MONTREAL – They are ready. They think the Braves aren’t invincible anymore. It is time for the Mets to prove themselves in Atlanta.
Despite the Mets 5-0 loss to the Expos yesterday, it seems more likely than ever this could be the season. That’s what the Mets think.
“I think we’ve played them seven times already, we know we play a similar brand,” said manager Bobby Valentine, alluding to the season series being 4-3 Braves. “We know we can beat them. We also know we don’t have to be perfect watching them play all season. That they’ve made mistakes.”
So it’s on tonight at Turner Field. The Mets, who trail Atlanta by three in the NL East, know they can beat the Braves, because they’ve done it three-out-of-the-seven times this season.
It will be Greg Maddux (13-9, 3.06 ERA) against Mike Hampton (17-8, 3.09 ERA) tonight. It’s a great matchup, which is the first of six games between the two teams over the next 10 days.
The Mets think they have learned from Septembers past. Over the past three years, they are 0-8 at Turner Field in September.
From 1998 to 1999 the Mets are 1-14, including last year’s three losses in the NLCS, in the Braves’ home.
“We still have to not get intimidated; especially in Atlanta, a place where we’ve struggled,” the emerging Darryl Hamilton said. “[Tonight’s] a big night for us. Hopefully, we can get ahead and put a little more pressure on them.”
So it would be tremendous for the Mets, if they were to go into Turner tonight and leave with a victory. Then you might believe.
“To the average fan point of view, if we go in there and not play well the first game, sure everyone is going to say, ‘Here we go again. They are not playing well in Atlanta,'” said Hamilton, who added, as a player, the first game doesn’t hold as much importance as it might for the fans.
With sports dynasties, there is usually a team that plays the second fiddle role. The Knicks to the Bulls. The Mets to the Braves.
“We know they are the team to beat,” Robin Ventura said of the Mets’ nemesis. “They’re kind of who you have to go through to win.”
Are the Mets more prepared?
“I think maybe our team is a little better,” Ventura said. “I wouldn’t say ‘prepared’ is the right word.”
