During his pre-game interview, Dusty Baker made the statement that the Reds and Mets are very similar ball clubs.
He elaborated by saying both clubs have the ability to score a lot of runs in a hurry.
They also play “all 27 outs”. This took me a second to realize he was actually speaking about an entire series, which I felt was a nice compliment.
I can’t believe I am actually going to write this, but Dusty actually made me stop and think for a second.
He makes a valid point. Both teams had huge question marks to start the season and still have to convince most people that they are real contenders.
I imagine this is part of the reason these clubs seem to never quit in games or in a series.
There is another similarity that Baker failed to mention. Both he and Jerry Manuel started the season with little support from their respective fan base. They both also have the reputation to make questionable decisions in terms of bullpen use and game strategy.
Say what you want about these often beleaguered managers, you can’t argue that they are getting the most out of their respective lineups up to this point.
Midwestropolitan 