213 Miles From Shea

Can the Mets win seven in a row? We’ll find out today!

The Mets won their 6th game in a row last night in a comeback fashion. After falling 2-0 the Orioles in a pitching duel, the Mets scored once in the 8th and twice in the 9th to win, including Patrick Mazeika‘s 2nd walk-off fielder’s choice in a week. He now has two walk-off’s in his career and 0 hits. Baseball! The game wasn’t all great news for the Mets, who are fairly banged up as of late. Jeff McNeil pulled up lame rounding first after a single trying to stretch it to a double. The Mets described it during the game as full body cramps and after the game as McNeil dodging a bullet. Albert Almora Jr. ran into the wall at full speed trying to make a catch (he actually did make the catch the but the collision with the wall knocked the ball out of his hand). It was a scary moment at Citi Field, on the exact day that Aaron Rowand made a similar catch against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park in 2006. The Mets are going to need every moment of this off-day tomorrow.

But this has been rude of me, I haven’t wished you a Happy Harvey Day yet! Happy Harvey Day!

When Harvey signed a minor league deal with teh Orioles this off-season, eyes fell to this two-game set. Would Harvey make the team and still be on the team in May? Would his rotation spot line up with a start at Citi Field? It’s happening!

Matt Harvey has made 7 starts and pitched 35.0 innings this season with a 3.60 ERA, 3.82 FIP, 1.286 WHIP and a 119 ERA+. Depending on what metric you look at, those are his best numbers since 2015 / 2016. In his last three starts he has allowed 7 runs but only 3 earned, over 15.2 innings with opponents hitting .192/.292/.316 against him. His weakness all year has been the third time through the order, only pitching 6.0 innings once. Only three Mets have seen Harvey in a major league game before (and I highly doubt Almora will be playing today):

• Francisco Lindor 1-4, HR, K
• Jonathan Villar 3-12, 2B, HR, 4 K
• Albert Almora Jr. 1-4, K

The Mets will send out Taijuan Walker to the mound to finish the two-game sweep of the Orioles. Walker has started 6 games and pitched 34.0 innings this year with a 2.38 ERA, 2.84 FIP, 1.029 WHIP and a 161 ERA+. He has a 0.3 HR/9 inning mark, the best in the league. He’s coming off of a strong start against the Cardinals where he allowed one hit and one unearned run over 7.0 innings while walking no one and striking out 8. He faced the Orioles twice last year and kept them scoreless over 9.0 innings, scattering 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 8. The Orioles have the following numbers against Walker:

• Pat Valaika 1-2
• Cedric Mullins 0-2, BB, 2 K
• Chance Sisco 0-3, BB, 2 K
• Rio Ruiz 0-3, K
• DJ Stewart 0-1
• Ryan Mountcastle 0-4
• Pedro Severino 0-3
• Austin Hays 0-1, K
• Ramon Urias 0-1, K

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets go for 6th in a row tonight against the Baltimore Orioles!

Nothing is ever easy for the Mets. After winning their 4th in a row, things looked like a lock for Sunday with the best pitcher in baseball on the mound, Jacob deGrom. After 4 perfect innings, he had a uncharacteristic inning where he walked 3 and something just looked off. His side was still tight and the Mets took him out of the game as a precaution and now added him to the IL to get some rest. Adding to the nothing is ever easy pile: the Mets draw one of the best pitchers in baseball tonight as they match up against John Means.

But first, lets start with the Mets. Marcus Stroman will make his 7th start of the season tonight. So far he has pitched 34.0 innings with a 2.12 ERA, 3.25 FIP, 1.029 WHIP and a 181 ERA+, all better than his career numbers. He’s coming off of a start where he allowed 4 runs, 2 earned, over 5.0 innings from 7 hits and a walk while striking out 6. A groundball pitcher, Marcus hasn’t had the best defense behind him his last three starts with 5 unearned runs scored. The Orioles have the following numbers against Stroman:

• Freddy Galvis 1-2, BB
• Trey Mancini 7-16, 2B, 3B, 3 K
• Rio Ruiz 1-8, K
• Cedric Mullins 0-3
• Chase Cisco 0-3, 2 K

