213 Miles From Shea

The Mets wrapped up a disappointing week last night heading into the weekend with another loss, this time against the Marlins. The Mets will look to even the series today behind Rafael Montero as he takes on former Phillie Vance Worley. Last night the Mets lost 3-1 in another game where the bullpen did a good job but the offense went flat (Rosario, however did record two hits). After the game, my favorite player, my heart and soul, Curtis Granderson was traded to the Dodgers.

Rafael Montero is 1-8 over 24 games and 10 starts and 71.1 innings with a 5.80 ERA, 4.61 FIP and 1.752 WHIP. He is coming off of a strong start against the Yankees where he allowed 3 runs over 6.0 innings with 5 hits and 2 walks. It was one of the best starts I’ve seen from Montero. He looked like an ace for the first three innings, got into a lot of trouble in the 4th but didn’t melt down and allowed only one run. He allowed a solo shot later in the game. Was this a turning point for Montero? We’ll find out tonight! He hasn’t been good against the Marlins this year allowing 7 runs over 8.1 innings parts of 5 games including 16 hits and 8 walks. The Marlins have the following numbers against him:

• Gordon 4-15, 2B, BB
• Ozuna 3-8, 4 BB
• Realmuto 2-10, BB
• Stanton 3-8, 2B, BB
• Yelich 1-5, 3 BB
• Suzuki 3-6, 3B
• Ellis 1-3, 2B, 2 BB
• Rojas 4-4

Vance Worley has been all over the place since leaving the Phillies in 2012 including Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Miami (and DC, but he didn’t play in an official game with the Nationals). This year he is 2-2 over 16 games and 8 starts logging 50.2 innings posting a 4.97 ERA, 3.77 FIP and 1.500 WHIP. He had two good to great starts at the beginning of August allowing 1 run over 13.0 innings but in his last start he allowed 3 runs over 4.0 innings. He made back to back relief appearances against the Mets earlier this season where he allowed nothing in 2.0 innings with 4 K’s. The Mets have the following numbers against Vance:

• R Rivera 0-4
• d’Arnaud 1-3
• Lagares 1-3
• Reynolds 0-2
• Cespedes 0-1

Let’s Go Mets!

Carlos Sanchez, catcher of the Cyclones, with the hot dogs after they raced in Mahoning Valley.

This has been a horrible week for the Mets, so before jumping into today’s game, let’s note some of the positive and memorable moments. Dominic Smith hit his first homer. Rosario reminded us multiple times about the importance of defense. Travis d’Arnaud played 3rd and 2nd, in the same game, many many many times. Curtis Granderson hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 9th to make the Mets competitive. I still love Michael Conforto. The Mets bullpen for the most part was great this week.

Ok. I feel better. Let’s go!

Chris Flexen is 2-1 over 4 starts and 16.2 innings this year with a 7.02 ERA, 7.22 FIP and 2.100 WHIP. His last start was probably his best of the season where he pitched 5.0 innings against the Phillies allowing 6 hits and 4 walks leading to 2 runs. He didn’t allow any homers in CBP, which is even better considering he allowed 4 homers in his 3 previous starts. This will be his first career start against the Marlins.

The Mets bats draw Justin Nicolino who is 1-1 over 7 games and 6 starts pitching 25.2 innings with a 4.56 ERA, 5.94 FIP and 1.831 WHIP. He is making his second start since returning in mid-August. In his first one he allowed 2 runs, 1 earned over 5.1 innings with 6 hits and 4 walks. He had a relief outing in June against the Mets this year where he allowed a homer and a hit over 0.1 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Lagares 1-8
• Flores 4-5, 2 HR, 2 BB, .857 OBP
• Cespedes 2-6, HR
• Granderson 3-5, HR
• Cabrera 1-3, BB
• Conforto 0-2
• d’Arnaud 2-3, HR

Let’s Go Mets!

I’m taking a liberty with “Picture of the Day” with this. Here’s a video of Cyclone’s outfielder Quinn Brodey swinging.

Mets 2017 3rd round pick, Quinn Brodey, fouling off a pitch. Would later strike out. Had a good hit last time. pic.twitter.com/QI4PkGzZPR

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

The Mets will try to avoid the four game, home and home, sweep by the Yankees tonight as they send out Steven Matz to face Luis Severino. Close to game time last night, the Mets had to scratch Wilmer Flores and Jose Reyes to rib cage injuries thus launching us to a world where Travis d’Arnaud had to play 3rd. To minimize his chances at needing to make a play, he continually changed to second with Cabrera depending on the batter leading to some fantastic box scores. This was my take away from last night. I have blocked and repressed everything else from my memory.

