Welcome to Staten News, where New York went 2-0 last night and the NFL still stole the headlines.
Juan Soto hit a solo home run. Nick Morabito and Brett Baty each dropped three-run doubles. The Mets scored 10 runs and beat the Rays 10-4 to take the series.
None of it changes the standings that matter.
A good night, a lost season
The Mets are 62-77. There is no wild card math that saves that number in September. Wednesday’s win was a series-clincher against a team well outside playoff position too, not a statement.
Across town, the Yankees beat the Angels 6-3. That’s the whole story worth trusting there.
The real story starts in seven days
The NFL opens its season on September 9. The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots at Lumen Field, prime time on NBC.
The next night, the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. That’s the first regular-season NFL game ever played in Australia.
Translation: by this time next week, baseball’s September grind won’t be the only thing on the sports page. It might not even be the biggest thing on it.
That’s the whole sports calendar in one week. A championship defense, a trip to the other side of the planet, and two New York teams playing out a string that means less every day.
— The Bandicoots 🏈⚾