John Means will make his first start tonight since tossing a no-hitter in Seattle. In 7 games and 46.0 innings he has a 1.37 ERA, 2.99 FIP, 0.674 WHIP (league leading) and a 311 ERA+. Means also leads the league in H/9 at 4.1. He’s really hit a groove in his last four starts, allowing 3 runs over 29.1 innings, all from solo homers. That’s been the only weak part in his game this year – the long ball. If you don’t hit it out of the park, it could be a long night against Means. The Mets faced him on back to back starts last year with very different outings. The first time they faced him, they tagged him for 4 runs over 5.1 innings, which believe it or not actually lowered his ERA from 8.59 to 8.10. His next start against the Mets kicked off the streak he’s on now. He held the Mets to 1 run over 6.0 innings and from that game on he tossed 23.2 innings with a 1.52 ERA. The Mets have the following numbers against Means:

• James McCann 3-5, 2B, K
• Michael Conforto 2-6, 2B, HR
• Kevin Pillar 1-2
• Pete Alonso 1-5, HR, K
• Jeff McNeil 1-5
• Francisco Lindor 1-5
• Jonathan Villar 0-4

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets go for 5 wins in a row and a series win this afternoon!

The Mets are heading into another awkward week where they have two off days – Monday and Thursday – and the way the Mets had to use their bullpen over the last few days, those breaks are going to be welcomed.

The Mets went with an opener and bulk pitcher last night and it worked! Tommy Hunter was great over 2.0 innings and Lucchesi came in after and was effective. Familia, Loup and May locked the game down behind them. At the plate, Jeff McNeil hit a two run homer to get the Mets on the board and right after Lindor went from first to home on an errant throw as he was trying to steal second.

And now the Mets get to take all of this momentum and put it behind Jacob deGrom. Jacob was scratched from his his start last week due to a sore side. In 5 starts he has pitched 35.0 innings with a 0.51 ERA, 0.82 FIP, 0.571 WHIP and a 759 ERA+. He leads the league in all of those categories. He also leads the league in K/9 (15.2) and H/9 (4.1). In two starts against the Diamondbacks in 2019, Jacob held them to 2 runs over 13.2 innings from 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 18. The Diamondbacks have the following numbers against Jacob:

• Josh Rojas 1-3, 2 K
• Asdrubal Cabrera 2-11, 2 2B, BB, 3 K
• Nick Ahmed 1-8, 2B, 3 K
• David Peralta 1-5, 2 K
• Eduardo Escobar 1-6, 3 K
• Carson Kelly 0-3, K
• Stephen Vogt 0-3, 2 K
• Christian Walker 0-6, 2 K

The Mets bats will get a look at Riley Smith today. Smith made his debut in 2020 and pitched 18.1 innings over 6 games with a 1.47 ERA, 2.75 FIP, 1.091 WHIP and a 316 ERA+. He’s pitched in 6 games this year, making 3 starts, totaling 22.0 innings with a 4.91 ERA, 4.38 FIP, 1.545 WHIP and a 86 ERA+. He’s starting to fall into a starting rhythm, as this will be his third consecutive start, in his last two starts he has allowed 6 runs over 9.0 innings from 11 hits and 2 walks. No one on the Mets roster has faced Smith in a major league game.

Let’s Go Mets!

Can the Mets make it four in a row tonight?

The Mets won their third straight game last night thanks to a walk-off infield hit by Patrick Mazeika in the 10th inning. It was an eventful game including a visit from a rat or a racoon or a possum in the Mets tunnel that Lindor and McNeil were very excited about. The Mets also roared back from being down 4-0, in large part thanks to a 2-run homer by Francisco Lindor, who has now reached base 6 times in the last 2 games.

The Mets are going to hope to get some length out of Joey Lucchesi tonight who was in the game in St. Louis last week a bit too long. The question last time was should the Mets use an opener and then go to Lucchesi or start him and take him out before the heart of the Cardinals lineup (with great numbers against him) got to see him a second time. The Mets decided to just let him start and see them a second time and things fell apart. On the season he has pitched in 4 games and 10.2 innings allowing 12 runs from 14 hits and 3 walks while striking out 12.

