Mickey Callaway is right when he says the Mets are still “far from our goal,” which is qualifying for the postseason. But the journey is starting to get exciting. That’s something that hasn’t been said about the Mets in a while. But it can be said now.

Yes, series against the Nationals and the Braves will offer a more telling barometer of whether the Mets are worthy of all the energy they’re creating. But Citi Field is starting to feel like it’s in a pennant race.

The Mets found two ways to win in a doubleheader sweep of the Marlins Monday night. They got quality pitching from Jacob deGrom and a home run from Jeff McNeil to claim the opener 6-2, then used three home runs in the seventh inning to come from behind and beat the Marlins 5-4 to claim the sweep.

There were weeks in the past when Callaway would talk about putting a string of wins together so his club could “get back in this thing.” It sounded like wishful thinking at the time. Now the Met are “back in this thing,” climbing above .500 at 57-56 after being 11 games below .500 on July 12. The Mets have won 11 of their past 12 games.

“These guys have stayed focused,” Callaway said. “They know they can do something special and we’re going to continue to strive to do that.”

In addition to stockpiling as many wins against presumably inferior competition like the Marlins, the Mets appear to be fine-tuning their game and building momentum in preparation for a upcoming stretch against Washington and Atlanta.

They apparently dodged a scare when McNeil, perhaps their most indispensable position player, left the third inning of the second game with what was called a cramp in his right calf. McNeil had homered in three straight games and is batting .337.

What was encouraging and sent Citi Field into hysterics were the performances from players the Mets will count on when the series with the Marlins is through.

DeGrom was as reliable as expected, allowing just two runs over seven innings in the opener. The staff ace, who allowed five hits, struck out eight and delivered at the plate as well with a two-run single in the fourth inning.

see also

Robinson Canos season may be over in sad development

Robinson Cano’s first season with the Mets might be finished….

Perhaps even more encouraging was the run-scoring single by Home Run Derby king Pete Alonso in the fifth. Alonso entered the game in a slump, having gone 11-for-73 with a .151 batting average since the All-Star break. He struck out in his first two at-bats in the opener on Monday whiffing on a fastball that got past him in the second inning and then was caught looking at a breaking ball on the corner in the third. He would also strike out in the seventh. But Alonso came through in the fifth with a rocket liner up the middle.

In the second game, Alonso blasted the third home run of seventh inning, going back-to-back with Michael Conforto to help erase what had been a 4-2 Marlins lead.

There were other key moments during the evening that offered evidence the Mets are playing their best baseball of the season. Conforto made a terrific catch on a deep fly ball to the wall in the second inning of the opener, and Rosario hustled hard to beat out an infield hit to start a two-run fifth.

Meanwhile, McNeil had given the Mets a quick 1-0 lead when he belted the first pitch thrown by Marlins starter Robert Dugger into the right field seats for his 14th homer run of the season.

Closer Edwin Diaz even gained a measure of confidence working the ninth inning with a four-run cushion. He needed 27 pitches and didn’t collect a save, but he managed to get through the ninth without giving up a run.

The second game was a snoozer until the seventh when the Mets J.D. Davis led off the inning a blast over the right-field wall. Two out later Conforto and Alonso went back-to-back. The bullpen did its part with Jeurys Familia pitching a scoreless seventh inning and Seth Lugo closing by pitching both the eight and ninth.

The Mets are clearly “in this thing” now. Somehow it feels like it’s just the beginning.

Click Here: cheap true religion jeans