Steven Matz is 2-6 over 12 starts and 63.1 innings with a 5.54 ERA, 4.91 FIP and 1.468 WHIP. His last outing was his first “good” one in quite some time as he held the Phillies to 4 hits and 2 walks over 5.2 innings leading to only 2 runs. The last time he allowed 2 runs or fewer was July 3rd in a 7.0, shutout innings. It was actually only his 4th start this year where he allowed 2 runs or fewer. Last September he allowed 6 runs off 6 hits and a walk over 6.0 innings against the Yankees who have the following numbers against him:

• Frazier 2-9, 2 HR
• Gregorius 2-6, 2B
• Headley 2-6, 2B
• Ellsbury 1-3
• Gardner 1-2, BB
• Romine 0-3
• Hicks 0-2
• Sanchez 0-2

The Mets bats will try to get something going agianst Luis Severino who is 9-5 over 23 starts and 143.2 innings with a 3.32 ERA, 3.08 FIP and 1.107 WHIP (career bests in those two categories). He is coming off by far his worst start of the season where he allowed 8 hits, 10 runs, 8 earned and 2 walks over 4.1 innings, a start that raised his ERA from 2.91 to 3.32. Before that he was on a 5 game streak of 32.2 innings with 38 K’s, a 0.83 ERA and .176 BA. In August last year he started against the Mets pitching 4.1 innings holding the Mets to 1 hit, 1 run, none earned with 1 walk. The Mets have the following numbers against Luis:

• R Rivera 1-4
• Cabrera 1-2, BB
• Cespedes 0-2
• Conforto 0-2
• Flores 0-2
• Granderson 0-0, BB

Let’s Go Mets!

Picture of Mets infielder, Walter Rasquin, who led off for the Cyclones on 7/11/16 against Mahoning Valley.

The Subway Series comes home tonight. The first two games of the home and home series have been forgettable for the Mets (unless you are Dom Smith, congrats on your first major league homer!) as the Mets have dropped both. If the Mets want to split the series for bragging rights, they will have to do it by sweeping the Yankees in Queens.

Originally Seth Lugo was going to pitch tonight but he just landed himself on the DL. Luckily, Robert Gsellman is good to go and he comes off the DL for tonight’s start. Before he left he was 5-5 over 17 games, 14 starts in 76.0 innings with a 6.16 ERA, 5.08 FIP and 1.618 WHIP. We haven’t seen him since the end of June when things were unraveling for him rather quickly. Including the game he was removed in the 3rd inning from, he allowed 18 runs over 12.1 innings. The only person on the Yankees roster who has seen him in a major league game is Jaime Garcia, the starter for the Yankees, who will be batting tonight. Garcia walked in his only appearance against Gsellman.

The Mets draw a long time National Leaguer in Jaime Garcia tonight who spent the vast majority of his career with the Cardinals and started this year with the Braves. He got traded and made a start with the Twins before being traded again to the Yankees. Overall this year he is 5-8 over 21 games and 130.0 innings with a 4.50 ERA, 4.16 FIP and 1.377 WHIP. He is 0-1 over 2 starts and 10.1 innings with Yankees posting a 6.97 ERA, 5.75 FIP and 1.839 WHIP. He opened his 2017 season against the Mets allowing 4 ER over 6.0 innings off 6 hits and 2 walks. In June he faced the Mets again and allowed 2 runs over 7.0 innings of 7 hits and 2 walks. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Reyes 7-24, 2B, 2 BB
• Flores 4-12, 2B, 2 HR
• Cabrera 3-11, 2 2B
• Lagares 2-6, 2 BB
• Cespedes 1-7, 2B, BB
• d’Arnaud 2-6, 2B
• Conforto 2-4, 2B
• Granderson 1-3

Let’s Go Mets!

Panorama taken on 7/6/16.

The Mets dropped the first game of the Subway Series, and would you believe me if I told you it had nothing to do with Rafael Montero? Montero allowed 2 runs over 6 innings and besides the 4th inning where he almost melted down, he looked like the pitcher that we thought he would be several years ago. It was a good outing for Montero and, I can’t believe I’m saying this, I’m looking forward to his next start to see if this was a blip or the start of something for him. Tonight’s game has the best pitching match up of the series as Jacob deGrom goes against one of the newest Yankees, Sonny Gray.

Jacob deGrom is 13-5 over 23 games and 151.1 innings with a 3.21 ERA, 3.53 FIP and 1.143 WHIP. After a poor (for him) start against the Dodgers at the beginning of August, he rebounded against the Phillies shutting them out in Philly over 6.2 innings allowing 4 hits, no walks while striking out 9. He left the start early after being hit with a comebacker. Last year he shutout the Yankees over 7.0 innings allowing 4 hits and a walk while striking out 8. The Yankees have the following numbers against deGrom:

• Ellsbury 2-9, 2B, HR
• Gardner 2-8
• Frazier 1-5, HR
• Gregorius 0-5
• Headley 1-5
• Hicks 1-3

The Mets bats will get a look at Sonny Gray who is 6-7 over 18 games and 109.0 innings with a 3.39 ERA, 3.19 FIP and 1.183 WHIP. This will be his third start as a Yankee. In his previous starts he has allowed 8 hits and 7 runs, only 4 earned, over 12.0 innings. He missed the Mets when the Athletics and Mets met up earlier this season. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Cabrera 2-8, HR, 2 BB
• Reyes 1-10
• Cespedes 1-3

Let’s Go Mets!

Piazza going into the hall was a moment I’ve waited for. I took a ton of pictures of anything Piazza, including this. Picture taken on 7/23/16.