The Mets bats will get a look at Merrill Kelly tonight. In 6 starts and 32.2 innings he has a 5.79 ERA, 4.52 FIP, 1.469 WHIP and a 72 ERA+. This line is a bit misleading. In his last two starts he has allowed 3 runs over 11.2 innings from 11 hits and 4 walks while striking out 11. He’s dropped his ERA from a season high of 8.44. Kelly had a good, but short, year last year with a 2.59 ERA, 3.99 FIP, 0.989 WHIP and a 179 ERA+ over 31.1 innings. Kelly did well against the Mets back in his rookie season in 2019 holding the Mets to 4 runs over 13.2 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Kelly:

• Pete Alonso 2-6, 2 HR
• Michael Conforto 1-5, BB, 2 K
• Kevin Pillar 1-10, HR, 2 K
• Jonathan Villar 0-2, K
• Jeff McNeil 0-3, K

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets come back to town on a two game winning streak after splitting the series with the Cardinals. The good news for the Mets – they scored four runs and their pitching held the Cards to one run. The bad news is the score should have been a lot more lopsided. The Mets left a total of 17 base runners on base and hit 3-15 with RISP. Lindor got on base four times though! He went 1-3 at the plate and walked three times. The Mets overall showed a lot of discipline and drew a total of 11 walks.

Now the Mets welcome the Diamondbacks to town, who are 15-16 and on 2 game winning streak like the Mets. Asdrubal Cabrera plays for Arizona now, so it’s a home coming of sorts.

David Peterson gets the start for the Mets. In 24.1 innings and 5 starts he has a 4.81 ERA, 4.49 FIP, 1.233 WHIP and a 81 ERA+. He’s coming off of a strong start against the Phillies where he allowed 1 run over 5.0 innings (in a game that the Mets eventually won 8-7). In his last two starts he has allowed only 3 runs over 11.0 innings from 8 hits and 4 walks while striking out 11. Due to the structure of play last year, Peterson has never faced Arizona before and the only player on the Diamondbacks who has seen him is Cabrera who is 0-2.

The Mets bats will look to push more runs across the plate against Zac Gallen tonight. In four starts and 20.2 innings, Gallen has a 3.48 ERA, 2.86 FIP, 1.161 WHIP and a 121 ERA+. He’s coming off of a tremendous season last year where he tossed 72.0 innings over 12 starts with a 2.75 ERA, 3.66 FIP, 1.111 WHIP and a 167 ERA+. He faced the Mets twice in 2019, once as a Marlin and once as a Diamondback. In his first outing he held the Mets to 2 runs from 4 hits over 5.0 innings and in the second start he allowed 3 runs over 6.0 innings from 5 hits. The Mets have the following numbers against Zac:

• Michael Conforto 2-5, 2B, HR, BB, K
• Pete Alonso 1-5, BB, 4 K
• Jeff McNeil 1-5, 2B, 3 K
• Tomas Nido 0-1, BB
• Dominic Smith 0-2, BB, K
• Kevin Pillar 0-3, 2 K
• Jose Peraza 0-2
• James McCann 0-3, 2 K

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets are going to get out of St. Louis today! But first they need to play a baseball game. Yesterday the Mets split the double header and today they go for the series split. The games yesterday went exactly as you would think they would for the 2021 Mets. The pitching was good (not great) in the first game and great in the second game, but the Mets lost the first game and won second game because of the bats. The Mets just couldn’t push anyone across the plate in the first game but then got 7 runs in the second.

And credit is due to Kevin Pillar and Jonathan Villar. Two players I was personally ready to never see in a Mets game again a week ago. He’s had 16 AB’s in St. Louis and he has 8 hits. Villar has had 2 multi-hit games in his last four games. Some of this is a reaction to the floor being so low for them, and the Mets need hits wherever they can get them.

Taijuan Walker will make his 6th start of the year today. He has pitched 27.0 innings with a 3.00 ERA, 3.37 FIP, 1.259 WHIP and a 131 ERA+. His last start was his first rough one of the year, allowing 4 runs over 6.0 innings but it was a game that the Mets showed fight and came back to win. The Cardinals have the following numbers against Walker:

• Nolan Arenado 3-12, 2B, 2 BB, 2 K
• Matt Carpenter 5-10, 4 BB, 2 K
• Paul DeJong 1-6, BB, K
• Harrison Bader 0-3, K

The Mets get to face a literal old friend tonight, John Gant! The Mets drafted Gant in 2011 and traded him to the Braves at the deadline in 2015 for Kelly Johnson and fan favorite Juan Uribe. He made his major league debut with the Braves in 2016 and after the season was traded with Luke Dykstra (one of Lenny’s children) to the Cardinals for Jaime Garcia. Gant had a breakout year in the bullpen last year, posting a 2.40 ERA over 15.0 innings and 17 games. This year he’s back as a starter. He’s pitched 25.0 innings with a 2.16 ERA, 4.31 FIP, 1.560 WHIP and a 179 ERA+. His ERA is great but his WHIP is much higher than his career mark (1.356) which is a concern. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 1-2, 2B
• James McCann 1-3, 2B
• Francisco Lindor 1-4, 2B
• Albert Almora Jr. 1-4, BB, K
• Jose Peraza 1-8, 2 K
• Jonathan Villar 0-2
• Jeff McNeil 0-2
• Dominic Smith 0-1, K
• Michael Conforto 0-4, 2 K

Let’s Go Mets!

