SAN FRANCISCO — Simply, it can be called “Project Familia.”
The Mets began this second half last week with slim NL wild-card possibilities, which had improved modestly with a four-game winning streak entering Thursday night against the Giants. But any talk of a revival hinges largely on getting the bullpen right, with their $30 million setup man as the focal point.
Jeurys Familia entered play with an almost unfathomable 7.11 ERA — a number that had actually shrunk over the previous two days with solid work in the Mets’ two-game sweep of the Twins.
As much as Mets coaches are trying to get Familia’s mechanics right, the biggest challenge might be getting the veteran reliever into a better place mentally.