213 Miles From Shea

The Mets go for a 4-game sweep of the Cubs this afternoon at Citi-Field. Yesterday the Mets were able to beat the Cubs 4-3 thanks to a 2-run homer by walker and a 2-run base blip by Travis. As with any 4-game set, you need to beat the team drawing most of their big guns, and the Mets will draw a huge one tonight in Jon Lester. Luckily, we have one of our own going in Noah Syndergaard.

Noah Syndergaard is 8-3 on the year over 16 games and 15 starts with 94.0 innings with a 2.49 ERA. His last start was not good as he allowed 5 ER over 3.0 innings against the Nationals topping off a month where he wasn’t that dominant (outside of one start, which was his best of the season). Noah allowed 3 ER over 5.1 innings against the Cubs during the regular season and allowed only 1 ER over 5.2 innings during the playoffs. The Cubs have the following numbers against Noah:

• Bryant 4-6, 2B, 3B
• Coghlan 1-4, HR
• Montero 0-4, 3 K
• Rizzo 0-3, 2 BB
• Heyward 2-3, 2B
• Zobrist 1-3, 2B
• Baez 0-2, 2 K

Jon Lester is 9-3 over 16 starts and 106.1 innings with a 2.03 ERA in what is shaping up to be his best season in his career, rivaling 2014. In the month of June he was 4-0 over 44.2 innings with an ERA of 1.41 with 44 K’s. He faced the Mets twice in the regular season last year going 1-0 allowing 3 ER over 13.0 innings. However in the postseason against the Mets he allowed 4 ER over 8 hits in 6.2 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Lester:

• Granderson 13-47, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR
• Cabrera 7-27, 2 2B
• Cespedes 2-16
• Loney 4-15, 2B
• K Johnson 1-15
• De Aza 4-14, 4 2B
• Flores 2-8, HR
• Walker 2-8
• d’Arnaud 2-2, HR

Let’s Go Mets!

I’m not sure what was louder at Citi Field last night: the thunder or the bats! The Mets finally woke up offensively as they smashed 5 homers including back to back shots by Loney and Cabrera, a second homer for Cabrera, a Yo! Shot and Nimmo’s first major league blast. deGrom also pitched in and out of rain delays earning his first win since the end of April. Tonight will be a more difficult night for the Mets as they go against Jake Arrieta, but at least they can counter with Bartolo Colon.

Colon is 6-4 over 16 games and 15 starts this season over 88.0 innings with a 2.86 ERA. He was the hard luck loser on record last time out only allowing 1 ER over 7.0 innings. In his last 7 starts he has pitched 40.0 innings with a stunning 1.80 ERA (Innings skewed lower per start due to his 0.1 IP outing on the 21st). He had a great start in the regular season last year against the Cubs allowing no runs over 7.0 innings and holding the Cubs to 3 hits and a walk. The Cubs have the following numbers against Bartolo:

• Zobrist 9-15, 3B, 4 HR (Geezz…..)
• Heyward 7-17, 2B, HR
• Rizzo 0-7
• Bryant 0-4, 3 K’s
• Ross 0-2
• Coghlan 0-3
• Baez 0-1

One of my co-workers is a huge Chicago Cubs fan. He calls Jake Arrieta his big, fuzzy security blanket, because you always feel good when he’s on the mound (for the record, he describes Noah Syndergaard as ours, I tried to counter that it should be Colon, but whatever). Arrieta has a league leading 12 wins this year with 2 losses over 16 starts and 103.0 innings while posting a 2.10 ERA. Since late May though, he’s been more human going 4-2 over 7 starts and 40.0 innings with a 3.38 ERA. He held teams scoreless twice of those 7 starts, allowed an average amount of runs for another two, and below average to bad in the remaining three. He was 2-0 in the regular season against the Mets last year holding them to 2 ER over 16.0 innings while striking out 17 batters but in the NLCS last year he allowed 4 ER over 5.0 innings against the Mets. The mets have the following numbers against Jake:

• Granderson 11-32, 2 2B, 3B, 3 HR
• Walker 4-28, 2B, 8 K’s
• Flores 3-10, 2B
• Cabrera 4-8, 2 HR
• Cespedes 2-8, HR
• K Johnson 0-6, 3 BB, 4 K’s
• De Aza 2-5

Let’s Go Mets!

