NIAGARA FALLS, NY – Happy Monday, We’re only a week out from the unofficial start of summer, meaning we’re near the end of the playoffs in the NBA and NHL, and with that, ready for the height of baseball season. So let’s do our usual: Mets week in review, Knicks news, and Sabres update.
NY Mets Week in Review
The Mets actually had a homestand that fit into what a lot of people envisioned. They swept the Tigers, split with the Yankees, and then won the next series, including an impressive comeback yesterday. Yesterday’s comeback win in extra innings was the first time in 91 games that the Mets have come back after being down for eight innings.
The pitching was okay, with some great performances from David Peterson, Clay Holmes, and Freddy Peralta also. The bullpen was a little inconsistent at times but got out when needed. Sean Manaa needs to do better in his appearances. But the key was clutch hitting: getting runners on base and getting them home when the team needed a hit or they were down by a run or two.
I mean, the Mets made errors, but then there were things like Tyrone Taylor with two runners on, down by three, getting the ball to stay fair to tie the game yesterday. Then Devin Williams, who wasn’t even supposed to pitch the night before, just gave America a gem—he kept the score at 6-6 for another three innings, so then that set it up for the game to go into the bottom of the 10th.
They’re still last in the East, but they’re only six games under .500 now. More weeks like this, and there’s hope.
Knicks to meet Cleveland
Well, the Knicks were home for a while, and the other Eastern Conference semifinal finally sorted itself out after seven games, with Cleveland defeating Detroit. The Pistons were the number one seed, but they had to fight back from a 3-1 hole against Orlando. They came back from 3-2 in the series but didn’t have enough at the end. They’re still a relevant, young team who somehow got the number one seed in year two of their rebuild, so they’ll be back. It’s part of the growth on the path to being a championship side.
Cleveland made the trade for James Harden and has had moments of really looking dominant and moments of really looking disappointing. They are a better matchup for the Knicks, who seem to be on fire, and hopefully the week off hasn’t cooled them.
Taking a peek toward the Western Conference, there’s a bit of a Red River rivalry as San Antonio faces OKC. I’m looking for San Antonio because I think they are a better matchup for the Knicks.
Sabres In Trouble
Turning toward the Sabres: what’s the point of home-field advantage if you don’t know how to use it? They took Boston out in six games, losing two at home. And now they’ve lost two at home but managed to force Game 7 by dominating in Montreal and winning 8-3.
This is still a young team, and I don’t have them going further than this round, but they just might be able to pull it off. They have the talent, and they will have the crowd, but it doesn’t seem to have mattered before. I do have to say Montreal is still the only Canadian team left in the playoffs, so we’ll see. But the winner is probably going to lose in five or six to Carolina, who have swept rounds one and two.
Thanks for coming. Stay tuned tomorrow for The Big Aristotle
