213 Miles From Shea

It’s the Subway Series! This week the Mets and Yankees play a four game, home and home series starting in the Bronx and ending in Queens. The Mets are coming off of a series win Philly where they took 3 of 4 games largely thanks to Conforto who is pushing towards 30 homers for the year.

Rafael Montero will get the start for the Mets tonight. He is 1-8 over 23 games and 9 starts totaling 65.1 innings with a 6.06 ERA, 4.64 FIP and 1.806 WHIP. The last three starts have not been kind to Montero who has allowed 13 runs and 18 hits with 9 walks in 13.1 innings. The Yankees roster looks quite different since Montero has last faced them, so only two players have seen him a game. Ellsbury is 0-2 with a walk against him while Gardner is 1-3.

The Mets draw Luis Cessa for the opener who is 0-3 over 9 games and 4 starts over 31.2 innings with a 4.83 ERA, 5.41 FIP and 1.484 WHIP. Tonight will be Cessa’s first start since Jthe end of June. When he was a starter he allowed 13 runs, 11 earned over 17.0 innings with 17 hits and 7 walks. he’s coming off a shutout, 3.1 inning outing where he allowed only 1 hit but still walked 4 batters. Prior to that he allowed 6 runs over 4.2 innings. He has never faced the Mets before and no one on the Mets has seen him at the major league level.

Let’s Go Mets!

The 7 Line last year loaded a bunch of buses to Cooperstown to camp out before the Piazza Induction. Here is one of the photos of the campsite at night. Taken on 7/23/16.

The 7 Line last year loaded a bunch of buses to Cooperstown to camp out before the Piazza Induction. Here is one of the photos of the campsite at night. Taken on 7/23/16.

The Mets wrap up their four game set against the Phillies today as they look to take the four game set and avoid the split after dropping yesterday’s game. Working against the Mets: it’s a Sunday. The Mets have been terrible on Sundays this year. This should be a statistical blip, a correlation without causation, but for some reason the Mets just can’t get it done on Sundays.

Chris Flexen looks to buck the Sunday trend. In his first three starts to his major league career he has allowed 17 hits and 8 walks in 11.2 innings leading to 12 runs, 11 earned. His last start was his best start so far as he allowed 3 runs off 4 hits and 3 walks over 5.2 innings, the first time he recorded more than 9 outs. This will also be the first time Flexen pitches against an opponent that is not from a western division (previous starts against the Padres, Rockies and Rangers).

The Mets bats will get a look at Zach Eflin who is 1-3 over 9 games and 54.0 innings with a 5.67 ERA, 5.82 FIP and 1.389 WHIP. His last start was his first start since the end of May and he came back strong allowing 2 runs over 7 hits and a walk while pitching 7.0 innings, his second best start of the year. His first start this season was against the Mets where he allowed only 2 runs, 1 earned over 5.0 innings allowing 3 hits and 3 walks. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Cabrera 0-6
• Cespedes 1-4, 2 BB
• Reyes 2-5, 2 2B
• Conforto 0-2, BB
• Granderson 1-2, HR, BB
• Lagares 1-3, 3B
• d’Arnaud 0-2
• R Rivera 0-2

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets won yesterday! And they look to keep it going tonight. Lugo labored through 5.1 innings yesterday allowing 5 runs off 8 hits and 4 walks but the Mets bats never gave up as Conforto started the come back with his 25th homer of the year, Cespedes hit a three run homer later and finally Rosario hit his first home, a tie breaking homer, in the top of hte 9th.

Steven Matz will look to keep it going today. He is 2-5 over 11 games and 57.2 innings with a 5.77 ERA, 4.96 FIP and 1.509 WHIP. He is coming off a rough start where he allowed 5 runs over 6 hits and 2 walks in 5.1 innings. Overall in August he has allowed 8 runs over 10.1 innings. He hasn’t faced the Phillies yet this year and shockingly he has never faced the Phillies in his career. No members of the Phillies have faced Matz as members of other teams.

