213 Miles From Shea

On the positive side, the Mets have scored 3 runs in each of their last two games. On the not positive side: just about everything else. Nothing really went right in the box score for the Mets last night as they got a rare poor performance from a starter, a just average performance from the bullpen and the bats still struggled. At least Dom Smith showed the Mets some life at first base with a double and his first homer of the season.

Steven Matz gets the start today after being bumped back two days with a blister. Matz is 2-4 over 12 games and 58.2 innings this year with a 3.53 ERA, 5.33 FIP, 1.261 WHIP and 108 ERA+. He’s coming off an average start against the Yankees where he allowed 3 runs in 6.0 innings off 5 hits and 4 walks, including 2 homers. Since May 5th he has tossed 37.0 innings across 7 games with a 2.68 ERA with his two worst starts being the one last Saturday and one against the Diamondbacks. When he faced Arizona in Queens, he allowed 4 runs over 4.0 innings from 6 hits and a walk. The Diamondbacks have the following numbers against Steven:

• Goldschmidt 2-5, 2 HR
• Mathis 2-5, HR
• Murphy 2-5, HR
• Owings 0-4
• Lamb 0-3
• Ahmed 1-2 2B

The Mets bats will get a look at Patrick Corbin today who is 6-2 over 14 games and 87.0 innings with a 3.21 ERA, 3.02 FIP, 1.000 WHIP and 133 ERA+. His two worst starts of the season have come within the last 18 or so days. On May 30th he allowed 6 runs over 6.0 innings against the Reds and then on June 11th he allowed 5 runs over 5.1 against the Pirates (these starts sandwiched a good start). Before his start against the Reds he had a season ERA of 2.47. He also faced the Mets earlier this year where he held them to 2 ER over 5.1 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Corbin:

• Bruce 3-17, HR, 3 BB, 8 K
• Flores 4-15
• Frazier 4-13, 2B, HR, BB
• Reyes 7-13, 3 2B, BB
• Mesoraco 2-11, 2B
• Cabera 1-5
• Conforto 2-4, BB
• Rosario 1-5

Let’s Go Mets!

One of the best secrets at Citi Field in 2017 was the Bao Sandwiches in the season ticket holder lounge on the Promenade level:

I’m a 7 Line Ticket holder which does not have club access printed on the ticket so my success at getting inside was based on 1) how carefully guards looked at my ticket and 2) how good my argument skills were.

Anyway these were great. Everyone else in line was getting a full size batting helmet of wings and fries (which is also one of the best deals in the ballpark) but these were just fantastic.

Another bad day for Mets baseball yesterday. The Mets made the decision yesterday to bump Steven Matz to Saturday due to a blister on his hand and had Jason Vargas pitch. On a scale of Vargas to deGrom, he wasn’t as bad as he has been at points this season, but also made some blistering decisions (like going after Goldschmidt in a 3-1 count high in the zone with a Vargas fastball) and although the Mets managed to score 3 runs, more than they usually do, they were playing an actual, professional baseball team, so that was not enough.

So the Mets turn to Set Lugo who is the only pitcher to start a Mets game where they won in recent history. He is 2-1 on the season over 23 game sand 2 starts in 45.2 innings of work posting a 1.77 ERA, 2.61 FIP, 0.854 WHIP and 214 ERA+. Against the Yankees on Sunday he held them scoreless allowing 2 hits and no walks while striking out 8 over 6.0 innings. He pitched two innings in relief against the Diamondbacks earlier this year allowing a hit and striking out two batters. The Diamondbacks have the following numbers against Seth:

• Dyson 1-3, K
• Jay 1-3, 2B
• Goldschmidt 1-2
• Mathis 1-2
• Owings 1-2
• Ahmed 0-1

The Mets bats will go up against Zack Godley tonight who is 6-5 over 13 games and 70.2 innings with 4.97 ERA, 4.60 FIP, 1.542 WHIP and 86 ERA+. Since May 23rd he’s been alternating between terrible and average leading to an ERA of 8.35 in 18.1 innings. Against the Mets earlier this year he allowed 3 runs, 1 earned, over 6.0 innings from 4 hits and 4 walks. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Bruce 1-10, 3 BB
• Conforto 5-9
• Reyes 1-5
• Cabrera 0-6
• Nimmo 1-3, 2B, 3 BB
• Rosario 1-5
• Kelly 1-2

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets have escaped to Arizona to clear their heads and battle the Diamondbacks. Yesterday the Mets wasted yet another gem by Jacob deGrom as the offense couldn’t push a single run across the plate and the team lost 2-0. Anyway, Steven Matz gets the start today.

