Tyler Clippard reflects on being traded as Mets make postseason push

Mets relief pitcher Tyler Clippard remembers the first thought that ran through his mind July 27 when he was told that he had been traded from Oakland to New York.

"My first thought was, 'OK, I'll have to figure out how to get all my stuff moved,'" Clippard said. "I was thinking, 'What time do I have to be there?' 'When should I go?'"

His second thought was baseball. He knew he was going to be in a battle for the National League East with his former team, the Nationals, a team that let him sign with the Athletics as a free agent.

"I looked at the schedule to find out when we were playing Washington and if I'd be going back,'' Clippard said.

Clippard, 30, and closer Jeurys Familia, 25, have been the only trusted arms in the Mets bullpen. Clippard pitched in two games when the Mets swept the Nationals in New York the first weekend he was there.

The Mets come to Nationals Park for three games Sept. 7-9, and then the Nationals return to New York for the final series of the season. He's been communicating via text with his former teammates.

Who would have thought this is the way Clippard's season would turn out.

"It's going to be weird to be back in Washington, playing for the other team,'' Clippard said. "It's kind of what's cool about this game. I can't wait to say (thank you) to all the fans in Washington that supported me all those years, but then I want to turn around and beat the Nationals. On the field, it's all business.''

Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom says that as the season progresses, his team can feel the team's intensity going up with each game. The Mets watch the Nationals' results.

"When you're a contender, it's difficult not to watch, but if we win, we don't need to watch,'' deGrom said. "They are a good team, one that's going to be hard to beat. So, we have to be ready.''

Mets outfielder Michael Cuddyer, 36, has experience going down the stretch with Minnesota.

The third-place Twins were 6 1/2 games behind Detroit in the American League Central on Aug. 21 in 2009. They finished 16-11 and tied the Tigers on the final day, setting up a one-game playoff, which they won 4-3 in 12 innings and advanced to play the Yankees in a division series.

"We can take a few things away from my experience,'' Cuddyer said. "This thing is never over until some team clinches. And, don't put any more importance on any one game or series. When you do that, you put enormous pressure on yourself and it doesn't work.''

The Mets avoid miserable losing streaks because of their pitching.

"When you have a lot of pitching, you're not going to fall into long slumps," Cuddyer said. "In Minnesota, we won with pitching and defense, and we didn't come close to the power arms we have here.''