213 Miles From Shea

The Mets will end their 2017 season this afternoon against the Phillies. This season was not what we expected, no dominant rotation, no play-off appearance, no new banners but come tomorrow morning, at 5:15 AM, I’ll still be sad when I sit down to write the game preview and there are no probable pitchers, no new players to look out for, no optimism and pessimism until Spring Training.

Anyway, the Mets had a good game last night! They beat the Phillies in extras thanks to a 3-run homer by Cabrera thus guaranteeing a win total for the season in the 70’s and not the 60’s. Today they will go for win 71 behind Noah Syndergaard who will pitch for one inning and then probably every other pitcher in the bullpen. Maybe the game will be over by the time Opening Day 2018 rolls around.

Noah Syndergaard is 1-2 over 6 starts this season and 28.1 innings with a 3.18 ERA, 1.21 FIP and 1.049 WHIP. Last Saturday he returned and threw a very quick inning where he allowed 1 out and got a double play, then Harvey came on and things unraveled. Last time he faced the Phillies was on 4/20 where he allowed 5 runs, 3 earned over 7.0 innings with no walks and 10 strikeouts. The Phillies have the following numbers against Thor:

• Herrera 1-16
• Galvis 4-14, 2B, 2 HR
• Hernandez 1-10, 3 BB
• Franco 4-12, 2B
• Rupp 1-9, 5 K
• Altherr 1-6
• Joseph 2-3, 2B

The Mets bats will deal Nick Pivetta who is 7-10 over 25 starts and 128.0 innings with a 6.26 ERA, 4.90 FIP and 1.516 WHIP. In his last two starts he has allowed 2 ER over 12 innings with 9 hits and 3 walks. His first start against the Mets this year was splendid allowing 1 run off 1 hit in 7.0 innings. His next two starts against the Mets were splendid, for the Mets. In one game he allowed 6 runs, 5 earned, over 4.2 innings and then in his next start he allowed 6 runs off 10 hits in 5.0 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Nick:

• Cabrera 3-6, 2B
• Nimmo 0-4
• Aoki 1-4
• Reyes 1-5
• Smith 2-5, 2B
• d’Arnaud 2-3, HR
• Lagares 1-3, 2B
• Reynolds 0-2
• Rosario 2-2

Let’s Go Mets!

Today’s picture of the day comes from a Kingsport game in Bristol TN, with Gabriel Jimenez at the plate.

Yesterday closed Matt Harvey’s season and it wasn’t a good night. Harvey lasted 4 innings, allowed too many runs and now we can all just focus on next season for him. Stomach issues also have shuffled the Mets rotation again and thus we get Seth Lugo today for the second to last game of the season.

Lugo is 7-5 over 18 starts and 17 games in 97.1 innings with a 4.72 ERA, 3.92 FIP and 1.366 WHIP. In his last two starts he has allowed only 1 run over 11.0 innings with 6 hits, a walk and 10 K’s. It would be nice for Lugo to end the season a streak propelling him into next season. His last start against Philly was in Philly in mid-August where he allowed 5 runs over 5.1 innings with 8 hits and 4 walks. The Phillies have the following numbers against Lugo:

• Hernandez 2-4, 3B, 3 BB
• Franco 1-5
• Galvis 0-5
• Herrera 1-4, 2B
• Alfaro 1-3
• Hoskins 0-3
• Joseph 2-3, 2B
• Altherr 0-1

The Mets bats will take a crack at Henderson Alvarez who is 0-1 in 2 starts and 10.0 innings this year with a 3.60 ERA, 6.05 FIP and 1.400 WHIP. Alvarez was with the Blue Jays and Marlins organizations over his career and made his debut with the Blue Jays in 2011. He got a full season with the Marlins 2014 (All-Star) and has a tough road since including playing in the minors all of 2016 with Oakland. In the minors this season he is 2-0 over 3 starts and 19.0 innings with a 2.84 ERA. The Mets have the following numbers with him as he tries to come back:

• d’Arnaud 4-15, BB
• Lagares 2-9, 2 2B
• Aoki 2-6
• Cabrera 2-5

Let’s Go Mets!

Matz in the outfield before a start in St. Louis.

The Mets start their last series of 2017 in Philly tonight as they look to close out the season with a few more wins and try to at least get into the 70’s in the win column. On Wednesday the Mets had a solid night as Gsellman through a strong 6.0 innings and the Mets bats were able to string together hits to score runs including a homer by Dom Smith.

