213 Miles From Shea

Today’s picture of the day is Mets Prospect, Jose Miguel Medina, an outfielder in Brooklyn. This was taken on 7/11/17 in Mahoning Valley.

Ender Chavez is the manager of the Kingsport Mets and younger brother of Mets legend Endy Chavez. In the game I was at in Bristol, you can hear Ender talking to his players the entire game. Great experience. Picture taken 7/7/17.

The Mets bring their future and Sunday baseball playing talents to the national stage tonight as they closeout a 4 game series (really 3 + 1 rainout) with the Nationals. The afternoon game featured plan B, possibly plan C pitchers for both teams and on the National stage, the Mets and the Nationals go with their more “established” pitchers (a possible stretched name for Lugo, but given the state of the Mets rotation it fits).

Seth Lugo returns from a right shoulder impingement and will probably be on some form of an inning or pitch limit (which makes sense). He is 5-3 over 12 games and 11 starts over 68.2 innings with a 4.85 ERA, 4.47 FIP and 1.413 WHIP. Before the shoulder injury was announced he was in the midst of a disastrous run allowing 17 runs, 16 earned over 22.0 innings (6.55 ERA) including 6 homers. Opponents were getting on base at a .340 clip during this time. He also has struggled against the Nationals this year losing both starts allowing 10 runs, 9 earned in 11.2 innings off 17 hits and 4 walks. The Nationals have the following numbers against Seth:

• Murphy 4-10, 2B
• rendon 1-6, BB
• Lind 1-6
• Lobaton 3-4, HR, 2 BB
• Taylor 1-6
• Zimmerman 1-6
• Difo 1-3

The Mets bats draw Tanner Roark who is 10-8 over 25 games and 24 starts with 143.2 innings of work posting a 4.64 ERA, 4.29 FIP and 1.364 WHIP. He has been better than his season numbers and pitching consistently in the month of August allowing 10 runs, 9 earned over 25.0 innings (3.24 ERA). The last time he faced the Mets was back in April wherehe allowed 3 runs off 7 hits and 3 walks in 6.2 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Lagares 2-14, 2B, BB
• d’Arnaud 1-13, 2 BB
• Flores 2-10, 2B
• Reyes 1-8, 2 BB
• Cabrera 2-8, 2B, BB
• Reynolds 1-2, BB
• Plawecki 1-1

Let’s Go Mets!

The 7 Line’s outing in St. Louis was a blast! Here’s a picture of all the Mets fans. 7/8/16.

The Mets lost to the Nationals yesterday in a clunker. Gsellman allowed 5 runs early and it looked like a lost afternoon for the Amazin’s. Eventually the Mets brought it to 6-4 with two outs and the go-ahead run at the plate in Taijeron, but he grounded out and the bullpen imploded after that. You know what the Mets need after dropping yesterday’s game against the Nationals? TWO SUNDAY GAMES! The Mets have been horrendous on Sundays this year and today they will be faced with the tall task of the two of them.

The Mets will send out “I’m not fun Tommy Milone and my nickname on my jersey is Milone” (unless he has changed this, I’m not sure, I try to avoid Milone news). Milone is 0-3 this year with the Mets over 4 starts and 16.2 innings allowing 21 runs, 19 earned off of 24 hits and 8 walks. His last start out was his first since the end of May and he allowed 6 runs, 5 earned over 4.2 innings from 5 hits and a walk. The Nationals have the following numbers against Tommy:

• Kendrick 10-29, 2B, 2 HR
• De Aza 0-7, BB
• Wieters 0-6, 2 BB
• Lind 0-4
• Rendon 0-4
• Lobaton 1-2, 2B

The Mets bats draw rookie Erick Fedde who will be making his third major league start. He is 0-1 in two starts and 9.1 innings allowing 11 runs from 18 hits and 6 walks. His last start, which was 20 days ago, was better than his major league debut. In his last start he allowed 4 runs over 5.1 (debut was 7 runs over 4.0 innings). In the minors this year he is 4-5 over 90.1 innings between AAA and AA with a good 3.69 ERA and 3.89 RAvg. This will be Erick’s first time facing the Mets.

Let’s Go Mets!

The only player I may take more pictures of than Granderson is Scooter. Picture is from 7/9/17.

