213 Miles From Shea

The Mets won a game! After losing the first three games in September to the Astros, the Mets took a step back in the right direction yesterday afternoon against the Phillies. The Mets jumped out to a 10-0 lead but as the game went on the Phillies started to evaporate it. Eventually Ramos shut the door and the Mets won 11-7. Highlight of the game: Lagares making a catch running through pigeons who made their home in the outfield.

Jacob deGrom will start tonight. He is 14-8 over 27 starts and 178.2 innings with a 3.43 ERA, 3.55 FIP and 1.170 WHIP. He was just average in his last start allowing 3 runs off 4 hits and 3 walks in 6.0 innings against the Reds. He is 2-0 against the Phillies this year over 3 games holding them to 3 runs over 19.2 innings with only 13 hits and 3 walks (1.37 ERA). The Phillies have the following numbers against him:

• Galvis 6-22, 5 K
• Hernandez 2-13, 3 BB
• Franco 3-15, 2B
• Rupp 1-10, HR, 2 BB
• Williams 2-6
• Blanco 1-5
• Hoskins 0-2
• Kelly 1-2

The Mets draw rookie Ben Lively who is 2-5 over 10 games and 59.2 innings with a 4.22 ERA, 4.89 FIP and 1.374 WHIP.  After a terrible start on August 26th where he allowed 6 runs over 5.0 innings of 5 hits and 2 walks (and 4 homers), Ben bounced back in his last start allowing 2 runs off 7 hits and 1 walk over 6.0 innings. He faced the Mets back on June 30th where he allowed 2 runs over 6.1 innings from 5 hits and 4 walks. The Mets have the following numbers against Ben:

• Cabrera 1-3
• d’Arnaud 1-3
• Flores 0-3, K
• Reyes 1-2, 3B, BB
• deGrom 0-1, BB

Let’s Go Mets!

Edgardo Alfonzo, manger of the Cyclones, coaching at 3rd base in Mahoning Valley. Taken on 7/11/17.

Today’s picture of the day features Nicholas Debora of the Brooklyn Cyclones pitching in Mahoning Valley. Picture from 7/11/17.

The Mets return home this afternoon to face the Phillies after three games to forget in Houston. The Mets saw Harvey struggle, Flores and Rosario get injured and in the last game the inability to win when scoring runs. On the positive side, Dom Smith had a positive series.

Today’s pitcher has become the one to watch down the stretch for the Mets. Rafael Montero has been a different pitcher of late forcing all of us to question who he is and what role does he have next year. he is 3-9 over 28 games and 13 starts with 91.1 innings this year while posting a 5.12 ERA, 4.22 FIP and 1.675 WHIP. He is coming off his best start of his carer where he held the Reds to no runs over 8.1 innings with only 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 8. In his last three starts he has pitched 17.2 innings and allowed only 4 runs. He hasn’t faced the Phillies since he turned it on so on the season he has pitched 6.2 innings allowing 12 hits and 2 walks leading to 8 runs, 7 earned. The Phillies have the following numbers against him:

• Galvis 4-8
• Franco 2-5, 2B, BB
• Joseph 4-6
• Nava 2-4
• Kelly 0-1, BB
• Pivetta 0-2
• Williams 1-3

The Mets bats draw rookie Mark Leiter who is 2-4 over 22 games and 6 starts with a 3.88 ERA, 4.76 FIP and 1.231 WHIP. His last three outings have all been starts. After a terrible one on the 15th where he allowed 8 runs, 4 earned, over 5.0 innings he then threw a gem against Miami holding them scoreless and to one hit over 7.0 innings followed by an average start his last time out allowing 3 runs off 9 hits and a walk over 6.2 innings to the Braves. On the 10th of August he allowed 1 run over 5.0 innings and 4 hits to the Mets in a game the Mets won 10-0. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Rosario 0-2
• d’Arnaud 0-2
• deGrom 0-2
• Flores 2-2, 2B
• Reyes 0-2, 2 K

Let’s Go Mets!

Today’s picture of the day is of Edgardo Fermin, outfielder for Kingsport at the time, in Bristol taken on 7/6/11.

Both games yesterday were quite Mets for different reasons. In the first game, Matt Harvey struggled in his return from the DL allowing 7 runs over 2.0 innings. Not helping matters – Millone allowed 3 runs over 2.2 innings immediately after him. Normally that wouldn’t be a big deal but the Mets offense went off thanks a flurry of homers and the Mets ended up losing 12-8. In the second game, things were going great for Lugo until the 6th and then he just fell apart allowing 4 runs and that’s all the Astros needed. Making the game even more “Mets”, Flores got injured in a freak accident fouling a ball off his face. 2017 has been a career season for him and all of us here wish him a speedy recovery.

