213 Miles From Shea

The Mets look to end their four game set with the Pirates today. The Mets were able to pick up the win yesterday, snapping their losing streak and putting themselves into position to split the series today behind Bartolo Colon. Colon is 8-5 over 15 starts this year with a 3.67 ERA over 100.2 innings. In his last six starts he has pitched 43.1 innings with a 5-0 record and a 1.45 ERA. He also pitched once against the Pirates this year where he allowed 5 hits and no runs over 7.1 innings while walking 1 and striking out 9. The Pirates have the following numbers against Colon:

• Stewart 4-11, HR
• Snider 3-9
• McCutchen 3-8
• Marte 0-7
• Alvarez 2-6, 2B
• Martin 1-6, 2B

Volquez is on the bump for the Pirates today. He is 5-6 over 16 games and 15 starts over 89.0 innings with a 4.35 ERA. June has been an up ad down month for Volquez. He started off average, then had his best start of the season allowing no runs over 7, then his worst start of the season allowing 8 runs over 2.1 followed by his longest outing of the year allowing one run over 8. Earlier this year he faced the Mets allowing 2 earned runs over 5.0 innings while walking 5 and striking out 6. The Mets have teh following numbers against him:

• C Young 2-15, HR
• Wright 2-13
• Murphy 4-12, 2B
• Abreu 3-10, 2B, 3B
• E Young 4-12, 2 2B
• Granderson 0-6
• Tejada 2-7, 2 2B

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets lost in extra innings last night, making three straight losses and putting themselves in a position of needing to win tonight and tomorrow in order to take the series. Jon Niese will take the hill for the Amazin’s and he is 4-4 over 15 starts and 97.0 innings with a 2.78 ERA. In each of his last two starts he has gone 6.0 innings allowing 3 ER, something he hasn’t done since the middle of May where he did that three straight games in a row. Knock on wood, he hasn’t allowed more than 3 ER in any start this season. He faced the Pirates when they were in Queens earlier this year allowing 2 ER over 5.2 innings while walking 2 and striking out 4. The Pirates have the following numbers against him:

• Sanchez 6-23, 2B, HR
• Barmes 6-16, 2B, HR
• Martin 1-10
• McCutchen 4-10, 2 2B
• Walker 1-8
• Harrison 1-6, 2B

Gerrit Cole climbs the mound for the Pirates. On the season he is 6-3 over 12 starts and 76.2 innings with a 3.64 ERA. In his last three starts he has pitched 18.0 innings with a 2-0 record and a 3.00 ERA. He has made one start against the Mets in his career where he allowed 3 ER over 6.0 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Cole:

• Murphy 0-3
• Wright 1-3
• E Young 1-3
• Captain Kirk 0-2

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets dropped the first game of the road trip yesterday to the Pirates, and they start the second game tonight as Jacob deGrom takes the mound against Brandon Cumpton. Jacob is 1-4 over 8 starts this season logging 48.0 innings with a 3.75 ERA. Last start he was coming off of the worst start of his career where he allowed 6 ER over 4.1 innings. He responded to that by pitching 7.0 innings of shutout ball. His third start of his career was against the Pirates where he shut them out for 6.2 innings allowing 5 hits, 5 walks and struck out 4 batters. The Pirates have the following numbers against deGrom:

• Harrison 0-4
• Walker 1-3
• Alvarez 2-3, 2B
• Davis 0-2
• Marte 0-2
• Martin 0-3
• McCutchen 2-2

Brandon Cumpton is 3-2 on the season also over 8 starts like deGrom pitching 45.2 innings with a 4.93 ERA. Also just like deGrom, he is coming off of 7.0 inning shutout performance. His numbers in June have been much better than previously this season pitching in four starts, 23.1 innings with a 3.09 ERA. He faced the Mets earlier and allowed only two runs, one earned over 6.0 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Abreu 2-3, 2B
• Duda 1-3
• Granderson 0-3
• Lagaures 1-2
• Murphy 1-3
• Wright 0-3

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets look to bounce back from the loss yesterday and get back to the winning track they have been on for the better part of hte last week in Pittsburgh tonight as they take on Ike Davis’ new squad. Yesterday the Mets had the offense, but not the pitching in a bizzaro world game experience. Today Matsuzaka gets the start for the Mets while the bats face in old foe in Vance Worley.