I’ve been writing game preview for years and the one type of game preview that drives me insane to write is the second game of a double header that starts 30 minutes after the first game. I generally write the game previews hours ahead of time, so I’m generally not sure to write about it. Adding additional layer of difficulty is the Mets are planning on using an opener in this game.

As of 5 PM, the starter for the second game tonight is Miguel Castro, who was originally scheduled to be the opener for last night’s game when deGrom got scratched. Miguel Castro has pitched in 10 games this year throwing 10 innings with a 3.60 ERA, 1.71 FIP, 1.300 WHIP and a 112 ERA+. All of those are better than his career numbers for those categories. He got roughed up in his last outing against the Phillies, allowing 3 runs, 2 earned, which raised his ERA from a 2.00 to a 3.60.

Now, he might be used in the first game. In that case it is a mystery who is starting. I think there’s also a good chance we see Jordan Yamamoto make his Mets debut in this game (unless it happens in the first game). Jordan was signed as pitching depth for the Mets and was originally supposed to pitching the Opening game for the Syracuse Mets yesterday. He struggled last year, allowing 24 runs in 11.1 innings. In 2019 he tossed 78.2 innings with a 4.46 ERA, 4.51 FIP, 1.144 WHIP and a 4.51 FIP. He’s also a fun follow on Twitter!

The Mets bats will get a look at Johan Oviedo tonight. The young righty had a great first game, where he pitched 4.2 innings allowing 2 hits and nothing else against the Brewers. In his start against the Phillies he allowed 3 runs from 3 hits while striking out 7. He made his major league debut last year and pitched in 24.2 innings over 5 games with a 5.47 ERA, 5.30 FIP, 1.378 WHIP and a 78 ERA+. There is no one the roster who has seen Oviedo in a major league game.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets need to play a baseball game today. Two games today may be a little overkill with the current set up on the Mets but that’s ok too. The Mets were just getting through all the press stories on how and why Chili Davis and Tom Slater were fired, and stories of the reactions from players when the baseball world found out that deGrom was going to be scratched from his start due to inflammation in his right side. Not a fun news day.

Then the Cardinals postponed yesterday’s game because of weather. So the Mets now get to play two games today.

Marcus Stroman gets the afternoon started for the Mets today. On the season he has made 5 starts and pitched 29.0 innings with a 1.86 ERA, 2.70 FIP, 0.931 WHIP and a 212 ERA+. Stroman bounced back after a rough start against the Nationals where he allowed 5 runs, 4 earned, in 4.0 innings. HIs last time out against the Phillies he allowed 2 runs, unearned, over 5.0 innings from 3 hits and a walk while striking out 8 in a game the Mets lost 2-1. This will be his second double-header start of the season. Last time he allowed no runs over 6.0 innings, against the Phillies. The Cardinals have the following numbers against him:

• Paul Goldschmidt 1-3
• Matt Carpenter 0-1, BB
• Nolan Arenado 1-6, K

The Mets are going to have a day of facing 2020 rookies in their sophomore season on the Cardinals. Kwang Hyun Kim has mad3 starts this year and pitched 13.2 innings with a 3.29 ERA, 2.16 FIP, 1.317 WHIP and a 119 ERA+. His numbers look better when you get into the game logs. He opened the season allowing 3 runs over 3.0 innings against the Phillies. Since then he has allowed 2 runs over 10.2 innings from 12 hits and no walks while striking out 12. Last year he made 8 appearances and 7 starts totaling 39.0 innings with a 1.62 ERA, 3.88 FIP, 1.026 WHIP and a 263 ERA+. The only member of the Mets to see him in a major league game is Albert Almora Jr. who is hitless in his only PA.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to bounce back from a surprising loss last night.