Matz is 2-4 over 12 games and 58.2 innings this year with a 3.53 ERA, 5.33 FIP, 1.261 WHIP and 108 ERA+. He’s coming off an average start against the Yankees where he allowed 3 runs in 6.0 innings off 5 hits and 4 walks, including 2 homers. Since May 5th he has tossed 37.0 innings across 7 games with a 2.68 ERA with his two worst starts being the one last Saturday and one against the Diamondbacks. When he faced Arizona in Queens, he allowed 4 runs over 4.0 innings from 6 hits and a walk. The Diamondbacks have the following numbers against Steven:

• Goldschmidt 2-5, 2 HR
• Mathis 2-5, HR
• Murphy 2-5, HR
• Owings 0-4
• Lamb 0-3
• Ahmed 1-2 2B

The Mets bats will try to find themselves against Matt Koch, the owner of the rare infinite ERA in the 2017 season where he allowed 3 runs without recording an out. This year he has a 4-3 record over 11 games and 10 starts in 60.0 innings with a 4.20 ERA, 5.50 FIP, 1.217 WHIP and 102 ERA+. He is coming off of his second worse start of the season where he allowed 7 runs, 5 earned over 5.0 innings in Colorado. When you look at his pitching log overall this year he is either fantastic, or he completely implodes. There are only a few players on the Mets roster, healthy or not, who have seen Koch in a game:

• Cabrera 0-0, BB
• Cespedes 1-1
• Smith 1-1, 2B

Let’s Go Mets!

Things were going fairly good last night until the 6th inning for the Mets. Wheeler was dealing and the Mets were down 1-0, so still in it, even if a 1 run lead feels out of reach for this ball club right now. In the top half of the frame, Mickey finally got thrown out when the umpire called Nimmo for leaning into a pitch. Then the Mets scored two runs before the rally was killed by an amazing double play assisted by Cabrera’s hamstring issues. In the bottom half of the frame, the wheels fell off for the Mets and the Braves scored 6 runs and the Mets never recovered.

Today Jacob deGrom looks to put the team on his back, again, with is 4-1 record over 80.1 innings with a 1.57 ERA (league leading), 2.08 FIP, 1.008 WHIP and 242 ERA+ (league leading). In his last 55.1 innings and 9 starts he has posted a 0.81 ERA and this streak started against Atlanta where he held the Braves scoreless over 7.0 innings. Then held them scoreless in 4.0 innings where he got injured. And then again at the end of May where he held the Braves to 1 run over 7.0 innings. The Mets managed to lose all three starts and the Braves have the following numbers against deGrom:

• Freeman 10-35, 2 2B, 2 HR, 3 BB, 9 K
• Markakis 9-30, HR, BB, 5 K
• Inciarte 5-26, 2B, 2 BB, 7 K
• Flowers 4-11, HR, 3 K
• Swanson 2-10, 3 BB, 6 K
• Albies 1-10, BB, 4 K

The Mets bats will try to do the impossible and give deGrom run support against rookie Mike Soroko. The 2o year-old has pitched to a 1-1 record over 3 games and 14.2 innings with a 3.68 ERA, 2.76 FIP, 1.705 WHIP and 108 ERA+. He is coming off a bizarre start where he allowed 5 runs, only 1 earned, in 4.2 innings from 8 hits and a walk while striking out 6. It will also be his first start since May 12th. His best start this season was his first start against the Mets where he held the Amazin’s to 1 run from 6 hits over 6.0 innings. Five days later he allowed 4 runs in 4.0 innings to the Giants. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Cespedes 3-3, HR (DL)
• Cabrera 0-3, 2 K
• Bruce 1-3
• Frazier 1-3
• Nido 1-2, 2B
• Rosario 0-2

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets finally snapped their 8 game losing streak on Sunday night against the Yankees thanks mainly to two members of the team: Lugo and Frazier. Lugo made an excellent spot start that probably lands him in the rotation at least one more time through. Frazier provided the offense on a homer and had an amazing double play to end the game. Afterwards the Mets started a long awaited shake up of the roster released Gonzalez and DFAing Lobaton for Dom Smith and Ty Kelly. Now the Mets will head into Atlanta where they hope that 1) they can find their bats and support their pitchers 2) hope for nice weather for the first time down in Atlanta this season.

