THE Memorial Day weekend is the traditional point to begin focusing on the postseason chase, as the holiday represents roughly the one-third mark of the baseball schedule.
Of course, tradition is not exactly what it once was in baseball, considering the chase now includes a wild card, which convolutes how you look at division races and second-, third- and, in some case, even fourth-place teams.
If the season were to have ended with the standings going into yesterday, the Braves, Astros and Diamondbacks would have been division winners and the Mets and Giants would have had to play a one-game playoff to determine a wild card. And there were another five teams within three games of the wild card. That included the Reds, fourth in the NL Central and three games behind the wild-card hybrid, the New York Giants.
This likely is indicative of the way this pursuit will play out, with a spate of clubs good enough to challenge for the postseason, yet flawed enough not to be able to pull away from one another. The wild-card plateau probably will fall around 92 victories, and more than half the league is going to feel it can get there, including the two teams playing at Shea this weekend. If you think three’s a crowd, wait to you see the NL playoff hunt in September.
If the Mets are to make it to October for the first time in a decade, they are going to ride their superior bullpen. If the Diamondbacks are to get to October for the first time in their history, they are going to have to improve their weak bullpen. In this area, the two clubs may have a common bond.
For if Byung-Hyun Kim grows into a difference-making closer to Arizona, the Mets will rue their failure to sign him. The Diamondbacks called up the 20-year-old Korean on Thursday with the hope he can solidify an end game that has been failing since Opening Day.
His first chance came yesterday when he was asked to do nothing more than protect a one-run, ninth-inning lead against the Mets’ three best hitters.
The debut was special as he used his sidearm delivery to whip fastballs and breaking stuff and retire Edgardo Alfonzo, John Olerud and Mike Piazza to protect an 8-7 Arizona victory.
He fell behind Alfonzo 3-1 before Alfonzo fouled off three straight pitches, then flied to center with Kim pumping his arm for a nice running catch by Steve Finley. Kim then induced Olerud to fly to left. He finished with flair, striking out Piazza.
Both Met GM Steve Phillips and his assistant, Omar Minaya, who is in charge of foreign scouting, said the Mets “were involved” in the bidding for Kim. The perception around baseball is stronger than that. Kim was part of a Korean national team that played the Mets in the spring of 1997, when the Mets were in the process of pursuing the touted Jae Weong Seo, whom they ultimately signed.
It was believed the Mets had a window until the Asian Games last offseason to seal Kim, but would not make the necessary financial commitment. Then Kim had an eye-opening performance in the Asian Games and more than a dozen teams got into the bidding, with Arizona winning at around $2.5 million, about three times the Mets’ pre-Asian Games offer.
The 20-year-old righty breezed through both Double- and Triple-A. And Arizona decided it could not wait any longer. Gregg Olson blew a save on Opening Day by allowing a Raul Mondesi ninth-inning, three-run homer. It has not gotten much prettier since. His five blown saves are the most in the majors. To get just his sixth save Friday night, Olson loaded the bases and struck out Luis Lopez only after falling behind 3-0. Wins in this crowded NL playoff field are too precious to stand pat. So Diamondback manager Buck Showalter finally got Kim, and then used him yesterday.
“That is a lot to ask of a young guy in his first year in the States,” Phillips said. “Maybe he’ll do it.”
Phillips has no such worries with his pen, not only boasting the most experienced closer in the league with John Franco, but the only primary finisher yet to blow a save. That is a tribute to Franco. But also to being part of the Mets’ late- game Fierce-some Foursome with Armando Benitez, Dennis Cook and Turk Wendell. Benitez and Cook arguably are the best righty and lefty set-up men in the sport.
What has happened often this season is that games have turned into battles of bullpens, and the Met set-up relievers have simply outpitched their counterparts. Wednesday’s game in Pittsburgh was characteristic. When the bullpens got involved, the Mets led 3-2. But by the time Franco got the ball in the ninth, the Mets led 5-2 en route to his 14th save in as many tries.
In Franco’s last seven saves, dating to April 23, he has entered with either a two- or three-run lead. Franco has entered with more than a one-run lead in 11 of his 14 saves.
“It is a six-inning game against them,” Showalter said. “I love their bullpen.”
Maybe now, with Kim, he could love his a little more.