213 Miles From Shea

The Mets try to stop the slide tonight against the Giants tonight with Colon on the mound. Last night, the Giants took the lead in the 8th and won the game 4-2, and it ended up being the 15th loss on the pen. To be fair, the pen has been better than that for the most part, and it reflects that the offense is giving the pitching staff a very narrow range to work with. Anyway, like said earlier, Colon gets the start tonight vs and old foe Tim Hudson.

Colon is 5-5 over 11 starts and 71.2 innings with a 4.52 ERA. In his last three starts he is 3-0 over 22.1 innings with a 1.61 ERA and 5 BB, 19 K’s. In his career, he has made three starts against the Giants allowing 11 ER over 19 innings. The Giants have the following numbers against Hudson:

• Abreu 5-25, 2B, 2 HR
• Granderson 4-13, 2 HR
• Murphy 0-3
• Wright 1-3

Hudson is 6-2 this season with a league leading 1.75 ERA over 77.1 innings over 11 starts. In his last five starts he has pitched 31.2 innings with a 1.14 ERA. Last year he made three starts against the Mets allowing 6 ER over 22.0 innings with a 2.45 ERA. The Mets have the following numbers against Tim:

• Wright 18-77, 88 PA, 2 2B, 3 HR, 7 BB
• Duda 9-26, 2B, HR
• Murphy 5-22, 2 2B
• Tejada 8-21, 2B
• Abreu 4-12, 2B

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets followed their 4-1 trip to Philly with an 0-3 trip to the struggling Cubs, essentially erasing everything they did in Philly. The Mets have no time to lament as they head to San Francisco to face the league leading Giants. Tonight Niese will get the start against Matt Cain.

Niese is 3-3 this season over 11 games and 70.1 innings with a 2.69 ERA. His last start against Philly was excellent going 8.0 innings allowing 2 ER and 1 BB with 6 K’s. Last year he faced the Giants once, getting the loss allowing 2 ER over 7.0 innings and 7 hits, 2 BB and 4 K’s. The Giants have the following numbers against Niese:

• Pence 3-26
• Morse 3-15, 3 2B
• Posey 4-12, 2 2B, HR
• Pagan 1-8, HR
• Blanco 1-6
• Sandoval 3-7

Matt Cain is 1-3 this season with a 3.66 ERA over 8 starts and 46.2 innings of work. Cain is coming off the DL tonight to face the Amazin’s. Last year he faced the Mets twice allowing 8 hits, 4 runs, 3 earned over 8.1 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Cain:

• C Young 8-36, 2 2B
• Wright 11-25, 6 2B
• Murphy 3-13, 2B
• Tejada 4-11
• Abreu 1-5, 2B
• Duda 1-6, 3B

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets will complete their three game set with the Cubs today before heading out to San Francisco, their last leg of this long road trip. For the second game in a row yesterday the Mets suffered a heartbreaking, close loss. This time, the offense jumped out early, but the pitching couldn’t support the effort.  Today, deGrom will get the start for the Mets as he faces off against Travis Wood.

Jacob deGrom is 0-2 in his first four starts of his major league career with a 2.42 ERA over 26.0 innings while walking 12 and striking out 25 batters. The pattern over his first four starts has been excellent start, average start, excellent start, average start, at least in terms of earned runs. What wasn’t average his last time out was his strikeouts as he mowed down 11 i the game while allowing only 2 walks. Of course, it follows that deGrom has not faced the Cubs yet in his career or anyone on the Mets roster.

Travis Wood is 5-5 over 11 starts this year over 64.2 innings with a 5.15 ERA, a drastic increase over last years 3.11 mark. He started to gather some momentum in late May with back to back starts of at least 7.0 innings and allowing only 2 ER but in his last start he allowed 7 ER over 2.2 innings. That has been the story of this season for him, he has either been terrible or good. Only one average start. He faced the Mets once last year allowing 5 hits and 3 earned runs over 7.0 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Travis:

• Tejada 1-11
• Wright 4-12, 3B
• C Young 3-11, 2B
• Duda 2-9, HR
• Granderson 0-3
• Murphy 0-3
• Recker 0-3

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets dropped the first game in Wrigley, and you can’t blame Wheeler for this one. Wheeler had a tremendous start despite only getting one run of support from the Mets in the first inning. The bullpen, great of late, allowed 2 runs towards the end of the game. While not good, the offense needed to score runs. Tonight they try to take the second game, and get back to one game below .500 with Matsuzaka facing Jackson.