The Mets bats draw Aaron Nola today who is 8-7 over 18 starts and 112.1 innings with a 3.12 ERA, 3.12 FIP and 1.184 WHIP. He’s having the best year of his young career and pulled off the unusual FIP and ERA exact match. In his last 9 starts he has gone 5-2 over 61.1 innings with an ERA of 1.76. In April he allowed 7  hits and 4 walks over over 5.0 innings leading to 4 runs. The Mets have the following numbers against Aaron:

• Cespedes 2-5, BB
• Granderson 1-6
• Conforto 2-5, HR
• R Rivera 2-4
• Cabrera 2-3
• Walker 1-2, HR, BB
• d’Arnaud 1-2, 2B

Let’s Go Mets!

The night sky before the Piazza Retirement Ceremony was beautiful. Picture was taken 7/29/16.

The Mets steamrolled the Phillies last night 10-0 as they opened up a four game set. Flores opened the game with a three run homer and the Mets never looked back as Conforto and Granderson added homers. Walker had a huge night with 4 hits and 3 runs in his first strong game since returning at the end of July.

Seth Lugo is 5-3 over 11 games and 10 starts and 63.1 innings with a 4.55 ERA, 4.65 FIP and 1.342 WHIP. He was average in his last start allowing 4 hits and 2 walks over 5.2 innings leading to 3 runs. Homers have hurt him in his last three starts where he has allowed 2 homers in each start. He hasn’t faced the Phillies yet this season but last year he tossed 5.0 innings against them allowing 4 hits and 2 walks leading to 3 runs. The Phillies have the following numbers against Seth:

• Hernandez 1-2, 3B, BB
• Franco 1-2
• Galvis 0-2
• Herrera 0-2
• Morgan 0-2
• Rupp 1-2

The Mets bats draw rookie Nick Pivetta who is 4-7 over 16 games and 84.0 innings with a 5.89 ERA, 5.12 FIP and 1.429 WHIP. He tossed a good game against the Mets at the start of July where he allowed 1 hit (a solo homer) over 7.0 innings with 4 walks. The solo shot was the only run he allowed. He’s coming off a poor start where he allowed 8 runs, 6 earned from 7 hits and a walk over 2.2 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Nick:

• Cabrera  0-3
• Cespedes 0-2, BB
• Nimmo 0-3
• Reyes 0-2
• R Rivera 0-1, BB

Let’s Go Mets!

The night sky before the Piazza Retirement Ceremony was beautiful. Picture was taken 7/29/16.

After being on the road for 10 games, and then home for 5 games, the Mets are back on the road today! This might be the shortest road trip possible mile wise as the Mets will travel down 95 and play 4 games in Philly and then play two games in the Bronx.

Jacob deGrom will take the mound for the Mets today. He is 12-5 over 22 starts and 144.2 innings with a 3.36 ERA, 3.67 FIP and 1.168 WHIP. Most pitchers on the Mets right now would take the line from deGrom’s last start but he’s probably frustrated by it as it was not-deGrom like. He allowed 5 hits and 3 walks over 5.0 innings leading to 3 runs against the Dodgers. Against the Phillies this year he has allowed 3 runs off 9 hits and 3 walks in 13.0 innings. His last start against the Phillies was one of the better starts this season where he allowed only 1 run off 3 hits and a walk in 7.0 innings while striking out 12. The Phillies have the following numbers against Jacob:

• Herrera 4-21
• Galvis 6-19
• Hernandes 2-10, 3 BB
• Franco 2-12
• Rupp 1-8, HR, 2 BB
• Blanco 1-5

The Mets bats will try to find positive consistency against Vince Velaquez who is 2-6 over 14 starts and 71.0 innings with a 4.82 ERA, 5.34 FIP and 1.465 WHIP. The last two numbers are significantly higher than his career numbers (4.23 FIP, 1.354 WHIP). His last two starts have been better than his average numbers as he has allowed 9 hits and 2 runs over 12.0 innings. He faced the Mets in back to back starts in April where he allowed 8 runs off 10 hits and 7 walks in 11.0 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Vince:

• Cabrera 5-11, 2B, BB
• Cespedes 2-8, 2B, HR, 2 BB
• Granderson 0-7, 2 BB
• Walker 2-11, BB
• d’Arnaud 1-9
• Bruce (yes, I know he’s traded his numbers are important here) 3-9, 2B, HR
• Conforto 4-7, 2 HR, BB

Let’s Go Mets!

The night sky before the Piazza Retirement Ceremony was beautiful. Picture was taken 7/29/16.