So Chris Flexen goes out to the mound today. He is 3-3 over 7 games and 32.2 innings with a 6.89 ERA, 6.90 FIP and 1.990 WHIP and hats off to the FIP/WHIP stats here for supporting the old school ERA stat well. He is coming off his worst start of the season allowing 7 runs over 4.2 innings against the Reds. Before that he was on a better run allowing 2 runs in two of his last three starts.

The Mets bats draw Mike Fiers who is 8-9 over 26 starts and 144.1 innings with a 4.55 ERA, 5.42 FIP and 1.351 WHIP. He is leading the league in hit batters at 12 as well. This is relevant because in last night’s game there was a little tit-for-tat between the two teams. If he hits someone today, hopefully the Mets realize that its probably not because of a retaliation campaign but more this is what Fiers does. He is also coming off his worst start of the season where he allowed 8 runs over 4.0 innings against Texas. A few Mets have seen Fiers before:

• Aoki 6-14, 2 2B, HR, BB
• Reyes 3-8, BB
• Flores 1-2, BB
• Lagares 0-3
• Milone 0-2 (If Milone takes an AB in an American League Park then this is the most bizarre Mets season in history)
• Plawecki 1-1

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets and Astros play game two of their three game set tonight with Seth Lugo making a start only a few hours drive from his hometown in Louisiana. With it being September the rosters expanded in major league baseball thus starting an important month for the Mets as they look to try out players for next years squad. Two pitchers from trades the Mets made have already arrived and with minor leagues starting to wrap up their seasons, expect more players on the 40 man to make their way to the major league club.

Seth Lugo continues to be a question for next year. Do the Mets make him a starter? Does he return to the bullpen? On the season heis 5-3 over 13 games and 12 starts over 72.1 innings with a 4.85 ERA, 4.26 FIP and 1.396 WHIP. While his ERA and WHIP are both much higher than last year, his FIP is now lower. His last start was his first time back since August 11th and he wasn’t allowed to go too deep in his pitch count. That led to a 3.2 inning outing where he allowed 4 hits and walked no one with 2 runs against the Nationals. The only player on the Astros roster who has seen him is Centeno who is 0-2 with 2 walks.

The Mets will get a look at Brad Peacock who is 10-2 over 29 games and 16 starts with 104.0 innings this year. He has posted a 3.12 ERA, 2.69 FIP and 1.269 WHIP. Brad’s first start in August was terrible where he allowed 7 runs over 6.0 innings. Since then he has allowed 7 earned runs, 9 total over 22.1 innings in 4 starts leading to an ERA of 2.82. Only two players on the current Mets roster have seen Brad in a major league game. Reyes is 1-6 with a strikeout while Flores is 0-2 with a walk and a pair of strikeouts.

Let’s Go Mets!

Another picture of The 7 Line in attendance against the Cards! Picture taken 7/8/17.

The Mets and Astros play the first games in Houston since Hurricane Harvey and the terrible damage it has done to southeast Texas. Our hearts go out to the victims of the storm and if you have the means, please consider helping out in the recovery effort. Many of our readers here experienced Sandy first hand and know how long the recovery process is (and continues to be). Houston has a long road ahead and we can help out.

Sports often play an important role in times of need and the Mets will now be apart of it. If you haven’t heard yet, the teams will play a double header today followed by the series closeout tomorrow.

The Mets will send out Matt Harvey this afternoon who is trying to get his season back together thanks to the nexus of ineffectiveness/inconsistency and injury. Before landing on the DL with a scapula bone / shoulder injury, he was 4-3 over 13 starts and 70.1 innings with a 5.25 ERA, 6.17 FIP and 1.450 WHIP. He has tossed 4 games in rehab pitching 11.2 innings allowing 8 runs, 6 earned. Several Astros have seen Harvey while with other clubs:

• McCann 0-5, BB
• Beltran 1-5
• Marisnick 0-2

The Mets bats will try to get something positive going against Charlie Morton today. Morton, the long time Pirate who spent last year with Philly is in his first season with the Astros. He is 10-6 over 20 games and 118.1 innings with a 3.88 ERA, 3.65 FIP and 1.217 WHIP. August was an average month for Mortion who went 1-2 over 30.0 innings while allowing 16 runs (14 earned, 4.20 ERA) with 26 hits and 10 walks. The Mets have the following numbers against Morton:

• Reyes 2-10
• Lagares 1-4
• d’Arnaud 0-3
• Cabrera 1-1, BB

Let’s Go Mets!

This start wasn’t good for the Mets or Matz, but hey, baseball is baseball. Picture taken on 7/9/17.