The Mets beat the Nationals last night! Now the Mets look to split the series today, assuming they lose both games on Sunday. Anyway for a second straight game yesterday the Mets lost a key player of their offense early to injury, this time it was Cespedes. The Mets they rode out a stellar start by Jacob deGrom. This afternoon Robert Gsellman will look to feed off that magic as he faces Gio Gonzalez.

Gsellman is 5-5 over 19 games, 16 starts and 87.2 innings with a 5.65 ERA, 5.02 FIP and 1.551 WHIP. Gsellman is coming off his best start since June 10th. Last time out he held the Diamondbacks to 1 run off 5 hits and a walk in 6.1 innings of work. His last start against the Nationals was pretty terrible as he allowed 7 runs off 11 hits and 2 walks in 5.0 innings. The Nationals have the following numbers against Robert:

• Murphy 5-8, 3B
• Rendon 3-7, 2 2B
• Zimmerman 4-7, BB
• Taylor 1-3, HR
• Wieters 1-3, 2B

The Mets bats draw Gio Gonzalez in the midst of his best season (by ERA) of his career. He is 12-5 over 25 starts and 162.0 innings with a 2.39 ERA, 3.80 FIP and 1.117 WHIP. It’s actually amazing that his FIP is higher than it has been since his third season pitching yet his ERA is so low. In his last four starts he has allowed 2 runs, 1 earned over 27.2 innings with 15 hits and 7 walks while striking out 23. His ERA is a 0.33 and opponents are getting on base at .229 clip. He is at his best right now. He has also been successful against the Mets this year allowing 3 runs over 13.1 innings from only 7 hits and 3 walks. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Lagares 15-40, 3 2B, 3B, HR, BB
• Cabrera 7-29, BB
• Flores 2-20, 2 BB
• d’Arnaud 3-16, 3 2B, BB
• Cespedes 🙁 7-13, 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB (1.677 OPS)
• Plawecki 0-5
• Gsellman 0-1

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets head down to DC. Maybe some time away from home will help the squad out as they try to find themselves after poor series against the Yankees, Marlins and Diamondbacks. In theme with 2017 the Mets lost more than the game yesterday as Michael Conforto dislocated his shoulder swinging at the plate. It stinks but the show must go on and Nimmo had a tremendous day at the plate.

Jacob deGrom will try to get back on the right track tonight. He is 13-7 over 25 games and 165.0 innings with a 3.49 ERA, 3.62 FIP and 1.176 WHIP. In his last two starts he has allowed 10 ER over 13.2 innings and 19 hits with only 2 walks, striking out 12.  He is 2-1 in as many starts this season tossing 20.2 innings against the Nationals posting an ERA of 2.61. The Nationals have the following numbers against him:

• Rendon 0-16, 4 BB, 5 K
• Zimmerman 5-16, 2 HR, 6 K
• Kendrick 2-16
• Taylor 0-14, BB, 7 K
• Wieters 3-12
• Murphy 3-9
• Lind 1-5, BB

The young Mets bats will get a turn against A.J. Cole who is 1-3 in his first four major league starts this year in 22.0 innings with a 5.32 ERA, 5.63 FIP and 1.591 WHIP. His best start of the season was back in May where he allowed 1 run over 6.0 innings. Since coming back in August he’s allowed 12 runs over 16.0 innings which is a 6.75 ERA and opponents are getting on base at a .361 clip. Last year he faced the Mets twice, once where he held the Mets to 1 run off 3 hits in 6.0 innings and then against where he allowed 3 runs off 9 hits in 5.0 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Cabrera 4-5, 2 2B, HR, BB
• Cespedes 1-6
• Flores 0-2, BB

Let’s Go Mets!

Today’s picture of the day was taken on 7/11/17 of Alfonzo and Medina of the Cyclones pregame in Mahoning Valley.

Today is another one of those “liberty” with “Picture” as we look at a video of Connor O’Neil pitching. The right-hander is out of Cal State Northridge and drafted by the Mets in the 7th round.

Connor O’Neil, Mets 2017 7th pick, pitching for the @BKCyclones pic.twitter.com/SwaGMaJMLS

— 213 Miles From Shea (@213MFS) July 12, 2017