213 Miles From Shea

We are continuing with the sky over Citi Field theme again today. Happy 4th!

Last night was a rough one for the Mets in our nation’s capital, but with an early start today they can put last night behind them. The Mets got an amazing start from Steven Matz, but the Nationals got one as well from Stephen Strasburg. The game was 0-0 going into the 8th when Michael Taylor hit a two run homer to put the Nationals ahead. Their bullpen exploded like usual and Curtis Granderson hit a two run homer to tie the game in the top of the 9th. But the Mets also have bullpen woes and could not lock it down in the bottom of the 9th and may have lost Cespedes to injury to boot.

Seth Lugo gets the early morning game for the Mets. He is 3-1 over 4 games and 25.1 innings this year with a 3.55 ERA, 4.41 FIP and 1.342 WHIP. He is coming off of a good start against Miami where he held the Marlins to 6 hits and 1 walk over 6.0 innings allowing 3 runs, only 2 earned. His second start this season was against the Nationals where he allowed 4 runs, 3 earned off 7 hits and 2 walks in 6.2 innings of work. The National have the following numbers against him:

• Rendon 1-6, BB
• Harper 1-7
• Murphy 2-7, 2B
• Zimmerman 1-6
• Lind 0-3
• Lobaton 2-2, HR, BB

The Mets bats will try to find themselves against Joe Ross who is 4-3 over 11 starts and 63.1 innings this year with a 5.12 ERA, 4.71 FIP and 1.453 WHIP. All three of those stats are at career highs for Joe. He is coming of back to back strong starts where he allowed a combined 3 runs over 13.2 innings with 11 hits and 4 walks. In his first start against the Mets this year he allowed 5 runs off 7 hits and a walk in 4.0 innings and earlier this month he allowed 4 runs, 2 earned, over 6.0 innings off 9 hits and a walk. The Mets have the following numbers against Joe:

• Granderson 3-15
• Flores 3-12
• Duda 4-6, 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB (2.611 OPS)
• Bruce 3-8, HR
• d’Arnaud 3-8
• deGrom 1-5, HR
• Reyes 1-7
• Cespedes 1-6
• TJ Rivera 3-5, 2B
• Cabrera 0-2, BB
• Nimmo 2-3

Let’s Go Mets

Why do the Mets have three different Home Run Derby Hats? Will Conforto wear a different one BP for the Derby, the Derby and BP before the game? Will he make a wardrobe change during the Derby? Maybe it’s to mimic the first few years of the Marlins existence where they had road grays and never donned them on the field.

A constant theme in my baseball pictures is the sky. I love how the sky, the most common backdrop for baseball plays with baseball imagery.

The Mets travel to DC tonight to start a series with the division leaders. Although the Mets lost yesterday, they have won 7 of their last 9 games, which is about what they were doing the last time they faced DC. Then the Nationals took 3 of 4 games from the Mets and then the Mets lost 4 more to the Dodgers, so it will be interesting to see what the Mets do today.

As an important programming note, the Mets are playing at 6:05 today, probably because they are playing at 11 AM tomorrow. On to the preview!

Steven Matz is 2-1 over 4 starts and 27.0 innings this year with a 2.67 ERA, 5.00 FIP and 1.074 WHIp. His FIP continues to be quite high compared to previous years (3.61, 3.39) but his WHIP is low (1.234, 1.209). Matz will face the Nationals today after his best start of the season where he held Miami to to 6 hits and a walk, no runs, over 7.0 innings. When he faced the Nationals earlier this season, he allowed 8 hits and no walks over 7.0 innings leading to 4 runs. The Nationals have the following numbers against him:

• Murphy 3-9, 2B, HR
• Rendon 2-9, HR
• Taylor 3-8, HR, BB
• Harper 1-6, BB
• Zimmerman, 0-6
• Raburn 1-3
• Wieters 1-3, HR

The Mets bats will get a look at Strasburg tonight who is 9-2 over 16 starts and 102.2 innings with a 3.51 ERA, 3.10 FIP and 1.101 WHIP. His WHIP has been incredibly consistent over the last three season (1.107, 1.104, 1.101). June was a mixed bag for Stephen. He allowed 2 earned runs or less in 4 of 6 starts (although one start was over 5.1 innings) and he two starts where he allowed more than 5 earned runs. Against the Mets this year he has allowed 5 ER over 12.1 inings. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Granderson 3-22, 7 BB (.136 BA, .345 OBP)
• Reyes 6-26, 2 2B, BB
• Duda 2-16, HR, 5 BB (.125 BA, .375 OBP)
• Bruce 8-19, 2B, HR
• d’Arnaud 4-13, HR, 2 BB
• Cespedes 7-12, 2B, BB (1.282 OPS)
• Cabrera 3-12, 2 HR
• R Rivera 0-5
• TJ Rivera 2-5, 2B

Let’s Go Mets!

Today’s picture of the day is a night shot! Taken on 5/20/17.

The Mets are making fans believe again! They will go for a sweep this afternoon against Philly as they look to win their 8th game in their last 9. Yesterday the Mets won a back and forth affair where they took an early lead only to see it slip away on a tough double play. They responded immediately with 2 runs to take back the lead at 3-2. In the 7th, the Phillies would score 3 to to take the lead but the Mets rallied again scoring 4 in the bottom half of the frame.

