The Mets magic number is now down to seven.  Any combination of Mets wins and Phillies (or Marlins losses if they take over second place) amounting to seven clinches the NL East for the Mets.  The Mets of course reduced their magic number last night after defeating the Dodgers by a score of 7 to 0.  The game was highlighted by Jose Reyes’s three run inside the park home run.  Reyes is simply Mr. Excitement.  Also the Mets pitchers have thrown two shutouts in a row.

Since the Marlins and Phillies were tied for second place prior to last night’s game, it was mathematically impossible for the Mets to reduce their magic number by two.  The Marlins who lost face a magic number of six for elimination but they are in third place.  We now root for Florida to defeat the Phillies in tonight’s contest. If the Mets beat the Dodgers tonight, their magic number would be reduced to 5. 

Anyway you shake it; it certainly appears that the Mets will clinch the East on the road some time next week either in Florida or more than likely in Pittsburgh next weekend.  It is impossible for the Mets to clinch on this home stand.  With three games left against the Dodgers and the Phillies playing against the Marlins, the best the Mets can hope for is a Magic number of two before they head to Florida.  That would require the Mets completing a sweep against the Dodgers and the Marlins must win two of the three remaining games of their series with the Phillies.  The Phillies and the Marlins would be tied at 72 and 71 and the Mets record would be at 90 and 52.  Therefore the Mets would simple have to win two games to reach 92 wins, a win value the Marlins and Phillies would no longer be able to reach. 

It will happen soon I just hope it happens as a result of the Mets winning a game.  I do not want to see them back into it.   That could happen because the Mets have a day off on Thursday while the Phillies play that day in Atlanta.  Now wouldn’t that be interesting.  Suppose the Mets magic number is one over the Phillies after Wednesday night’s game against the Marlins.  The Braves would be in position to win a game against the Phillies and hand the Mets the NL East title.  There would be something poetic about that when you consider the rivalry between the Mets and Braves over the years.  Now I don’t know what mathematical formula needs to be in place for that to happen but at this point, I’ll assume it’s possible. 

Washington has officially been eliminated from the division race and Atlanta’s magic number for elimination is three.  Finally after fourteen years, well thirteen years in the East, the dragon has been slain.  The Braves still have an outside shot at the wild card but their reign as NL East champs is assuredly over.

With last night’s win over the Dodgers, the Western Division lead for them is down to .5 games over the Padres.  It’s appearing more likely that the Mets will face a team from the west as a wild card or division winner in the first round.  If the Marlins or the Phillies win the wild card, the Mets cannot play them in round one because the rules do not allow two teams from the same division to play each other in the division series.  With the Reds and Astros apparently fading in the wild card hunt, it would appear that the Mets will play the Giants, Padres, or Dodgers in the National League Division series.  Of course there still is a lot of baseball to play so anything is possible.

The Mets will finally clinch soon enough and I look forward to it.  We all want to win the World Series but we also need to stop and enjoy the division clinching.  These opportunities do not happen too often.  It has been six years since the Mets were in the post season and eighteen years since they won a division title.  Clinching a division in a league that plays 162 games is nothing to be ho-hum about.  It is a remarkable achievement and something that I know I will pause to celebrate.  After that is when I will start to worry about the post season.

Extra Innings:   Coming across some pictures of Ebbets field recently it occurred to me that the Mets new ballpark has about as much in common with the old Dodger’s stomping grounds as Gwyneth Paltrow has with Elaine DeGeneres.  Nothing against Ebbets Field or Elaine but the difference is striking.  The only similarities between the two ball fields are the outside facade and rotunda.  The columns and archways that surround the park were modeled after the old Brooklyn ball yard but the rest of the new Mets Park looks nothing like the old.  In fact the new yard is huge in comparison.  Even the rotunda is much bigger and more elaborate than the Flatbush version. The seating bowl is one-hundred percent different and of course the amenities in the new stadium were not even dreamed of when the old park was torn down.  It is simply not the case when you here that the Mets are recreating Ebbets Field. 

Post season tickets will be sold to the peons (you and me) through a lottery system. Check it out on the Mets web site.  You must register by Tuesday night.