213 Miles From Shea

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

The Mets snapped their losing streak yesterday as they beat the Rangers 5-4. Tonight they will go for the two game sweep! Yesterday the Mets took the lead early thanks to solo first inning homers from Conforto and Cespedes (d’Arnaud would later add a homer). Flexen was able to hold the Rangers back enough of 5.2 innings and the Mets won!

Rafael Montero is 1-7 over 22 games and 8 starts with 62.1 innings with a 5.78 ERA, 4.42 FIP and 1.765 WHIP. Montero was trending positively for about a month and he’s slipped back in his four starts. In his last 4 he has pitched 23.1 innings with a 5.79 ERA. That might seem like he’s pitching at his average rate this season, but remember he started the season off terribly, and then pitched well for a month to sink his numbers in a positive direction. The only Ranger who has seen Montero in a game is Mike Napoli who has a hit in one AB.

The Mets bats draw Martin Perez who has been with the Rangers since he debuted as a 21 year old in the 2012 season. This year he is having his worst in his career sitting at 5-10 over 117.0 innings with a 5.46 ERA, 4.80 FIP and 1.667 WHIP. For comparison,  his career line is 4.51 ERA, 4.80 FIP and 1.456 WHIP. His numbers are more inflated as of late since he has allowed 15 runs in his last 9.0 innings of work. Only three members of the Mets have seen Perez:

• Cespedes 5-13, 2B, 3B, 2 BB
• Cabrera 3-5, 2 2B
• Bruce 1-3

Let’s Go Mets!

The day off yesterday was necessary to get a mental break from the Mets this past weekend. They had a tall task with the Dodgers who are playing historically great baseball and the Mets are playing whatever the opposite of that is. The expected outcome occurred and they were swept. Now they welcome the Rangers in town for a two game series (they are doing a 4 game home/away series this year) before hopping down 95 to the Phillies this weekend.

Chris Flexen gets the nod for today’s game as he makes third career start. He is 0-1 over 6.0 innings allowing 13 hits and 5 walks leading to 9 runs, 8 earned. Not to make excuses, but there was a lot working against Chris in his last start. For starters, he was in Colorado vs a better than average Rockies team that was able to get 8 hits and a walk in 3.0 innings, leading to 5 runs. He also had a blister issue on his hand that caused him to leave the game early (the bullpen shut down the rest of the game and the Mets won).

The Mets bats will get a look at Andrew Cashner. Cashner started his career off in 2010 with the Cubs and was part of the Rizzo trade the Padres. He was then part of the Cosart trade in 2016 and ended up with the Marlins before signing with the Rangers this off season. He is 7-8 over 18 starts and 107.0 innings with a 3.36 ERA, 4.40 FIP and a 1.346 WHIP. He is coming off back to back good starts where he allowed 2 ER over 13.0 innings. Last year he allowed 3 runs off 8 hits and a walk over 5.0 innings against the Mets which led to 3 runs. The Mets have the following numbers against Cashner:

• Granderson 3-11, 2B, HR, BB
• Walker 2-10, 2 2B
• Bruce 2-7, 2B
• Conforto 1-5, BB
• Flores 1-6
• Reyes 2-3
• Cabrera 1-3
• Cespedes 1-3, HR

Let’s Go Mets!

Today starts about a week of pictures from eve of Piazza’s number retirement. Picture taken 7/29/16.

The Mets made up some nifty graphics for the retirement ceremony. Picture taken on 7/30/16.

The Mets wrap their series with the Dodgers tonight as they will try to avoid the sweep. If you liked homers, then you would have liked yesterday’s game. If you also like the Dodgers: first, why are you reading a game preview on a Mets website, second, you would have been ecstatic with yesterday’s game. The Mets hit three solo homers in the first inning and one in the 9th. Between those four runs, the Dodgers scored a bunch and won the game.

Steven Matz is 2-4 over 10 games and 52.1 innings with a 5.50 ERA, 5.05 FIP and 1.510 WHIP. His last start was a half step in the right direction as he allowed 3 runs off 6 hits and 2 walks over 5.0 innings in Colorado. Earlier this season against the Dodgers he allowed 3 runs off 3 hits and 5 walks over 6.0 innings. The Dodgers have the following numbers against Matz:

• Hernandez 3-12, HR
• Turner 3-11, 2B, HR, BB
• Puig 0-10, BB
• Barnes 0-1, 2 BB
• Bellinger 1-2, 2B, BB
• Forsythe 0-2, BB
• Seager 0-2, BB
• Chris Taylor 0-3, 2 K

