213 Miles From Shea

Today’s Picture of the day is Rigoberto Terrazas of the Kingsport Mets playing in Bristol. Picture taken on 7/6/17.

The Mets bounced back from the trouncing they received on Tuesday with a rain shortened win on Wednesday night. Travis d’Arnaud hit a homer that was the difference maker and spot starter Gsellman technically threw a complete game with 6 innings of work allowing 3 runs, 2 earned. The Mets now match up against the Reds tonight, who they faced in Ohio last week.

The Mets are starting Harvey tonight, instead of his short rest start as previously planned yesterday. Smart Move. His last start was a mess against Houston in the first game in the double header last Saturday as he allowed 7 runs off 8 hits in 2.0 innings of work. If you are looking for positives from the game: he didn’t walk a batter and he threw only 70 pitches. The Reds have the following numbers against Harvey:

• Votto 5-12, HR, BB
• Cozart 6-11, 2 2B, HR
• Duvall 0-6, 3 K
• Barnhart 1-4, BB
• Gennett 0-3
• Hamilton 1-2
• Suarez 1-3

The Mets bats will get a look at rookie Tyler Mahle who is making his third major league start. He is 0-1 over 2 starts and 11.0 innings where he has allowed 9 hits and 4 walks with only 3 runs. His last start was way better than his first where he held the Pirates scoreless over 6.0 innings. In the minors this year he was 10-7 over 24 starts between AA an AAA tossing 144.1 innings with a 2.06 ERA and a 0.963 WHIP.

Let’s Go Mets!

Jay Bruce was the closest player to The 7 Line in St. Louis on 7/8/17.

As I write this game preview at 2 PM, the Mets have not officially announced tonight’s starter. You probably know the latest Mets drama but just in case you don’t the Mets announced over the holiday weekend, on the same day as they communicated information about surgeries to Wright, TJ Rivera and Conforto, that Harvey would start on short rest. With all the Mets injuries this year, and multiple ones to Harvey, this seemed like a bizarre, horrible idea. But the Mets stuck with it! Until last night. Suddenly the probable starter disappeared from the Mets page and still hasn’t been replaced. Normally I would try to update this post with info about the Mets starter. However, the Mets handling of players, late announcement of starters, not giving proper time for athletes to prepare and rest is enough of a game preview for this team.

On the Phillies side, Nick Pivetta gets the start.  The rookie is 5-9 over 21 games and 106 innings of work with a 6.28 ERA, 5.04 FIP and 1.538 WHIP. He is coming off a strong starter in Miami where he allowed 1 run over 6.0 innings. The Mets have seen both sides of Nick this year. In his first start against the team, on July 2nd, he allowed 1 run off 1 hit and 4 walks in 7.0 innings. Then, in August, he allowed 6 runs, 5 earned off 7 hits and 2 walks from 4.2 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Cabrera  0-3
• Nimmo 0-3
• Aoki 0-1
• Flores 0-2
• Reyes 0-2
• Rosario 2-2
• Smith 1-2

Let’s Go Mets!

Matt Reynolds playing 3rd the last day before the All-Star break on 7/9/17.

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.