Matt Harvey looks to close out the season on a strong note. He is 5-6 on the season over 18 starts and 17 games in 88.2 innings of work with a 6.60 ERA, 6.34 FIP and 1.658 WHIP. His last time out wasn’t technically a start as Syndergaard pitched the first inning. In that outing Harvey tossed 4.0 innings allowing 4 hits and 3 runs with 2 walks. He looked good in his first two innings but things fell apart afterward. Those 3 runs were the difference maker as they tied the game and then the Mets lost it in the 10th. I was at his only other start against Philly this year which was his second start of the season where he allowed 2 runs from 5 hits and a walk in 5.2 innings. The Phillies have the following numbers against him:

• Herrera 3-15, HR
• Galvis 3-11, BB
• Hernandez 4-9, BB
• Franco 2-6
• Rupp 1-5
• Blanco 2-3

The Mets bats will get a look at rookie Ben Lively who is 3-7 over 14 games and 82.2 innings with a 4.35 ERA, 4.81 FIP and 1.306 WHIP. He is coming off his worst start of the season against Atlanta were he allowed 6 runs from 8 hits and 2 walks in 5.0 innings. Against the Mets this year he allowed 3 runs over 13.1 innings allowing 9 hits and 7 walks while striking out 6. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Reyes 1-6, 3B, BB
• Cabrera 2-6, 2B
• d’Arnaud 2-6, 2B
• Aoki 1-2, 2B
• Cecchini 0-3
• Lagares 1-2, 2B, BB
• Nimmo 0-2, BB

Let’s Go Mets!

Today’s picture of the day is a video of Nicholas Debora pitching for the Brooklyn Cyclones:

Nicholas Debora pitching pic.twitter.com/Y6iFME59Gx

— 213 Miles From Shea (@213MFS) July 11, 2017

Today’s picture of the day is minor leaguer Carlos Sanchez taking an AB in Ohio for the Brooklyn Cyclones.

The Mets play their final home game of the season tonight as they take on the Braves to close out the season in 2017. The Mets had a comeback win last night as they were down 3-0 going into the 7th. They got two runs against Dickey in the 7th, they tied the game in the 8th and they won it in the ninth. It was meaningless. It was full of meaning. Take your narrative but it was fun to see the team have fun for a night.

Robert Gsellman closes out Citi Field. He is 7-7 over 24 starts and 113.2 innings with a 5.38 ERA, 5.02 FIP and 1.522 WHIP. Two starts ago (against Atlanta!) he was fantastic allowing 1 run, not earned, over 7.0 innings from only 3 hits. Last time out he allowed 6 runs, 5 earned, in 5.0 innings off 4 hits. The Braves have the following numbers against him:

• Inciarte 4-15, HR, 3 BB
• Markakis 3-17
• Freeman 5-13, 2 2B, 2 BB
• Swanson 3-13, BB
• Flowers 3-12, 2B, BB
• Kemp 6-12, 3 2B, HR, BB
• Garcia 6-11, 2B
• Peterson 2-9, 2 2B
• Adams 0-2

The Mets draw rookie Sean Newcomb who is 4-8 over 18 starts and 95.0 innings of work this season with a 4.26 ERA, 4.26 FIP and 1.568 WHIP. He has been consistent in his last four starts totaling 20.2 innings allowing 10 runs, 9 earned including a 5.1 inning start against the Mets where he allowed 2 runs off a walk and 6 hits (while striking out 8). The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Cabrera 4-6, 2B
• Reyes 0-6
• Lagares 0-5
• Flores 2-3
• Nimmo 0-3
• Plawecki 1-3
• Smith 1-2, 2B, BB
• Cecchini 1-2, 2B

Let’s Go Mets!

Today’s picture of the day is a video I took from an incredibly rainy rain out in DC back on July 5th.

Little rainy! DC. #NotAFuzzyCameraJustRain #ElliotTakesALongDrive #Roadtrip4 #ElliotAndTheMets

A post shared by Elliot Lester (@eteich1100) on Jul 5, 2017 at 4:12pm PDT

The Mets and Braves played two yesterday and they split the bill. The Braves beat the Mets 9-2 in a game that saw Flexen struggle and McGowan add to the struggles. In the other game, the Mets won 3-2 as Lugo tossed a strong 6.2 innings and d’Arnaud added a key homer. Tonight, Rafael Montero takes on R.A. Dickey.

Rafael Montero is 5-11 over 32 games and 17 starts in 110.01 innings with a 5.30 ERA, 4.26 FIP and 1.722 WHIP. After a strong streak of starts, Montero has had a tough September with only one good start (5.0 IP, 1 ER) and three poor starts (combined 13.2 IP, 12 ER). One of those starts was against the Braves where he allowed 3 runs from 7 hits and 2 walks in 4.2 innings. The Braves have the following numbers against Montero:

• Kemp 3-6, 2 2B, BB
• Freeman 0-2, 2 BB
• Inciarte 1-3, BB
• Markakis 2-4
• Swanson 1-4
• Albies 1-2, 2B

The Mets will get to see Dickey again who is 10-10 over 30 starts and 183.1 innings this season with a 4.32 ERA, 4.75 FIP and 1.391 WHIP. He is coming off a strong start against the Nationals where he allowed 2 runs over 8.0 innings with only 4 hits and no walks. Before that he faced the Mets who were able to notch 5 runs from 8 hits and 2 walks in 5.0 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Dickey:

• Reyes 5-29, HR, 3 BB
• Cabrera 8-26, 2 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 4 BB
• d’Arnaud 1-9, 2 BB
• Aoki 3-8, 2B, BB
• Lagares 2-8, 2B, BB
• Flores 1-3
• Nimmo 1-3, 2B
• Cecchini 2-2, 2B

Let’s Go Mets!