Matsuzaka is 3-1 on the season over 47.0 innings of work with a 2.68 ERA. In his last four outings he has started 3 times, pitched 13.1 innings and a sparkling 1.35 ERA. Daisuke has never faced the Pirates in his career but he has faced a few of the Pirates players while they were with other teams:

• Snider 1-10
• Barmes 0-2
• Sanchez 0-2
• Martin 1-1, 2B

Vance Worley, who debuted in the majors with Phillies is back to face the Mets with his new team. He has made two starts this year pitching 13.2 innings allowing only 3 ER. He pitched in 10 games, 8 starts against the Mets in his career going 3-4 with a 6.64 ERA. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Murphy 12-17, 2 2B, 3B
• Tejada 7-18, 2B
• Wright 6-17, 2B, HR
• Duda 5-11, 2B, HR
• Abreu 1-2

Lets Go Mets!

Yesterday the Mets were just on every cylinder. The Mets crushed the Athletics, and the league leading ERA Scott Kazmir. They did it with power and pitching. In my opinion, it was the opening blow by Granderson that was the key for the Mets but as the game went on, Chris Young hit two homers and d’Arnaud in his return to the majors smacked a three run jack. On the mound, Colon allowed only one earned run in the first inning and then shut down his former team over 8.0 innings including a base hit. Today Brad Mills gets the start for the Athletics as he goes up against Zack Wheeler.

Wheeler is 3-7 this year over 15 starts and 87.0 innings with a 3.93 ERA. He is coming off of the best start of his career with a complete game shutout only walking one batter and striking out 8. Being a young pitcher, it makes sense that he has never faced the Athletics or anyone on the Athletics roster in a major league game.

The Mets bats look to make it three games in a row scoring at least 10 runs tonight against Brad Mills who is making his second start start of the year. In his first start he allowed 3 runs, 2 earned over 4.0 innings of work. He has had a strong minor league season in 14 games, 12 starts over 75.0 innings with a 1.56 ERA.  The only Met who has seen him in a major league game is Granderson who is 0-1.

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets are coming off taking a series from the Marlins, winning 4 of their last 5, which is great! Their reward? The mighty Oakland Athletics come into town for a two game set. The twist? Scott Kazmir gets a start in Queens? The additional story line? Bartolo Colon gets to start against his most recent old team.

Colon is 7-5 this season with a 3.88 ERA over 14 starts and 92.2 innings. In his last six starts he is 5-0 over 43.1 innings with a 1.66 ERA and 31 strikeouts while only walking 8 batters. He has made 18 starts and one relief appearance against the Oakland with an 8-6 record over 117.2 innings and a 3.52 ERA. The Athletics have the following numbers against Colon:

• Callaspo 7-26, 3 2B, HR
• Crisp 5-23, 5 2B
• Gentry 4-9
• Jaso 0-7
• Punto 2-7

Kazmir is 9-2 over 15 starts and 95.0 innings with a league leading 2.08 ERA (seriously!). He has made four starts in the month of June with a 3-0 record over 26.1 innings with an ERA of 1.37 and 27 strikeouts. In one career start against the Mets he shut them out over 6.0 innings allowing 4 hits. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Abreu 4-11
• Granderson 2-8
• Murphy 1-3
• Teagarden 1-3, HR
• C Young 2-3, HR
• E Young 0-2
• Duda 1-2

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets and Marlins wrap up their four game tomorrow as the Mets look to take the series 3-1. Yesterday deGrom had a masterful outing shutting out and down the Marlins for 7 innings and the Mets bats were able to push 4 runs over the plate. Today the Mets will be hoping for more of the same as Jon Niese takes the mound for the Amazins vs DeSclafani.

Niese is 3-4 over 91.0 innings of work and 14 games with a 2.67 ERA. His last start was the first time in his last 5 that he allowed three earned runs or more. In one start against the Marlins this year he allowed no runs and 5 hits over 7.0 innings walking 1 and striking out 6. The Marlins have the following numbers against Niese:

• Stanton 7-21, 2 HR
• Johnson 8-21
• Baker 7-15, 2B
• Hechavarria 3-11
• MCGehee 2-10, 2B
• Lucas 3-8, 2B

Anthony DeSclafani is 1-1 over his first three major league starts pitching 17.2 innings allowing 11 ER. His first start was good allowing 2 ER over 6.0 innings, striking out 7 against the Dodgers. Then he allowed 5 ER over 5.1 innings vs the Phillies and then 4 ER over 6.1 innings against the Cubs. He has never faced the Mets before.

