at all. It won’t be an 0-6 start but suddenly the Mets are about to run into a hot team in the Miami Marlins. There is no panic in the house right now although Beatrice seems to think that Juan Soto should get a hit every time he comes to the plate based on what he is being paid. Matthew is more reserved but is still frustrated about scoring six runs in three games. He didn’t even bother watching the ninth inning of the series finale.

New York Yankees

Ryan doesn’t have Gleyber Torres to kick around anymore but five errors in one game? That is about the only negative to the hot start by the reigning, defending American League champions. After demolishing Brewers’ pitching with 15 home runs, the Yanks’ choice of bats is catching some attention. The pitching wasn’t the best but it didn’t have to be. Ryan and I are both confident that it will come around once the weather starts getting better. The two of us believe that the offense will continue to crank out a bucket full of runs even without Giancarlo Stanton. When Ryan returns home in less than three weeks, anything less than a first place standing will be a major disappointment.

Philadelphia Phillies

“We should have swept them”. That was Caitlyn’s remark after the Phils dropped the series finale 5-1 to the Washington Nationals. Still, she’s happy they won two of their first three games on the road. It’s always a roller coaster of emotions watching games with her. One minute she is proud of them, the next minute, well they stink. On balance, this is a much better start than the last two seasons when they were swept in Texas in 2023 and dropped two out of three to the Braves to begin 2024. Much less angst to begin this year and I even detected a smile or two.