The Mets will look to Rafael Montero again who had a solid start his last time out. On the season he is 1-4 over 16 games and 3 starts with a 5.63 ERA, 3.83 FIP and 1.983 WHIP in 32.0 innings. In his last start he allowed 1 run over 5.2 innings holding the Giants to 5 hits and 2 walks, his best start by that measure, or any measure, this year. He has 0.1 innings against the Phillies on record this year where he allowed 4 hits, 4 runs, 3 earned. The Phillies have the following numbers against him:

• Galvis 3-4
• Franco 1-3
• Herrera 3-3, 3B
• Joseph 2-3
• Altherr 1-1

The Mets bats will close out the series against the rookie Nick Pivetta. Pivetta is 1-4 over 9 games and 45.0 innings this season with a 5.40 ERA, 4.94 FIP, 1.667 WHIP. June has been his most complete month of work, making 5 consecutive major league starts. One of those starts was brilliant as he held the Red Sox scoreless over 7.0 innings. Everything else, not as much. He is coming off of his worst start of the season where he allowed 6 runs over 2.2 innings to the Diamondbacks. He has never faced the Mets or any player on the Mets roster in a major league game.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets took the opener last night against Philly and now have won 6 of their last 7 games. Jacob deGrom had his 4th strong start in a row last night and the bullpen shut the door behind him again. This is the first time in a while the Mets won a game when the offense couldn’t get much going. In other words, it was nice to rely on pitching again, something that has been missing this year for a number of reasons.

Zack Wheeler will return from the disabled list this afternoon. On the season he is 3-5 over 13 games and 66.1 innings with a 5.29 ERA, 4.86 FIP and 1.538 WHIP. He had two very poor starts in a row where he allowed 15 runs over 3.2 innings and looked like he just needed a pause on the season, and I’m hoping he comes back stronger today because of that. He faced the Phillies all the way back in April. His first time against them he allowed 3 runs over 5.2 innings. Then he allowed 1 run in 5.0 innings. The Phillies have the following numbers against Zack:

• Herrera 1-4, HR, 2 BB
• Franco 0-4, BB
• Galvis 0-4
• Joseph 1-4, 2B
• Rupp 0-4
• Blanco 1-2, BB

The Mets bats will get a look at Jeremy Hellickson tonight who is 5-5 over 16 games and 90.0 innings with a 4.40 ERA, 5.48 FIP and 1.256 WHIP. The FIP is showing the difference from Jeremy this year. Last year was one of his best seasons in his career and his FIP was 3.98. Hellickson is coming off back to back strong starts where he allowed 2 runs over 13.0 innings. This will be his first start against the Mets this year. Last year he was 1-3 over 5 starts and 24.1 innings against the Mets allowing a whopping 34 hits with 8 walks leading to 21 runs. The Mets have the following numbers against Jeremy:

• Granderson 6-30, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB
• Reyes 10-30, 2B, HR, BB
• Cabrera 8-20, 2B, HR, 2 BB
• Cespedes 6-16, 3 HR, 3 BB (1.411 OPS)
• Duda 5-11, 3 2B, HR, BB (1.462 OPS)
• Bruce 1-8
• Conforto 1-5, 2B, 2 BB
• d’Arnaud 2-7, 2 2B
• Flores 1-3, 2B

Let’s Go Mets!

Wheeler returns from the DL today. Here’s a picture taken during the 5th inning of his 5/20/17 start against the Angels.

The Mets won their 5th game in their last 6 against the Marlins last night and come home to face the Phillies. After a dreadful week dropping 7 of 8 to Nationals and Dodgers, the Mets beat up on the Giants and Marlins (which isn’t hard to do). Last night the Mets got a good outing from Lugo but more importantly got a strong outing from the bullpen who allowed no runs and 3 hits between Blevins, Edgin and Reed. On the other side of the ball, T.J. Rivera had another great game recording three hits.

Tonight Jacob deGrom gets the nod. He is 7-3 over 15 starts and 97.0 innings with a 3.71 ERA, 3.86 FIP and 1.268 WHIP. He is in the midst of a great stretch allowing only 3 runs, 2 earned over 25.0 innings with 12 hits and 7 walks while striking out 19. During this time his ERA is 0.72 and opponents are batting .143 against him. In his one start against the Philly this year, he allowed 2 runs off 6 hits and 2 walks in 6.0 innings. The Phillies have the following numbers against deGrom:

• Herrera 4-18
• Galvis 6-16
• Kendrick 2-16
• Rupp 1-8, HR
• Franco 2-9
• Blanco 1-5
• Morgan 0-2

The Mets bats will get a look at Ben Lively who is 1-2 over the first 5 starts of his major league career posting a 3.90 ERA, 4.99 FIP and 1.361 WHIP in 32.1 innings. Ben is coming off of his worst start of the season where he allowed 5 runs, 4 earned, over 5.1 innings. Ben was called up at the start of June. Before his call-up he was dominating in Triple A with a 6-1 record over 9 starts and 56.1 innings while posting a 2.40 ERA and 0.938 WHIP. This will be his first time facing the Mets.

Let’s Go Mets!