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Still feeling disappointed about losing the World Series? Cheer up with this list of 15 video highlights from the season and realize what a fantastic year 2015 was for the New York Mets. Note that this list is chronological in nature, and is in no way meant to be a ranking or all-inclusive.
1. 4/9/15: Harvey stymies Nats as Mets win first series
The first sign that 2015 would be a different year was when the Mets won their opening series in Washington. The Nats went 15-4 and won every series against the Mets in 2014. Matt Harvey won the rubber game of the series convincingly in his first regular season start since August of 2013.
2. 4/12-4/23/15: 11-game win streak highlights
This was only the fifth 11-game winning streak in club history, and two were by the World Championship teams of 1969 and 1986. The streak started quietly, as Bartolo Colon helped salvage the last game of a series in Atlanta. Then, the team rolled through a perfect 10-0 home stand, which included sweeps of the Phillies, Marlins, and Braves, and gave the Mets a 13-3 start to the season. However, it would be a costly time on the field for New York as well, as David Wright, Jerry Blevins, and Travis d’Arnaud would all suffer long-term injuries during the homestand.
3. 5/16/15: Mets use 10-run 4th to trounce Brewers
From April 24 to July 24, the Mets endured an 81-game stretch of 36-45 baseball, but there were moments of greatness sprinkled throughout. One was this rainy mid-May night at Citi Field that featured the fourth 10+ run inning in team history, joining other such innings in 1979, 2000, and 2006.
4. 5/21/15: deGrom retires 23 in a row to lift Mets
Jacob deGrom was at his best on this Thursday afternoon in Flushing against the Cardinals. After giving up a first-inning single, deGrom got 23 consecutive batters out in eight shutout frames.
5. 5/27/15: Syndergaard's gem, first homer lead Mets
Noah Syndergaard joined the starting rotation in May, and he had a great all-around game this day. In addition to a shutout pitching performance, Syndergaard went 3-for-3 at the plate with his first career homer. The Mets completed a home sweep of the Phillies for the second time on the season.
6. 6/28/15: Matz does it all, earns win in Mets debut
In late June, Steven Matz made his MLB debut in the Mets’ rotation, and proved he could also hit really well. He became the first pitcher ever to go 3-for-3 with four RBIs in his debut, as the Mets finished a sweep of the Reds.
7. 7/12/15: Mets ride Nieuwenhuis to sweep of D-backs
The day before the All-Star break, the Mets completed yet another sweep at Citi Field, with help from an unlikely hero. Kirk Nieuwenhuis became the first Met to homer three times in a home game in team history. Nieuwenhuis had been released by the Mets earlier in the year, and spent a brief time in Anaheim before being released again and reclaimed by New York. He would later be included on the Mets’ World Series roster. Meanwhile, Lucas Duda would also hit three home runs in a game at Citi Field on July 29, and Yoenis Cespedes would hit three in Colorado on August 21.
8. 7/31/15: Flores lifts Mets with walk-off homer
Speaking of great human-interest stories, there was the saga of Wilmer Flores. On July 29, Flores shed tears on the field when he thought he had been traded, but the deal fell through. July 31 became "Wilmer Flores Night" at Citi Field, as he drove in both runs of a 2-1 victory in extra innings against Washington. Earlier in the day, the Mets had traded for Cespedes. New York would sweep the three-game weekend series against the Nats to tie Washington for first place in the NL East.
9. 8/24/15: Mets hammer franchise record eight homers
David Wright homered in his very first at-bat after missing four months due to injury. Wright’s bomb was just the first of a team record eight Mets homers on this night in a 16-7 win in Philly. Juan Lagares, Flores (twice), d'Arnaud, Michael Cuddyer, Daniel Murphy, and Cespedes all joined in the long-ball-hitting party.
10. 9/9/15: Cespedes lifts Mets to sweep of Nationals
Yoenis Cespedes had an incredible six weeks of offensive productivity after joining the Mets on August 1, leading to chatter about National League MVP consideration despite only being in the league for two months. No hit he had was more clutch than his two-run homer off Drew Storen in the eighth to lead the Mets to a 5-3 victory over the Nationals. It helped the Mets complete a three-game sweep in Washington that really ripped the heart out of the Nats.
11. 9/13/15: Mets stage dramatic rally to finish sweep
The Mets were concluding a torrid 31-11 stretch that lasted from July 31 through September 14. This game was an example of how they could do no wrong during this period. Behind in the ninth with two outs and nobody on, the Amazins rallied for three runs on a tying home run by Murphy. They then won the game in extras, completing a four-game sweep in Atlanta.
12. 9/26/15: Mets clinch NL East in rout of Reds
The Mets clinched their first division title since 2006 on this day. It was the third game of a four-game sweep in Cincinnati. It was also the last of a total of six series sweeps New York had on the road in August and September. The Mets’ road record turned around dramatically, going from 10-26 through June 24, to a final mark of 41-40.
13. 10/15/15: Murphy's clutch homer sends Mets to NLCS
Murphy had a game for the ages to help the Mets advance, including very alertly stealing a base on a walk during a now-legendary play.
14. 10/21/15: Mets sweep Cubs, advance to World Series
The Mets swept 16 series during the regular season, and added another sweep in the NLCS. Murphy set a record by hitting a home run in six consecutive postseason games. Bartolo Colon got credit for the win in relief of Steven Matz, Colon’s 30th victory for the team over the last two seasons.
15. 10/30/15: Mets win World Series Game 3
Game 3 of the World Series was a Mets celebration at Citi Field. New York rallied from two early deficits to finish the game with seven unanswered runs. Noah Syndergaard pitched well to get the win. David Wright hit a two-run homer and had four RBIs. Curtis Granderson hit the go-ahead two-run home run, and Juan Uribe came back from an injury to deliver a key pinch-hit single in his first at-bat in over a month.