Zack Wheeler is 2-4 over 11 games and 63.0 innings this year with a 4.57 ERA, 3.77 FIP, 1.381 WHIP and 83 ERA+. Wheeler is coming off his best start of the season where he pitched 7.0 scoreless innings against the Orioles allowing only 3 hits and a walk. In the month of June he has allowed 2 runs over 13.0 innings. Wheeler has missed the Braves the last two seasons which means, with the exception of a few players, he has missed the current iteration of Braves line up. Here is how the few he has faced has done against Wheeler:

• Freeman 7-14, 2 2B, HR, 9 BB
• Flowers 1-1, HR
• Suzuki 1-2

The Mets bats will get a look at Mike Foltynewicz tonight who is 5-4 over 13 games and 74.0 innings with a 2.31 ERA, 2.98 FIP, 1.189 WHIP, and a 168 ERA+. He’s having a career year, especially compared to his career numbers of a 4.45 ERA, 4.25 FIP, 1.189 WHIP, 91 ERA+. He started June off with a complete game shutout of the Nationals and followed it up in his last start with 2 runs over 5.0 innings against the Padres. Since May 10th he has pitched 37.0 innings in 6 games with a 0.97 ERA. The last time he faced the Mets was his first start of the 2016 season where hte Mets scored 4 runs off 8 hits and 2 walks in 3.2 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Mike:

• Frazier 1-8, HR, BB, 4 K
• Bruce 1-5, BB
• Cabrera 3-5, 2B, HR
• Bautista 2-4, 2B
• Conforto 1-3
• Reyes 0-3

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets had another frustrating loss last night. After an amazing first inning where the Mets put up 3 runs, a rarity, and a strong start from Matz, the Mets offense turned off completely and the Yankees were able to squeak by with a win. Now the Mets will try to avoid the sweep tonight with the late ESPN game without their scheduled pitcher, Noah Syndergaard. Instead the Mets will turn to Seth Lugo and hope that they can get back into the win column.

Seth Lugo is 1-1 over 22 games and a start pitching 39.2 innings with a 2.04 ERA, 2.95 FIP, 0.933 WHIP and 188 ERA+. His only start came against the Cubs where he held them scoreless over 4.0 innings and to only 3 hits. His last time out against Baltimore he pitched 3.0 innings of scoreless ball allowing 1 hit. He last faced the Yankees in 2016 where he allowed 1 run off 1 hit in 1.0 innings. The Yankees have the following numbers against Lugo:

• Stanton 3-7, 2B, HR, BB
• Drury 0-2
• Gregorius 0-1

The Mets will finish the series off against the ace of the Yankee staff, Luis Severio who is 9-1 over 13 games and 86.0 innings with a 2.20 ERA, 2.13 FIP (league leading), 0.930 WHIP and 195 ERA+. In his last three starts he has tossed 21.0 innings of 1.71 ERA baseball. Last year in Queens he allowed 1 run, not earned, over 6.1 innings from 4 hits and 3 walks. The Mets have the following numbers against Luis:

• Bautista 2-13, HR
• Bruce 1-6
• Cabrera 2-5, 2B
• Cespedes 0-5
• Conforto 0-4
• Frazier 1-3
• Mesoraco 0-3
• Rosario 0-3
• Gonzalez 0-1

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets offense woes continued last night as they dropped the opener to the Yankees 4-1. Jacob deGrom gave the Mets another excellent start where he allowed 3 runs, 2 earned over 8.0 innings and most likely if the offense was working the way it was supposed to, he probably doesn’t pitch in the 8th inning where he allowed 2 of those runs. After a lead-off homer by Nimmo, the Mets bats fell silent. Will they wake up today?

Steven Matz gets the start for the Mets and on the season he is 2-4 over 11 games and 52.2 innings with 3.42 ERA, 5.10 FIP, 1.234 WHIP and 112 ERA+. In his last three starts he has tossed 16.0 innings of 1.13 ERA baseball and since the start of May he has tossed 31.0 innings of 2.32 ERA baseball, his only blemish being a 4 run, 4.0 inning start against Arizona. The last game he pitched in 2017 was against the Yankees and it wasn’t pretty as he allowed 7 runs, 6 earned, from 7 hits and 2 walks in 3.1 innings. The Yankees have the following numbers against Matz:

• Stanton 4-10, 2 HR, BB
• Gregorius 3-7, 2B, BB
• Garnder 2-5, 2B, BB
• Hicks 0-4
• Sanchez 1-4, HR
• Bird 1-3
• Drury 2-3, HR
• Judge 0-2
• Austin 2-2

The Mets bats draw Domingo German making his 6th start of the season. In 10 games this yearhe has a 5.44 ERA over 41.1 innings with a 4.39 FIP, 1.331 WHIP, 80 ERA+. Since becoming a starter he has tossed 27.0 innings with an ERA of 6.33. His first start was fantastic, holding the Indians scoreless over 6.0 innings. If we narrow the range to his last four starts he has allowed 20 runs, 19 earned in 21.0 innings. He had a couple of cups of coffee with the Yankees last season, missing the Mets each time and missing members of the current Mets team while they played with other clubs.

