What Mets Fans Should Be Cheering for on Thursday

Entering Thursday, the Mets are tied with the Diamondbacks for the second NL Wild Card and hold a one-game lead over the Braves for the final playoff spot. All three have an off day on Thursday, but multiple other games being played could have implications for the NL Wild Card this weekend.

Let’s take a look at them and how they factor into the Mets.

Royals vs. Nationals, 1:05 PM ET

• The Royals enter the day tied with the Tigers for the second wild card and two games ahead of the Twins for the final spot. This game matters to the Mets because the Royals are headed to Atlanta to play the Braves this weekend, and obviously, New York would want those games to mean something for Kansas City.
• The Royals can’t clinch before the Braves series (Twins hold the tiebreaker with Royals), but they can get their magic number down to one with a win on Thursday and a Twins loss. It would be best for the Mets if the Nationals beat the Royals on Thursday to potentially force KC (depending on Twins outcomes) to be more competitive against the Braves.
• Former Met Michael Wacha (13-8, 3.28 ERA) is going up against Patrick Corbin (6-13, 5.58 ERA) for the Nationals.

Marlins vs. Twins, 7:40 PM ET

• This time, the Mets would want their fellow NL East competitors to lose. The Twins’ win would increase the Royals’ need to play out more of the weekend in Atlanta competitively.
• Marlins’ right-hander Valente Bellozo (3-4, 3.82 ERA) is going up against righty David Festa (2-6, 4.80 ERA).

Padres vs. Dodgers, 10:10 PM ET

• The final game of the day that could help shape the NL Wild Card race. The Padres lost to the Dodgers on Wednesday night, significantly hurting their chances of winning the NL West. They would get back within two games of the with a win on Thursday. The Padres have already locked in the tiebreaker against the Dodgers, so a win on Thursday would ensure they play at least one game over the weekend with a division title on the line. Why does that matter for the Mets? Well, the Padres are playing the D-Backs!
• Joe Musgrove (6-5, 3.95 ERA) goes for the Padres against Walker Buehler (1-6, 6.53 ERA) for the Dodgers.
• The doubleheader with the Braves on Monday could loom large, but it could also not matter if the Mets win at least two games against the Brewers and the D-Backs win no more than one against the Padres.
• I should make one final note that the Mets could still technically win the first wild card if the Padres lose at least three of the four remaining games and the Mets win out. So, if you’re thinking real pie-in-the-sky, you would want the Padres to lose, but them winning and making it tougher on the D-Backs over the weekend feels far more likely/helpful.

This is not to say that teams like the Royals or Padres will simply lay down in a major league baseball game if they’ve clinched their seeding. However, with the NL Wild Card games starting right on Tuesday, teams who can clinch early are more likely to try lining up pitching, not going as deep with pitchers, and possibly giving some of their star hitters a little time off.

Let’s go Nationals, Twins, and Padres! Even the Tigers’ staying in the wild card race (currently tied with the Royals) could help KC stay competitive this weekend.

Bonus game watch for the weirdos like me: Former Mets draft pick Kumar Rocker (Rangers) against former Mets pitching prospect J.T. Ginn (A’s) at 3:37 p.m. ET. This is also the last game for the A’s at the Coliseum.

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