Man, the Mets needed that one last night. The game looked bleak for a while coming off of a sweep by the Nationals, and giving up two runs quickly in the first, by the top of the 6th, it looked like the Mets were going to follow the same script. This was further supported by an insurmountable third run the Cubs scored in the sixth. But then Cespedes knocked a solo shot into the third deck and later the Mets had a three run rally, where Nimmo played a key role and the Mets won! Tonight they look to do it again.

Jacob deGrom is on the bump for the Amazin’s tonight. He is 3-4 over 13 starts and 81.0 innings with a 2.67 ERA. After three average starts in a row, he came out last time with his best start of the season pitching 8.0 scoreless innings against the Braves with 6 strikeouts. In the regular season last year against the Cubs he allowed 8 runs, 7 earned over 10.1 innings. However, in the NLCS, he held the Cubs to 2 ER over 7.0 innings. The Cubs have the following numbers against Jacob:

• Rizzo 4-12, HR
• Heyward 3-9
• Coghlan 1-5
• Bryant 1-5, HR
• Montero 1-6
• Russel 1-4
• Zobrist 0-3

The Mets bats will get a crack at Jason Hammel who is 7-4 this season over 15 starts and 87.1 innings with a 2.58 ERA. He’s having his best year in his career. The Last time he was close to this was his first 108.2 innings in 2014 when he was with the Cubs before he was traded to the Athletics. In the month of June, he has made 5 starts over 31.1 innings with a slightly more human 3.45 ERA. His starts against the Mets last year were quite different. Jason dominated the Mets in the regular season pitching 8.0 innings allowing only 1 ER. But in the post season, he lasted only 1.1 innings against the Mets as the Mets scored 5 times (game 4, the clinching game). The Mets have the following numbers against Hammel:

• Loney 13-41, 3 2B, 3 HR
• K Johnson 9-30, 2B, 2 HR
• Granderson 9-26, 2 2B, 2 HR
• Walker 5-19, 2B
• Cabrera 2-8, 2B HR
• De Aza 1-6, 2B

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets return home after a disappointing trip to DC where they were swept by the Nationals. Now they need to figure out a way to win ball games against the Cubs who are rivaling history books for the pace they are moving at.

Starting off for the Mets will be Steven Matz who is slated (at least while I’m writing this) to pitch again through elbow tightness. He’s 7-3 this season over 13 starts and 76.2 innings with a 3.29 ERA. The month of June has not been kind to Matz. He’s allowed 14 ER over 21.1 innings with an ERA of 5.91. Basically, he has made two good to average starts, and two terrible starts. The only time has faced the Cubs was in the NLCS last year where he held them to 1 ER over 4.2 innings allowing 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4. The Cubs have the following numbers against Matz:

• Zobrist 1-3, 2B
• Baez 0-2
• Bryant 0-1
• Rizzo 1-2
• Ross 0-1

The Mets bats will try to find themselves against John Lackey who is in his first season with the Cubs. The 37 year old is 7-4 this year with a 3.29 ERA over 15 starts and 98.1 innings. In his last three starts he has allowed 12 ER over 18 hits and 16.1 innings, an ERA of 6.61, which is heavily skewed due to his last start where he allowed 7 ER over 4.1 innings. In two starts against the Mets last year he allowed 2 ER over 14.0 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Lackey:

• Granderson 10-41, 2 2B, 2 3B, HR
• Cabrera 7-31, 2 2B, HR
• Loney 8-29, 3 2B, HR
• K Johnson 6-26, 2 2B
• Walker 3-11
• Cespedes 1-4, 2B

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets are fully on salvage mode for this series now. Last night Harvey struggled through 3.2 innings battling the rain and also his command, but somehow only allowed 1 run. The offense couldn’t string together hits though and the bullpen later in the game faltered leading up to a 5-0 loss. Further adding to the stress, Logan Verrett makes the spot start today for Steven Matz who is battling bone spurs.

Logan is 3-4 over 20 games and 4 starts this year logging 41.1 innings with a 4.14 ERA. His first two spots starts in the season were great as he pitched 12.0 innings allowing no runs. His next two were not so great. In May he allowed 7 ER over 2.2 innings and in June, he allowed 5 ER over 4.0 innings in Milwaukee. So far this season against Washington, he has pitched 2.2 scoreless innings allowing 2 hits, 3 walks and striking out 2. The Nationals have the following numbers against Logan:

• Rendon 1-3
• Espinosa 0-1
• Ramos 0-2
• Werth 0-2
• Zimmerman 0-1
• Harper 0-1
• Lobaton 0-1
• Murphy 1-1, 2B

