213 Miles From Shea

The Mets and Marlins finish their series today with the Mets in position to take the series with a win this afternoon. After taking Friday night’s game, the Mets dropped the first game and then picked up the second game thanks to a second good start in a row from Dice K (seriously) and back to back homers from Murphy and Duda. Today Dillon Gee will take the mound against Tom Koehler.

Dillon Gee is 11-10 over 29 games with 179.2 innings of work and 3.61 ERA. After an impressive stretch of 7 games with 49.0 innings and a 2.02 ERA, Dillon Gee had a hiccup in his last game allowing 4 ER over 6.1 earned runs. This year Gee has made only one start against the Marlins allowing 4 ER over 5.0 innings. The Marlins have the following numbers against Gee:

Polanco 2-12
Pierre 4-8
Dobbs 2-5, HR
Morrison 1-6
Stanton 1-5, HR

The Mets bats will get another look at Tom Koehler today who is 3-10 over 26 games and 20 starts over 123.2 innings with a 4.80 ERA. In his last seven games he has pitched 36.2 innings with a 5.89 ERA. He has pitched 16.0 innings against the Mets this year with a 2.25 ERA. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

Murphy 3-8, HR
Baxter 1-6, 2B
Lagares 3-6, 3B
Tejada 2-6, 2B
Duda 0-4
Turner 1-2, 2B

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets stopped their slide last night with a 4-3 win against the Marlins and today they try to make it three wins with a doubleheader sweep. Fans that come to the ballpark today will be treated to Daisuke Matsuzaka followed by Carlos Torres as they face off against Henderson Alvarez and Jacob Turner.

Matsuzaka finally had a good start in a Mets uniform his last time out pitching 5.2 innings allowing one run, 3 walks and 6 strikeouts. As a Met he’s 0-3 over 4 starts pitching 18.0 innings with an 8.00 ERA. In his career he has had one start against the Marlins allowing 4 ER in 5.1 innings of work. THe Marlins have the following numbers against him:

Polanco 2-9
Mathis 1-11
Dobbs 1-3
Stanton 1-2, HR

In the first game the Mets will get a look at Henderson Alvarez who is 3-4 with a 4.34 ERA over 13 games and 74.2 innings. In the month of September he has pitched 10.0 innings with 8 ER. In one start against the Mets this year he allowed 2 ER in 7.1 innings of work. The Mets have the following numbers against Alvarez:

Murphy 1-6
Young 1-3, 2B
Baxter 3-3, 2B, 3B
Duda 0-3
Lagares 0-2

In the second game today, Carlos Torres looks to get back on the right track. On the season he is 3-4 with a 3.53 ERA over 66.1 innings. In his last start he allowed 6 ER over 4.0 innings and his previous two starts he allowed 4 ER over 13.0 innings. He has only pitched one inning against the Marlins this year and it was a quiet inning. The Marlins have the following numbers against the Torres:

Hill 0-3
Polanco 0-3
Stanton 0-2
Morrison 0-1
Pierre 1-1

In the nightcap, the Mets will try to deal with Jacob Turner who is 3-6 over 18 games with a 3.43 ERA and 107.2 innings. In his last four starts he is 0-2 while allowing 13 ER over 20.1 innings which is a 5.75 ERA. He is 1-0 against the Mets in 13.1 innings with a 2.03 ERA (3 ER). The Mets have the following numbers against Turner:

Murphy 3-10
Duda 2-7
Tejada 1-7, 2B
Lagares 0-3

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets look to move beyond a series against the Nationals where the Nationals hit 13 homers and the Mets hit none by welcoming the Marlins into town. Harang made his first start in his Mets career last night allowing 3 solo homers over 4 hits. Despite being roughed up, and the Mets eventually losing 7-2, he did have 10 strikeouts. Tonight Jon Niese takes the mound against Brad Hand.

Jon Niese is 6-7 over 20 starts this year with a 3.86 ERA while pitching 116.2 innings with 86 strikeouts. In his last start he snapped a streak of four great starts that saw him pitch 27.2 innings with a 1.30 ERA by allowing 5 ER over 6 innings (which as you can tell by the Math was more runs allowed in that one game than his previous four). He has a 2.13 ERA over 2 games and 12.2 innings against the Marlins this season, and the Marlins have the following numbers against him:

Polanco 12-35, 5 2B
Stanton 5-15
Morrison 3-9, 2B
Coghlan 2-10, 2B
Solano 3-9, 2B

Brad Hand will be making his first start of the 2013 season today. So far he has pitched in three games racking up 5.2 scoreless innings. In his career he has pitched 12.2 innings against the Mets allowing 3 ER. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