Let’s Go Mets!

The 2018 Subway Series is here and the two teams couldn’t be any more opposite. While the Yankees were struggling in the first 10 games of the year, the Mets were flourishing. Then the Mets started to stumble, becoming one of the worst teams in baseball since the start of May. The Yankees have been one of the best teams of baseball since about 2-3 weeks into the season. On the plus side, the Mets got two days off this week to hopefully find themselves as they try to drop a losing streak tonight.

Jacob deGrom will get the start for the Mets tonight who is 4-0 over 12 games and 72.1 innings with a 1.49 ERA (league leading), 1.94 FIP, 1.037 WHIP and 254 ERA+ (league leading). In his last 8 starts he has tossed 47.1 innings with 68 K’s posting a 0.57 ERA and an opponent batting average of .195. He is coming off a 7.0 inning start where he allowed 1 run off 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 13 in a game the Mets eventually lost 7-1 in the 14th inning. In 7.1 innings against the Yankees last year he allowed 5 runs off 9 hits and 2 walks. The Yankees have the following numbers against him:

• Stanton 9-22, 2B, 4 HR, 3 BB, 6 K
• Gardner 2-11, 4 K
• Gregorius 2-9, 2 K
• Hicks 2-7
• Walker 2-6, BB
• Judge 1-3, 2B
• Sanchez 2-3, HR
• Tanaka 0-2

Speaking of Tanaka, the Mets will get to face him tonight. He is 7-2 this season over 12 games and 67.2 innings with a 4.79 ERA, 5.05 FIP, 1.138 WHIP and a 91 ERA+. In three of his last 5 starts he has allowed 4 runs in either 5.0 or 5.1 innings. He missed the Mets last year and in 2016 he allowed 7 runs, 6 earned over 6.1 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Bautista 10-39, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 BB, 11 K
• Frazier 1-8
• Reyes 3-7, HR
• Cabrera 0-8, 3 K
• Bruce 0-6, 4 K
• Conforto 1-5, 2B
• Flores 1-5
• deGrom 2-3
• Mesoraco 1-1

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets and Orioles met yesterday in a match up of two of the worst starting pitcher free agency signings in the last off-season. So naturally Jason Vargas had his third best start of the season allowing 2 runs over 5.0 innings and Alex Cobb of the Orioles no-hit the Mets for while and then held them to 1 run in a game the Mets lost. Even getting Todd Frazier back last night wasn’t enough for the Mets as they struggled to bring runners home that were sitting on 2nd and 3rd and just hit in general. The bright spot of the night: all the Mets pitchers did great. Vargas had a solid outing, even better when you consider all the damage was done in the first inning. Lugo dominated in his 3 innings of work, at one point throwing only 6 pitchers in an inning. Swarzak returned as well had a good inning of work.

The Mets will try to move the conversation from “finding things to be happy about” to “winning ball games” this afternoon behind Zach Wheeler. Wheeler is 2-4 over 56.0 inning and 10 starts with a 5.14 ERA, 3.88 FIP, 1.482 WHIP and 74 ERA+. He is coming off of a solid start against the Cubs where he allowed 2 runs over 6.0 innings from 7 hits and 2 walks. The only member of the Baltimore Orioles to face Wheeler is Trumbo who is 0-3.

The Mets bats will get a look at Dylan Bundy who is 3-7 over 12 games and 68.2 innings with a 4.46 ERA, 4.73 FIP, 1.296 WHIP and 94 ERA+. He is coming off of an average start where he allowed 3 runs from 6.0 innings from 11 hits and no walks, which was preceded by a complete game start where he allowed 3 runs from 2 hits and 9.0 innings and where he struck out 14 members of the White Sox.  A few members of the Mets have recorded ABs against Bundy during their time as players in the AL East:

• Frazier 0-8, 2 BB
• Bautista 0-8, 2 BB, 6 K
• Gonzalez 0-1, BB

Let’s Go Mets!