Two weeks ago, when Sunday Night Baseball last checked in on the Mets, the defending National League pennant-winners had moved to .500 with a 2-0 win in San Francisco behind a scintillating performance by Noah Syndergaard. Needing a surge at that time to get into the playoff mix with just under a quarter of the season remaining, the Mets followed up that victory with eight wins in their next 12 games. Entering Sunday, they sit just one game out of the National Leagues last wild-card spot having passed the Marlins and the Pirates in that time.That makes every game important for the Mets and tonights task got a little bit easier when it was announced Saturday that the Nationals would give their ace Max Scherzer an extra day of rest and replace him tonight with rookie call-up Reynaldo Lopez. Lopez, 2-2 with a 5.33 ERA will be making his fifth start of the year. Despite that limited résumé, Lopez is actually tonights more veteran starter, as hell be opposed by Mets rookie Seth Lugo. Lugo doesnt even have 18 innings of experience, although his 2.33 ERA over three starts is less than half that of Lopez.If the Mets do make the playoffs, the rotation almost certainly wont be as imposing as last years unit that led the series upsets of both the Dodgers and the Cubs. New York turned to rookie Robert Gsellman Saturday and got a gem. Owing to injuries, should they get another one tonight from Lugo, baseball fans who regret missing a nationally televised start from Scherzer tonight will be closer to getting the one thing that might make up for it: a playoff start from Bartolo Colon. Our Chalk handicapping team has been turning in a lot of quality starts all season; tonight Joe Peta (11-5, +8.08 units on the season) and Andrew Lange gives readers their take while Dave Tuley takes the night off to continue to prepare for this weeks start of the NFL season. Nick Young Warriors Jersey . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. Rick Barry Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. https://www.warriorsrookiesshop.com/Omari-Spellman-City-Edition-Jersey/ . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. David West Warriors Jersey . -- Ryan Getzlaf grabbed the three pucks wrapped in tape and held them up to his chest in the Anaheim Ducks dressing room for a celebration nine seasons in the making. Latrell Sprewell Warriors Jersey NSW prop Andrew Fifita insists it was disrespectful of Gavin Cooper to toss the ball at Matt Moylan and wouldnt hesitate at running in to protect his playmaker again.Fifita feared he let his team down when he was sin-binned for starting a minor melee in the second half of Wednesdays State of Origin III win over Queensland.Cooper gave Moylan a gobful after trampling over the fill-in five-eighth for a Origin debut try in the second half, lumping the ball on the Penrith skippers head in celebration.Fifita then flew in from almost 35 metres away just to let the Cooper know he didnt like it.I hate seeing it - and everyone else hates seeing it - when a big fella goes at a little halfback. I grew up with `Moyza and its more of a bond. Its like a brotherhood between us, Fifita said post-game.Fair enough he scored it, but what he did after wasnt called for, a bit of disrespect.The Cronulla star said he had no regrets racing to stick up for his teammate.If I was closer, I wouldve (done) the same thing, he said.He said I got sin-binned because I ran in pretty much 35 metres out. I think I was 45. But Ive got no regrets in doing it. II wouldve done it for anyone in the team.ddddddddddddn fact, a proud Fifita described the incident as a throwback to Origins halcyon days.Even when I was at the bottom of it, it just happens man. I (brought Origin) back a bit, he said.I thought I let the boys down. But in saying that, I come back on and we got the win.Cooper said he quickly figured out the culprit, but described the incident as a rite of Origin passage.Someone tried to take my head off, put it in a shopping bag and take it home. But it is what it is. I guess it shows what Origin is all about - sticking up for your mate, he said.The Maroons failed to take advantage of the extra man during the period, unbeknownst to Fifita, who had no vision of the game in the dressing room.I was trying to hear the noises. There was nothing, he said.It was an amp up. When I saw there was no change, the crowd got behind me and I just heard everyone screaming when I ran back. I got back out there and tried to do my job and I made that impact again. ' ' '