The Mets bats will try to figure it out against Max Scherzer who is 8-5 over 16 starts and 107.1 innings this year with a 3.52 ERA. He also leads the league in homers allowed at 20. Max is coming off of his first bad start in 5 starts where he allowed 5 ER over 6.o innings (previously 4 ER over 28.0 innings). In his one start against the Mets this year he went 6.1 innings, allowing 2 ER, both solo homers, while striking out 20. The Mets have the following numbers against Scherzer:

• De Aza 13-46, 2 2B, HR
• Cabrera 12-48, 4 2B, HR
• Granderson 8-27, 3 2B, 2 HR
• Loney 8-26, 2B, 2 HR
• K Johnson 5-23, 2 2B, HR
• Cespedes 7-17, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR
• Walker 3-12, 2 HR
• Flores 0-10

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets dropped the opening game of the set with the Nationals last night and look to get back on the right track tonight while health concerns of the team as a whole continue to rise. Matt Harvey will look to build on his last start. On the season he is 4-9 over 15 starts and 85.1 innings with a 4.64 ERA. In his last start he allowed 2 ER over 6.0 innings while striking out 3 and overall in his last five starts he has logged 32.0 innings of work with a 2.25 ERA. He made back to back starts against the Nationals this year and it was the low point of his season as he allowed 9 runs, 6 earned over 2.2 in his first one and then allowed 5 earned over 5.0 innings in the next. The Nationals have the following numbers against Matt Harvey:

• Harper 1-24
• Werth 5-23, 2B
• Zimmerman 6-22, 2B, 2 HR
• Taylor 4-18, 2B
• Rendon 6-17, 2B, HR
• Revere 5-15, 2B, 3B
• Ramos 4-15, 2B
• Robinson 4-11, 2B

The Mets bats will try to crack the top prospect in the Nationals organization, and possibly one of the top prospects in baseball, Lucas Giolito. I was on a road trip earlier this season and crossed through Binghamton on one of Giolito’s first starts of the season. Granted it was AA, but he was heads and shoulders above the B-Mets at that time. Overall this year in AA, he’s 5-3 over 14 starts with a 3.17 ERA. In the minors, 5 seasons, he’s 24-13 with a 2.74 ERA.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets begin a crucial series with the Nationals tonight. Although things have been bad on the Mets the past few weeks, the Nationals just got out of a tailspin yesterday after losing 7 straight. The Mets were able to pull within 3 games of the Nationals, so their play this series is crucial (although not critical, it is June).

Noah Syndergaard will start things off for the Amazin’s. He is 8-2 over 15 games and 14 starts and 91.0 innings with a 2.08 RA and 110 strikeouts. He’s been a bit more human in June going 3-0 over 4 starts and 27.1 innings with a 2.63 ERA while striking out 29 batters. In his one start against the Nationals this year, he shut them out for 7.0 innings while striking out 10. The Nationals have the following numbers against Syndergaard:

• Harper 3-12
• Rendon 4-10, 2B, HR
• Werth 1-9
• Espinosa 0-6
• Lobaton 1-6
• Revere 2-6
• Robinson 1-5, HR

Joe Ross will be making the start for the Nationals today, as the Nationals elect to go with Joe rather than calling up a pitcher right now. He’s 6-4 over 14 games and 84.0 innings for the Nationals this year with a 3.11 ERA. In his last three starts he has pitched 19.1 innings with a 3.73 ERA. He hasn’t faced the Mets yet this year but last year he went 0-1 in two starts and 12.2 innings against he Mets posting a 2.84 ERA and recording 10 strikeouts. The Mets have the following numbers against Ross:

• Flores 2-6
• Granderson 1-6
• deGrom 0-3
• Cespedes 0-3
• K Johnson 2-3, 2B
• Walker 1-3, HR

Let’s Go Mets!

Yesterday was a whirlwind day for the Mets. Early in the afternoon the Mets announced they were demoting Conforto and promoting Nimmo to the majors. Then the Reyes-Mets reunion became official, with Reyes reporting to Brooklyn today. After that, Jacob deGrom pitching 8.0 innings of shutout ball, but the Mets couldn’t score a run. Finally Kelly Johnson hit a go-ahead solo homer in the 11th, and the Mets won! The Mets look to take the series today behind Bartolo Colon as he matches up against Bud Norris.

Bartolo Colon is 6-3 over 15 games and 14 starts this season while pitching 81.0 innings with a 3.00 ERA. His last start ended with the second batter of the game as he took a come-backer. Now Colon is back! In his last 6 starts he has pitched 33.0 innings with a 1.91 ERA. Colon’s last start against the Braves was tremendous as he allowed no runs over 8.0 innings while striking out 7. The Braves have the following numbers against Colon:

• Pierzynski 18-65, 3 2B, 2 HR
• Markakis 11-48, 5 2B
• Aybar 8-30, 2B, 3B
• Freeman 10-24, 4 2B
• Peterson 3-13, 2B, 3B

The Mets draw Bud Norris who is 2-7 over 21 games and 9 starts this season logging 63.1 innings with a 4.69 ERA. Norris left the rotation at the start of May, at that point his ERA was 8.74. Since returning to the rotation on June 4th, he has logged 22.1 innings over 4 games with a 2.82 ERA. The last time he faced the Mets in April, he allowed 5 ER over 4.0 innings, but that was a different Norris. The Mets have the following numbers against Norris:

• Walker 10-27, 2B, HR
• Loney 14-24, 3 2B, HR
• Cespedes 4-14, HR
• De Aza 2-11
• K Johnson 1-10, 2B
• Granderson 4-7, 2 HR

Let’s Go Mets!

Holy Toledo, the Mets beat the Braves! Matz was doing well through the first four innings but fell apart in the 5th and allowed 6 runs. At that point, the Mets had a large lead and leaving Matz in was questionable but the end result was the Mets won and Matz still has elbow tightness. Tonight Jacob deGrom makes the start for the Mets as he goes against Julio Teheran.

Jacob deGrom is 3-4 over 12 starts and 73.0 innings with a 2.96 ERA this season. In his last three starts he’s 0-3 with a 4.00 ERA over 18.0 innings while striking out 24 batters, so it hasn’t been the best time for deGrom. List last start was against Atlanta where he allowed 3 ER over 6.0 innings. Overall against the Braves this year he has pitched 11.2 innings allowing 4 ER while striking out 7. The Braves have the following numbers against deGrom:

• Freeman 4-16, 2B, HR
• Markakis 4-12, HR
• Peterson 3-11, 2B
• Pierzynski 0-9
• Inciarte 2-7, 2B
• Bonifacio 0-2
• d’Arnaud 0-3

Julio Teheran is 3-7 over 15 starts and 98.0 innings with an ERA of 2.66 while striking out 92 batters. His last start was a tremendous one as he complete game shutout, one hit…the Mets. Leading up to that start he had a 3.81 ERA over four starts and 26.0 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Teheran:

• Granderson 4-19, 2B, HR
• Walker 2-14
• Flores 3-13, HR
• d’Arnaud 1-12
• Johnson 1-5
• De Aza 1-4, 2B

Let’s Go Mets!

Last night was another frustrating night for the Mets against the Braves. Matt Harvey finally had a solid start against the Braves but the Mets bats couldn’t ramp up more than three runs and the Mets eventually allowed the Braves to take the lead on a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 8th. The Mets hit the ball hard in the 9th, but pretty much right at people and the Mets lost their 4th straight game against Braves in the last week. Luckily, the Mets still have three games against the Braves to try to turn things around.

Steven Matz will be pitching tonight despite leaving his last start with elbow discomfort. He’s 7-3 on the season over 12 starts and 72.1 innings with a 2.74 ERA. His last start was against the Braves and he held them to 2 ER over 6.0 innings while striking out 7. Overall, he has faced the Braves three times totaling 20.0 innings with a 2-0 record and a 1.80 ERA while striking out 23 batters. The Braves have the following numbers against Steven:

• Freeman 3-10, 2B
• Markakis 2-9
• Francoeur 3-9, HR
• Garcia 2-9
• Aybar 1-7
• Flowers 1-8, 2B

The Mets draw Aaron Blair who is 0-4 over 10 starts this season an 46.1 innings with a 7.19 ERA. His last start was against the Mets and it was average, which is good for Aaron as he allowed 3 ER over 6.0 innings. In the month of June he has pitched 19.1 innings with a 7.91 ERA, which is slightly above his season stats. Overall against the Mets this year, he has pitched 11.1 innings with 6 ER and 5 K’s. The Mets have the following numbers against Blair:

• Cabrera 3-6
• Confortion 1-5, 2B
• Granderson 1-5
• Flores 1-5, HR
• Walker 1-5
• Cespedes 1-2, HR
• Loney 2-2, 2B, 3B

Let’s Go Mets!