Matsuzaka is 2-0 over 17 games and 1 start this year with a 2.45 ERA over 29.1 innings. His last start was on the doubleheader on May 25th where he allowed 2 ER over 6.0 innings on the way to a Mets victory. Since then he allowed 1 ER over 1.1 innings vs the Phillies and allowed no runs over 1.0 ER in another game against the Phillies. The Cubs have the following numbers against Daisuke:

• Valbuena 3-12, 2b
• Barney 0-3
• Castro 0-2
• Ruggiano 1-3, HR
• Schierholtz 0-2

The Mets bats will try to work things out against Edwin Jackson. He is 3-5 this year with a 4.81 ERA over 11 starts and 63.2 innings. In the month of May he pitched 5 starts and 29.1 innings with a 1-3 record and a 4.30 ERA. Last year he pitched two games against the Mets with a 1-1 record over 12.2 innings and a 2.84 ERA. The Mets have the following numbers against Edwin:

• Abreu 6-33, 2 2B
• Wright 6-15, HR
• Granderson 4-13, 2B, 3B, HR
• Murphy 3-15, HR
• Duda 2-11, 2B
• Tejada 0-10

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets month on the road continues tonight as the Mets start a series in Wrigley. The last five games were a marathon for the Mets who played the rare five game set in Philly, playing over 57 innings and winning four games. Now the Mets find themselves one game below .500 and 3.5 games out of first. It is actually who amazing about how this time last week things were looking bleak and now there’s a lot of optimism starting to brew. Tonight, Wheeler will get the start of the Mets as they take on Jake Arrieta and the Cubbies.

Zack Wheeler is 2-5 over the first 11 starts of the year with a 62.2 innings with a 4.31 ERA. Zack is coming off of a strong start in Philly where he got the win after allowing 1 earned run over 6.1 innings, 4 hits and 9 strikeouts while walking no one. In his last two starts now, he has allowed 4 runs, 3 earned over 13.0 innings with 16 K’s. This will be Wheeler’s first time facing the Cubs in his career and he has not faced anyone the Cubs roster in a major league game before.

Jake Arrieta, the former Oriole, gets the start for the Cubs. He is 1-1 in his first 5 starts in 2014 with a 3.20 ERA over 25.1 innings. In his five starts this year, he has allowed 1 run or less in three of them, and in two he has allowed four runs. He has not pitched more than 6.0 innings in any start. He has faced the Mets once in his career allowing 4 ER over 7.0 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Jake:

• Granderson 7-20, 2B, 3B, 3 HR
• Abreu 1-6
• Duda 1-2
• Wright 0-3

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets end their five game series with the Phillies today. So far the Mets are leading the series 3-1, and a 4-1 trip to Philly would be a fantastic step in the right direction to start off the month of June. The Mets and Phillies have struggled in this series to keep it to 9 innings with the Mets losing in 14, then winning in 14 then winning in 11. Today Colon will get the start as he faces off against Roberto Hernandez.

Colon is 4-5 on the season over 10 starts and 64.2 innings while posting a 4.73 ERA. In his last two starts he has allowed two earned runs over 15.1 innings with 14 strikeouts. He has not faced the Phillies yet this season and in his career he is 1-2 over 5 starts with 31.0 innings of work while posting a 4.65 ERA. The Phillies have the following numbers against him:

• Rollins 5-15, 2B, HR
• Brignac 3-9
• Byrd 0-2
• Howard 2-2, 2 HR
• Ruiz 0-2
• Utley 0-2

The Mets bats will contend with Roberto Hernandez who is 2-2 over 12 games and 9 starts over 52.2 innings with a 3.76 ERA. Hernandez had a tremendous month of May where he pitched in 6 games, making 4 starts logging 26.0 innings with a 1.73 ERA. He has pitched in parts of three games against the Mets including one start totaling 6.0 innings allowing 7 hits, 1 earned runs, three walks and four strikeouts. The Mets have the following numbers against Hernandez:

• Granderson 18-43, 4 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 8 BB
• Abreu 6-24, 6 BB
• C Young 0-5
• Lagares 0-4
• Recker 1-3, 2B
• d’Arnaud 2-3
• Flores 1-3

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets and Phillies played extras again yesterday, this time with the Mets on top. David Wright brought in the winning run ing the 14th, deGrom was great minus a mistake in the 7th inning and Ruben Tejada had a huge day at the plate. With the Mets 2-1 so far in the series, a win tomorrow would clinch a series win for the Mets in the rare 5 game set. Today Jon Niese gets the start against Cole Hamels.

