The Ascending New York Mets

You’ll forgive the New York Mets if they become ill from the altitude. They’re not accustomed to breathing the rarefied air at the top of the National League East division so late in the season.

The Mets hammered the Miami Marlins 12-1 on Monday night on the road while the Arizona Diamondbacks were beating the Washington Nationals 6-4 in the District of Columbia, giving the Mets sole possession of first place. It’s the first time they’ve been there alone since June 19 and the first time they’ve solely occupied that lofty position this late since September of 2008.

The Mets got into Miami at 4:30 a.m. after finishing off a three-game sweep of the Nats. They notched their fourth consecutive win and seventh in 10 games, banging out 15 hits that included three doubles by the newly-acquired Yoenis Cespedes, who drove in four runs.

Bartolo Colon, considered the least dangerous of an otherwise young pitching staff, worked eight innings and evened his record at 10-10. Colon is 42 and in his 18^th season and the win was his first since June 12.

The Mets (56-50) have not finished above .500 since 2008 nor made the playoffs since 2006, when they reached the National League Championship Series, only to lose in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals.

After nearly a lost decade, it may again be time, as their theme song states, to meet the Mets.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .