Hell Stretch

No Mets season feels complete without a ridiculous long road trip directly out of the All Star Break. Granted, this season isn't quite as bad as the years that they had to come out of the Break and go to San Francisco, St. Louis and San Diego, or Atlanta, St. Louis, Colorado, or St. Louis, Los Angeles, St. Louis, but this trip, Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami, isn't exactly much better.

The Mets played good in Philadelphia, which is also against trend, because usually these trips end with the Mets going 2-7, but then again they only played good, and not great. They'd have to play great against the Cubs, who I'm quite certain have had enough of the Mets and their fuckery. For once, we're the team that's been pushing the opponent around, at least when the Cubs are concerned, and you had to figure it was just a matter of time before they shoved back.

Monday night, the Cubs shoved back, to the tune of a 5-1 win. Steven Matz couldn't survive the 3rd inning, Anthony Rizzo hit the big Pizza Pie, and the Mets never recovered against Jon Lester.

I know that the Mets weren't going to totally stone the Cubs this season and a game like this was brewing, but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow. I've gone on record many times detailing my distaste for the Cubs (and primarily it's their fans, but then again that's the case with my dislike of most teams). I have a good friend who happens to be a Cubs fan and I'd at one point said that if the Cubs ever do win a Championship, I'd be happy for him, and no other Cubs fan. There is a humility to Mets fans, and perhaps it's just an embittered, cynical world view based on too many years of losing, collapsing, Willie Randolph and Ratso Wilpon. The Cubs fan seems to know none of this, for whatever reason. I'm not sure why, since the Cubs history is dotted with things like "Manager by Committee" and "Steve Bartman." But I digress. Now that they put together what is, in essence, a SuperTeam, you get what you have right now, which is essentially a giant circle jerk around the city of Chicago. Tell them that the SuperTeam never works and you're likely to get hit over the head with a Baseball Jesus poster or something.

Really, I didn't mean to spend this entire post cracking on Cubs fans, but for one, it's too easy and for two, I've said everything that needs to be said about the game. It was too much. Too much Rizzo, too much Lester, too much Matt Szczur (and I think his name being announced at all qualifies as too much Sczcur). Matz wasn't awful but he wasn't exactly inspiring either. Now, the Mets are down again, and they have to come back and face GOLDEN JAKE, who keeps talking about how he's refreshed and rejuvenated and ready to throw another 4 No Hitters. So, I mean, buckle up your chinstraps, right?