Duda 2-5, 2B
Tejada 0-2
Turner 1-3, 2B
Murphy 0-1

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets just try to do something positive against the Nationals today as they try to look beyond the last several games. Today’s game will be the Mets debut of Aaron Harang, a player the Mets have been linked to multiple times over the years and now finally have. Aaron Harang was 5-11 for the Mariners over 22 games this season with a 5.76 ERA. Last year he made one start against the Nationals allowing 2 ER and 7 hits over 4.1 innings. The Nationals have the following numbers against him:

LaRoche 7-31, 3 2B, 3 HR
Tracy 4-20, 2B
Werth 3-16, 3B, HR
Zimmerman 5-14, 2 2B
Hairston 2-10, 2B
Desmond 2-7

Tanner Roark will get the start for the Nationals. He is 5-0 in his first 10 games and 1 start to his major league career pitching 28.2 innings with a 0.94 ERA. At the end of August he pitched 3.1 innings against the Mets walking 3, striking out 5 allowing one earned run. The Mets have the following numbers against Roark:

Duda 0-2
Murphy 1-2
Satin 1-1, 2B
Young 1-2

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets did better last night than they did Monday night, but still fell flat against the Nationals. Yesterday Gee wasn’t at his best, the offense didn’t fully click (although d’Arnaud had a good night at the plate) and the Mets lost Justin Turner to injury. Tonight Zack Wheeler gets the nod to get the Mets back on the right track against Dan Haren.

Wheeler, who is heading towards his 2013 season inning cap, is 7-4 this season with a 3.38 ERA over 88.0 innings. In his last 6 starts now he has a 2.65 ERA over 37.1 innings with 34 strikeouts. In two games against the Nationals this year, he has allowed 7 ER over 11.1 innings. The Nationals have the following numbers against the Mets:

LaRoche 1-5, HR
Span 4-6, 2B
Zimmerman 0-6
Desmond 2-5, 2B
Rendon 1-4

Dan Haren is 8-13 over 27 games and 144.2 innings this season posting an ERA of 5.23. In his last three starts he has pitched 12.2 innings allowing 16 ER, which is a terrible, 11.37, ERA. In three starts against the Mets this season he has pitched 13.2 innings allowing 13 ER. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

Murphy 4-12, 2B, HR
Lagares 3-7
Young 3-6, 2B
Duda 1-4, 2B
d’Arnaud 2-2

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets look to pick themselves up after last night’s attempt at a game. Yesterday the Mets surrendered 9 runs and only had one hit over 9 innings, it was just bad every way. The arms look to Dillon Gee to get them back on track. Gee is 11-9 over 28 games with a 3.53 ERA and 173.1 innings with 124 strikeouts. In his last 7 starts he has pitched 49.0 innings with a 2.02 ERA. In 5 starts against the Nationals this year, Gee is 4-1 with a 2.16 ERA over 33.1 innings. The Nationals have the following numbers against Gee:

Werth 8-33, 2B
Desmond 6-29, 3 HR
Zimmerman 6-29, 2B
LaRoche 3-20, 2B
Span 4-16, 2B, HR
Ramos 3-13, 2B, HR

In the matchup of familiar foes, the Mets will get yet another look at Jordan Zimmermann who is 16-8 over 28 starts and 185.1 innings with an ERA of 3.30. His 16 wins is the league leading mark. He has pitched 22.1 innings in his last three starts with a 2.82 ERA, which is a big improvement of his start just before this streak where he allowed 8 earned runs over 5.0 innings. In four starts against the Mets he has pitched 27.1 innings with an 0-3 record. Despite not being able to beat the Mets this year, he has a 3.29 ERA against them. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

Murphy 11-35, 3 2B, 3 HR
Davis 5-24, 2B, 2 HR
Duda 2-15, 2B
Young 2-6, 2B
Lagares 3-6, 2B

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets come back to New York and are bringing the Nationals with them tonight. The Mets could really mess up the Nationals playoff push with a good series this week as the Amazin’s look to build off of yesterday’s win in Cleveland. A few new players will be also joining the Mets tomorrow as Harang, Baxter and Centero come aboard. Tonight Carlos Torres gets the start as he goes up against Gio Gonzalez.