The Mets bats draw Hyun-Jin Ryu who is 3-6 over 16 games, 15 starts and 84.2 innings with a 3.83 ERA, 4.59 FIP and 1.370 WHIP. He is coming off his best start of the season where he held the Giants scoreless over 7.0 innings and to 5 hits. He faced the Mets back in June and allowed 2 runs off 5 hits and and 2 walks in 5.0 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Ryu:

• Walker 1-8
• Bruce 3-8, 2 HR
• R Rivera 0-7
• Flores 2-6
• Granderson 3-5, 2B, HR, BB
• Reyes 1-5
• Cabrera 2-4, 2 2B
• Cespedes 0-2
• d’Arnaud 1-2, HR

Let’s Go Mets!

One of my favorite features of the new Coke sign installed last year in the old Pepsi Porch now Coke Corner is the screen in it! The sign was changed to Mets Pinstripes for the Retirement Ceremony, taken on 7/30/16.

The Mets will try again against the Dodgers since yesterday’s game didn’t go so well. Darvish held the Mets down through 7 innings and the Dodgers offense was just a little much for the Mets to handle. End result: Mets got shut out. Now Seth Lugo will take the mound to see if he can get the Mets back on the right track.

Seth Lugo is 5-3 over 10 games and 9 starts pitching 57.2 innings with a 4.53 ERA, 4.43 FIP and 1.370 WHIP. His last two starts haven’t been great as he allowed 9 runs, 8 earned, over 11.0 innings with 16 hits and no walks. Lugo has never faced the Dodgers before and has never faced a batter on Dodgers while they were with other teams.

The Mets bats will try to get through Rich Hill who is 8-4 over 15 games and 78.0 innings with a 3.35 ERA, 3.71 FIP and 1.179 WHIP. Rich Hill had a filthy July where he went 5-0 in 5 games and 31.0 innings striking out 40 and walking only 5. His ERA at through the month was 1.45 and opponents hit only .171 against him and got on base at a .220 clip. In June he held the Mets to 1 run over 5.0 innings while walking 3 and striking out 8. The Mets have the following numbers against Hill:

• Reyes 3-8
• Granderson 2-5, HR
• Cespedes 0-3, BB
• Bruce 0-1, 2 BB
• d’Arnaud 1-3
• Flores 1-3, 2B

Let’s Go Mets!

Piazza invited some familiar Mets faces to his number retirement ceremony at Citi Field. Picture taken on 7/30/16.

The Mets lost another game late to the Rockies yesterday, which is becoming a theme this season with certain pitchers. Anyway, the schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Mets who are finally back in New York after a 10 game road trip to San Diego, Seattle and Denver. The Mets will be welcomed home by the Dodgers, who have been torching opponents in the last couple of months and the Mets will get Yu Darvish’s debut with the Dodgers.

The Mets will send out Jacob deGrom tonight on Jacob deGrom jersey night. Jacob is 12-4 over 21 games and 139.2 innings with a 3.29 ERA, 3.56 FIP and 1.153 WHIP. In his last 9 games he has gone 8-1 over 67.2 innings with 68 K’s and a 1.73 ERA. Opponents are hitting .185 against him and getting on base at a .228 clip. Although he lost his last start in Seattle (3 runs, only 2 earned), Jacob reached double digit strikeouts for the first time since July 14th. Last year deGrom tossed 14.0 innings allowing 3 hits and 3 walks leading to 3 runs while striking out 11. The Dodgers have the following numbers against Jacob:

• Utley 4-15, 2B, 4 BB
• Turner 5-16, 3 2B
• Pederson 1-12, 2B, 3 BB
• Grandal 2-11, 2B, BB
• Puig 2-11, HR, BB
• Seager 4-12, 2 2B

Yu Darvish starts his dodger career today after being a Ranger since he came to the majors in 2012. The 30-year old is 6-9 over 22 starts and 137.0 innings with a 4.01 ERA, 3.98 FIP and 1.168 WHIP. He is coming off his worst start of the season by far where he allowed 9 hits and 2 walks over 3.2 innings to the Marlins leading to 10 runs. This will be his second time facing the Mets. His first time he allowed 3 runs off 3 hits and a walk while striking out 9 over 7.1 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Yu:

• Cespedes 3-16, 2B, HR, 3 BB
• Cabrera 5-13, 2 2B, HR
• Reyes 0-11
• Granderson 1-9, 2B, BB
• Bruce 4-6, 2 HR
• d’Arnaud 0-4, BB

Let’s Go Mets!