A Must-Win Game?

I know it, you know it, the team knows it, the media definitely knows it... the Mets stink on the road.

I tried explaining it to my dad the other day and really found myself at a loss as to how a team could play this good at home and still be this bad on the road.

Whatever the explanation, here we are a full two months into the season and the Mets haven't won one goddamn series away from Citi Field.

After they were blown out in the first game against San Diego, they came roaring back yesterday on the strength of another great outing from Mike Pelfrey.

With Johan Santana going tonight, I'm gonna come out and say it: tonight's is a must-win game for this team.

It's must-win because they need to put this storyline behind them. They need to prove they can take their show on the road.

They need to do it because they need to prove they can hang with anyone, and who better to make that point against than the team with the best record in the National League?

And finally, it's a must-win game because they've got Johan going, and any time he takes the rubber the Mets need to win. He's given them a chance to do that his last five times out; the Mets have responded with two wins in those five games. They have to do better than that.

Tonight is their chance. If they win tonight, they win themselves two days of positive vibes and positive press.

More than anything though, they take a giant step toward putting this storyline about their futility away from Citi to bed. It won't vanish based on one series -- they need to do it a few times over before anyone forgets how bad they've been on the road.

As they say, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Tonight's their chance. Let's get after it.

- A.F.O.M.G.