It wasn’t initially surprising. Throughout the day when the Mets didn’t name a starter, it seemed like the Mets were going to lose. When the Mets named the started as Lucchesi, it felt like we might lose. Then the game started and the Mets jumped out to a 5-2 lead. It felt like the Mets could win. The Cardinals then tagged Lucchesi for more runs and made it 6-5 and the score stayed there despite strong outings by Reid-Foley and Gsellman. This feels like a failure both with the front office and at the manager level. With the righties in the Cardinals line up, why wasn’t Yamamoto promoted? Why didn’t the Mets go with an opener?

The after game was crazy too as the Mets fired Chili Davis and Travis Slater. So that actually happened.

And like many times in his career, Jacob deGrom will take the mound and make the Mets forget all of this tonight. Forget dropping a game they could have easily won. Forget the coaching changes. Forget the “interesting” decisions made at different levels of the organization.

Jacob deGrom has made 5 starts and pitched 35.0 innings with a 0.51 ERA, 0.83 FIP, 0.571 WHIP and a 758 ERA+. He leads the league in ERA, ERA+, H/9, S/9 and strikeouts overall (59). He’s coming off of his “worst” start of the year where he allowed one run over 6.0 innings while striking out 9. It will be the second time this year he faces a team not based on the East Coast. The first one was Colorado where he allowed 3 runs, all unearned, over 6.0 innings while striking out 14. The Cardinals have the following numbers against him:

• Harrison Bader 2-3, 2B, K
• Paul DeJong 4-11, 2B, 2 HR, 2 K
• Matt Carpenter 4-20, HR, 5 K
• Paul Goldschmidt 1-8, BB, 3 K
• Nolan Arenado 2-20, 2B, 5 K

The Mets bats will get a look at Johan Oveido tonight. The young righty had a great first game, where he pitched 4.2 innings allowing 2 hits and nothing else against the Brewers. In his start against the Phillies he allowed 3 runs from 3 hits while striking out 7. He made his major league debut last year and pitched in 24.2 innings over 5 games with a 5.47 ERA, 5.30 FIP, 1.378 WHIP and a 78 ERA+. There is no one the roster who has seen Oveido in a major league game.

Let’s Go Mets!

Somehow the Mets are going to play baseball again after yesterday’s wild game.

The Mets took the series from the Phillies yesterday and what a wild ending. The Mets finally got over their hitting with RISP bug and pushed 6 runs across the plate in the 8th inning to make the score 8-4. Then in the ninth inning, Edwin Diaz came in with a tight back, tried to pitch through it but allowed a double that was almost a homer, just missed it by an inch, and the Mets were able to hang on to the game.

So now the Mets have to come back down energy wise to face the Cardinals, who are off to a good start and do so with some interesting limitations tonight. Brandon Nimmo and J.D. Davis are still nursing injuries, although they might be able to play? Luis Guillorme is on the IL. Edwin Diaz has pitched in back to back days and has a tight back so he is not available. May his pitched back to back days and shouldn’t be available. Castro threw over 20 pitches and should be available.

Oh, and the Mets are possibly doing a bullpen game tonight. Should be interesting.

The Mets announced late in the afternoon that Joey Lucchesi was being recalled from the alternate site in order to play today’s game. It’s unclear how deep into the game he’ll go and we will almost certainly see one of Reid-Foley or Gsellman, if not both of them. Before being sent down, Joey got into 3 games this year and pitched 8.0 innings allowing 6 runs from 7 hits and 2 walks. He also struck out 11 batters. Due to the Mets schedule this year, this will be his 4th start and it will be his 4th start in a different city, none of them being in New York.

The Mets will face a long time foe, Adam Wainwright, in their opener in St. Louis. Wainwright has started 5 games and pitched 28.2 innings with a 4.08 ERA, 3.98 FIP, 1.256 WHIP and a 94 ERA+. There are two starts that are weighing down on his stats. In his first start of the year he allowed 6 runs over 2.2 innings and in his third start he allowed 4 runs, 3 earned, over 5.0 innings. He’s on a bit of a roll now, in his last two starts allowing 3 runs in 16 innings of work while striking out 18. The Mets have the following numbers against Adam:

• J.D. Davis 1-2, 2B
• Michael Conforto 5-8, 2B, HR, 3 BB, K
• Francisco Lindor 1-4
• Jose Peraza 1-4, 2 K
• Jonathan Villar 3-18, 2 BB, 6 K
• Pete Alonso 0-2, BB
• Kevin Pillar 1-7
• Jeff McNeil 0-3, K
• Albert Almora Jr. 0-10, K

Let’s Go Mets