The Mets continue their six game road trip tonight by opening a weekend series in Miami against the Florida Marlins. The Marlins are the only unbeaten team left in the NL East after they swept the Nationals in a three game series. As a side story from the game tonight, Jose Reyes is apparently going to ask Hanely to be the godfather of Hanley's child. The other more baseball related story is that this is could be Marlon Anderson's last night as a Met. Tonight the Mets will send up John Maine, a key part of this Mets rotation this year, against Sanchez, who has more no hitters than the Mets as a franchise.
This is a big night for Maine. He had a slighly disappointing 2008 (10-8, 4.18 ERA, 25 G, 140 IP) due to an injury. He comes back tonight to fry the fish as he has done often in recent memory. In 2008 he pitched 4.1 Innings against the Marlins where he allowed one run, walked one and struck out 6. He saw a lot of action against the Marlins in 2007 with a line of 3-0, 25.2 IP, 2.45 ERA, 12 BB, and 38 K. Here are the numbers the Marlins have against Maine:
Uggla 3-15, 2B, 7 K
Ramierez 3-16, HR
Hermida 5-11, 2B
Ross 0-2
Uggla, Ramierez, Hermida, and Ross all just killed the Mets. For somereason they look the like the second comings of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Ted Williams when they play the Amazins. If the Mets can control them tonight, then they should be fine. The key is for Maine to do what he has always done against them which is strike them out. Its easy to get Uggla to swing and if they are off the bags, then the mistakes will just be solo homers.
Sanchez is going to try to keep the Mets off the bases tonight as the Marlins starter. He hasn't really been effective since his rookie year (which is the same year that he threw a no hitter). He didn't face the Mets at all in 2008 but in 2007 he only lasted 3.1 innings where he gave up 3 runs, walked 4 and struck out 1. In his rookie year, when he was very good, he was 2-0 in as many games against the Amazins over 14 innings, 2 walks, 13 K's with a 2.57 ERA. Last season overall he was 2-5, 51.2 IP, with a 5.57 ERA (10 G). Here are the numbers the Mets have against him:
Church 6-11, 3 2B, HR
Reyes 2-9, 2B, BB
Delgado 3-8, 2 BB
Wright 1-7
Beltran 2-5, HR
The key for the Mets offense tonight is to what they did the last two games. Not only do they need to score runs but they need to make runs. In the last game, although it was a loss, when there was a runner on third, they did a pretty good job (great job relative to the opener) of getting that runner home to score. If the Mets score a good amount of runs early tonight, and Maine is effective, then the Mets should walk out tonight with a win.
