Amazin’ Again! Mets Win Streak Hits Five Games

The New York Mets are suddenly on fire. A 9-0 victory over the first place Arizona Diamondbacks completed a sweep of a three-game series for New York, as the Mets extended their winning streak to five games.

Suddenly the Mets, who appeared dead in the water, are still in the thick of the NL Wild Card race. They are only 6.5 games out of the final playoff spot.

A little over a week ago when owner Steve Cohen spoke to the media, expressed both his belief in manager Buck Showalter and GM Billy Eppler, and implored the players to live up to their baseball card, the Mets have gone 5-3 since.

The Mets dominated Arizona on Thursday night, pounding 17 hits. Francisco Lindor had his best night of the season, going 5-for-5 with a homer, two triples and three runs scored.

Since June 30, Lindor has finally caught fire with his bat. In the last six games, Lindor is hitting .391 (9-for-23) with two homers, three RBI and six runs scored.

Meanwhile, Pete Alonso continues to hit well, he went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in the first inning that gave the Mets a 2-0 lead.

Francisco Alvarez, who jump started the Mets 2-1 rally on Wednesday with a homer, went deep again with a two-run blast that capped off a five-running third inning.

Carlos Carrasco got the victory with his best outing on the mound this season. Carrasco tossed eight innings of three-hit ball, walking one and striking out four.

It was the second straight day the Mets got an eight inning outing from a starting pitcher; Kodai Senga went eight innings on Wednesday for the Amazin's.

The Mets (41-46) jumped over four teams in the wild card standings. They are 6.5 out of the last playoff spot held by Philadelphia and San Francisco.

The question will be is this hot streak by the Mets a sign of a turn around?

New York opens up a series with the San Diego Padres on Friday night.

There are some major benefits to taking a trip by yourself. The solitude gives you time to clear your mind and gather your thoughts. And it also enables you to create your own schedule, taking in the sights you set out for. Good Housekeeping published a report that details America’s best places for solo travel, and New Jersey was all over this list.

In addition, Fifty Grande recently conducted a solo travel survey. They found that “52% of respondents said they planned to take a solo trip before the end of the year, and 64% of them planned to take that trip in America.” Furthermore, they found that 40% of those that participated in their survey answered “10” on a scale of 1-10 on how comfortable they were to travel alone. 83% said answered a 7 or above.

Other interesting items to note were 89% of the people had already taken a solo trip. The main reason was to “explore a new place and/or immerse in a local culture.” 22.9% said they traveled alone because it was “more fun when I’m 100% in control.”

Moreover, 52% of people plan on traveling solo before the end of the year. Much of that will be within the United States, Fifty Grande shows.

New Jersey is filled with areas that are prime for solo travel exploring. Of course, Atlantic City has a major nightlife scene. There are pristine golf courses all throughout the state, some of which are in close proximity to New York City (if you want to head in for dinner or a show). Finally, there are miles of beachside attractions along the Atlantic and historic sites deep in the heart of the Garden State. So, let's take a look at the two New Jersey destinations that were named best for solo travel. They happen to over a hundred and thirty miles away from each other, and vastly different in terms of what you can explore there.

Home to the Ivy League Tigers, Good Housekeeping calls out the historic sites this central New Jersey town house to offer. "Princeton Battle Monument honors the battle fought and won by George Washington in 1777." The University Art Museum and the Morven Museum and Garden often attract tourists from all over the world. Lastly, Carnegie Lake is one of the most serene spots in the state.

"Spend your day wandering the cute shops, sunbathing at the beach or climbing the 199 steps to the top of Cape May Lighthouse in Cape May Pointe State Park," Good Housekeeping suggest. Cape May draws a lot of visitors in the summer months. It's very common that you will find families, couples, and solo travelers among them. In addition to one of the most beautiful lighthouses on the east coast, you can visit winery's, theaters, safaris, or just rest along the shore of the beautiful beaches.