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets were so close and so far again last night in their 3-2 loss against the Marlins. The Mets were able to get hits, but just couldn’t get the runs across the plate. Anyway the Met made it close, got runners on base, and maybe today they can take it to the next level against Koehler tonight as he takes on deGrom.

Jacob deGrom is 0-4 this season with 7 starts and a 4.39 ERA over 41.0 innings. June has been an ugly month for deGrom. In 15.0 innings of work he has allowed 13 ER and 9 strikeouts. Today he makes his first of many starts against the Marlins. Obviously there are no relevant battery notes to make.

Koehler is 5-5 over 14 starts with 84.1 innings logged while posting a 3.84 ERA. In his last two starts he has logged 11.1 innings while allowing 9 ER, so also hasn’t been that strong as late. He has had two very different starts against the Mets, the first where he allowed 4 ER over 5.0 innings, the second where he shut the Mets down for 8 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Tom:

• Murphy 5-16, HR
• Wright 4-14, 3 2B
• Duda 2-12, 2B
• Tejada 3-13, 2B
• Recker 0-8
• E Young 1-9, 2B
• Granderson 0-4
• C Young 1-5, HR

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets made it two straight wins last night on the strength of a complete game shut out from Zack Wheeler. It was Wheeler’s first complete game and not only was it a gem, he had to do it with essentially no help from the offense. David Wright hit a solo homer in the first inning and that was all the bats were able to do against the Marlins. Matsuzaka will look to build off of Wheeler’s momentum as he faces off against Henderson Alvarez in game two of the set.

Matsuzaka is 3-0 on the season over 41.2 innings and a 2.81 ERA. In the month of June he has pitched 12.1 innings over four games and three starts (including one where he was able to get only one inning of work in due to the flu). In those 12.1 innings he has a 3.65 ERA while walking 10 and striking out 9. He has very limited innings against the Marlins this season who have three runs, two earned over 1.1 innings this year, and the following lifetime numbers:

• Mathis 1-11
• Stanton 2-7, HR
• Hechavarria 2-4, 2B
• Saltalamacchia 3-4, 2B
• Lucas 0-3
• Johnson 1-3
• McGehee 0-2

The Mets bats will get a crack at Henderson Alvarez tonight who is 3-3 over 14 games this season with 2.56 ERA over 88.0 innings this year. In his last five starts he is 1-0 and the Marlins are 5-0 with 33.1 innings logged with a 0.81 ERA. He has made two starts against the Mets this season including a complete game shut out and a 6 inning, 2 ER outing. He has 3 complete game shutouts on the year so far. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Granderson 3-19, 2B
• Murphy 4-16, 3 2B
• Wright 5-13, 2B
• Duda 2-12
• e Young 2-10, 3B
• C Young 0-6
• Tejada 0-3

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets look to build off of yesterday’s win with opening a series in Miami tonight with Wheeler on the  mound. Outside of strong pitching yesterday, Wright worked a little more towards breaking out of his slump with an go-ahead RBI single and E Young contributed with a double. Oh, and Colon hit a double. In other Mets news, Captain Kirk is coming back to the squad and den Dekker has been optioned off.

Wheeler is 2-7 this season over 14 games and 78.0 innings and a 4.38 ERA. After three strong starts, he has has stumbled in his last two allowing 8 ER over 8.2 innings, with 5 BB’s and 10 K’s.  Over two starts this year against the Marlins he’s allowed only one run over 12.0 innings with 8 BB’s and 17 K’s. The Marlins have the following numbers against Wheeler:

• Stanton 1-7
• Hechavarria 0-8
• Jones 1-6
• McGehee 2-4
• Mathis 0-4
• Ozuna 1-5

On the other side of the field, Andrew Heaney makes his major league debut for the Marlins. He is the #30 prospect according to Baseball America and is 7-2 this season between AA and AAA logging 76.2 innings with a 2.47 ERA. Obviously he has no MLB stats against the Mets.

Lets Go Mets!