Carlos Torres is 3-3 over 28 games on the season pitching 62.1 innings with a 2.89 ERA. In his last two starts he has tossed 13.1 innings with 12 strikeouts and 4 earned runs. On the season he has pitched 5.0 innings against the Nationals allowing 8 ER. The Nationals have the following numbers against Carlos Torres:

Hairston 1-3, 2B
Harper 1-3
LaRoche 0-3
Rendon 0-3
Span 2-2
Zimmerman 2-3, 2B
Desmond 2-2, 2B
Ramos 2-2, HR, 5 RBI

The Mets bats get yet another look at Gio Gonzalez who is 9-6 over 28 games with a 3.49 ERA over 167.2 innings with 170 strikeouts. In his last three starts he has pitched 16.0 innings with 12 ER. In two starts against the Mets this year he has pitched 11.0 innings allowing 5 ER. The Mets have the following numbers against Gonzalez:

Davis 4-12, 2B, HR
Turner 2-13
Murphy 2-9
Duda 1-3
Young 0-4
Lagares 0-3
Satin 1-3

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets look to salvage their series with the Indians this afternoon as they try to rebound from their last two games. Today Daisuke Matsuzaka gets his fourth start for the Mets and its pretty safe to say that over the first three starts of his Mets career, it has been a failed experiment. In his first start he allowed 5 earned runs over 5 innings, then he allowed 4 earned over 4.1 innings and finally last time out he allowed 6 ER over 3 innings. The last time he faced the Indians was in 2011 where he allowed 3 ER over 5.0 innings. The Indians have the following numbers against him:

Swisher 4-14, 2B
Kubel 7-13, 2B
Giambi 3-11, 2B
Cabrera 3-9
Shoppach 3-8, 2B

The Mets bats get a shot at Danny Salazar today who is 1-2 over 33.0 innings in his first 6 games of his major league career.(Side note because this section will be light due to Salazar’s rookie status: one of my closest friends has a cat named Salazar that has been thrown at me on several occasions. Like actually thrown. I don’t support the throwing of animals) In that stretch he has allowed 11 ER (3.00 ERA), 24 hits, 9 walks and 37 strikeouts. In his last three starts he has pitched 15.1 innings with a 1.76 ERA. Being his rookie season, it comes with little surprise that Salazar has not faced the Mets in a major league game or any one on the Mets roster.

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets just did not have it last night against the Cleveland Indians, a team trying to make the playoffs battling off the Orioles right now, and the Mets will hopefully find it, whatever it is, before today’s game. Jon Niese will be taking the mound for the Mets tonight. On the season he is 6-6 with a 3.66 ERA over 19 games and 110.2 innings of work. He is 2-0 over 4 games and 27.2 innings with a 1.30 ERA and 27 strikeouts, which is refreshing as the Mets start/continue to look ahead to 2014. He has logged 7.0 innings of work against the Indians in his career while allowing 3 ER. The Indians have the following numbers against Niese:

Bourn 6-16, 2B
Stubbs 2-10
Swisher 2-10
Kubel 1-4, 2B
Santana 1-3

The Mets bats will get a look at Corey Kluber who is 7-5 over 21 games and 122.0 innings of work with 116 strikeouts. Kluber is coming off of a strong start against the Detroit where he shut them down allowing 0 runs over 7.1 innings. His overall games for the season are fairly funny to look at. He either shutouts the opponent, or he allows 3 or 4 runs over a smaller amount of innings. Very few starts deviate from this pattern. He has never faced the Mets in his career and the only Met who has seen him in a major league would be Anthony Recker who is 0-1.

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets travel to Cleveland tonight because, why not?
The Amazin’s stopped their slide last night thanks to a tremendous performance by Dillon Gee who has a 2.01 ERA since the All-Star break and some nice offense from Brown and Duda. Today Zach Wheeler makes the start against Scott Kazmir (yes, that Scott Kazmir). Side story: the Indians are in a playoff race so not only can the Mets play spoiler here, but there is something going on with a chicken in the field as a good luck charm.

Wheeler is 7-3 on the season with a 3.36 ERA over 14 starts and 83.0 innings with 72 strikeouts. In his last five starts, he has pitched 32.1 innings with a 2.51 ERA. Not surprisingly, Wheeler has never faced the Indians in his career and he has never faced anyone on their roster in a major league game. The elephant in the room tonight with Wheeler will be how much more does he pitch this year? For the last several games he’s been saying he’s tired and even though Terry does not wish him to say that, at some point he will probably need to be shut down.

The Mets bats will get a look at Scott Kazmir, someone whose history does not need an introduction to Mets fans. He is 7-7 over 24 games with a 4.36 ERA over 130.0 innings. He’s pitched 19.0 innings in his last four starts with a 7.11 ERA. Not incredibly surprisingly, even though he has been in the league for a while, he has never faced the Mets and has not faced anyone on the Mets current roster.

Lets Go Mets!