Jon Niese is 3-3 over 10 games while pitching 62.1 innings with a 2.74 ERA. In the month of May he pitched 29.2 innings with a 3.34 ERA. He has also made two starts this season against the Phillies allowing a total of 4 earned runs over 13.0 innings. The Phillies have the following numbers against Niese:

• Rollins 10-46, 3 2B
• Mayberry 9-34, 2 2B, 3 HR
• Utley 3-28
• Ruiz 8-23
• Howard 3-21
• Byrd 6-11, 2B, HR

Hamels is 1-3 this season over 7 starts and 44.2 innings with a 4.43 ERA. In the month of May he pitched 5 games over 34.0 innings while posting a 3.71 ERA. One of those starts was against the Mets where he allowed 7.0 innings, one earned run, walking three and striking out 10 batters. The Mets have the following numbers against Cole:

• Wright 23-70, 3 2B, 3B, 5 HR
• Murphy 17-40, 4 2B, HR
• Tejada 9-28, 3 2B
• C Young 5-20, 2B, HR
• Duda 1-13
• Lagares 6-16, 3 2B

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets lost a tough one yesterday in 14 innings. It was a back and forth game that ended with the Mets snapping their three game streak, and tonight they look to start a new winning streak with deGrom on the mound as he takes on Kyle Kendrick.

Jacob deGrom is 0-2 over three games this season and 19.2 innings with a 1.83 ERA. His last start against the Pirates was his best of his short career allowing 5 hits no runs over 6.2 innings while walking 5 and striking out 4 batters. Well, by some measures it might not have been the best start (maybe his opening start 7.0 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K). This will be his first start of many against the Phillies.

The Mets bats will get another look at the familiar Kyle Kendrick who is 1-5 over 10 games and 62.1 innings with a 4.04 ERA. His first four starts in May he pitched 25.0 innings with a 5.76 ERA but in his last start he allowed no runs over 6.2. One of those starts was against the Mets where he allowed 4 ER over 5.1 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Kyle:

• Wright 15-44, 3 2B, 3 HR
• Murphy 6-30, 2B
• Duda 3-18, 2 2B, HR
• Tejada 4-19
• C Young 3-17, 2B, HR
• Lagares 3-5, 2B

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets and Phillies play game two of the five game set tonight, as the Mets look to stretch their winning streak to four games. Why have they won three games in a row? I blame 50 Cent. Throwing the ceremonial first pitch changed the course of the Mets. Anyway, Wheeler was phenomenal last night and the Mets bats were able to scratch out some runs (even a bases loaded walk! although that is all they did with the bases juiced). Tonight Montero gets the start against Burnett.

Montero is 0-2 on the season over three games with a 4.96 ERA and 16.1 innings while striking out 17 batters. His last start was easily the best of his career (of three major league games) where he allowed 2 hits and one run and walked 3 while striking out 10 batters over 6 innings. The Mets offense stunk that day so he received a no decision. This is his first start of many against the Phillies, so they have no major league stats against Montero.

Burnett is 3-4 over 11 starts and 66.2 innings and a 3.51 ERA this season. In his last four starts he pitched 23.0 innings with a 6.26 ERA. Last year he faced the Mets once allowing 2 ER and 7 hits over 5.2 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Burnett:

• Abreu 24-76, 9 2B, 2 HR
• Wright 3-21, 2B
• Granderson 3-13, 2 2B, HR
• Murphy 2-10
• Tejada 0-3

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets start a very unique series tonight as they play their first of five games in Philly. Originally a four game set, the Mets and Phillies were rained out of a game in a two game set earlier in the year creating this 5 day series in Philly. The first of this playoff length (NLDS) series of games will have Zack Wheeler facing off against David Buchanan.

Wheeler is 1-5 on the season pitching 56.1 innings over 10 starts and a 4.63 ERA. After two straight charts of allowing 5 ER, he allowed 2 ER, three total over 6.2 against Arizona while walking 1 and striking out 7. Last year he allowed 4 ER over 11.1 innings against the Philies (3.18 ERA) who have the following numbers against Zack:

• Rollins 2-6
• Ruf 0-4
• Utley 1-5
• Mayberry 2-5, 2B
• Ruiz 0-5
• Brown 0-3

David Buchanan will be making his second start of his career tonight against the Mets. In his major league debut he allowed 2 earned runs and 5 hits over 5.0 innings allowing no walks and striking out 2. In the minors this year he is 5-1 over 9 games with a 3.98 ERA over 40.2 innings. Amazingly his ERA matches his career minors ERA which is over 88 innings and 502.0 innings.

Lets Go Mets!