213 Miles From Shea

The Mets go for 5 in a row, the series sweep and the season sweep tonight as they take on the Yankees. Last night the Mets showed shades of their former selves from the first two weeks of the season jumping out early scoring 5 runs in the first and then scoring 9 runs overall. Hefner finally got a win on the season and everyone (staying true to the orange and blue at least) went home happy. Tonight Dillon Gee looks to hop back on the right track as the Amazin’s look to continue hitting the ball against Vidal Nuno.

Dillon Gee is 2-6 over 10 games and 49.2 innings pitched this season with a 6.34 ERA. The last three starts have not been pretty for Gee pitching a total of 14 innings with a 8.36 ERA. He’s only reached 6.o innings twice this season. Last year in one start against the Yankees he allowed 3 ER over 7 innings and 5 hits with 5 strikeouts. The Yankees have the following numbers against Gee:

Cano 2-6, 3B
Overbay 1-6
Gardner 0-4

The Mets bats will get a look at Vidal Nuno tonight who is 1-1 this season over 4 games and 2 starts over 14.0 innings with a 1.93 ERA. Specifically in his starts, he has pitched 11.0 innings allowing 2 ER. In the minors this year he was 2-0 over 23.1 innings with a 1.54 ERA. Since he made his debut this season, he has never faced the Mets and never faced anyone on the Mets roster.

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets go for four in a row and a season series victory against the Yankees tonight as the Mets travel East on the 7 and North on the 4 to the Bronx tonight. For a third game in a row last night, the Mets received excellent starting pitching and the offense didn’t come around until the bullpen did, just doing enough to get the win. Last night, it was Harvey with the excellent start and the offense did nada until the 9th when they were able to squeeze out two runs for the win. Tonight Jeremy Hefner gets the nod as he goes up against David Phelps.

Jeremy Hefner is 0-5 on the season over 10 games and 9 starts while pitching 51.0 innings with a 4.76 ERA. He pitched good enough to win last time out allowing 2 ER over 6 innings while striking out 7 but then the Mets happened and that went away. Last year he logged one scoreless inning against the Yankees striking out one batter. Since he only worked one inning, and the Yankees are full of injuries, there is no one on the active roster for the Yankees that he has faced.

The Mets bats look to breakout against David Phelps tonight who is 3-2 this season over 11 games, 5 starts while pitching 50.0 innings with a 3.96 ERA. May has been the only month that he has started, and as a starter he is 2-1 over 33.0 innings with a 3.27 ERA. He has never faced the Mets and has never faced any batters on the Mets roster.

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets look to make it three in a row today, split the overall series with the Yankees and sweep the 2 game home section of the series today, all on Matt Harvey Day! For a second straight game last night, the Mets had excellent starting pitching, but the offense left the starter hanging in no decision land. Last night David Wright hit a bomb so a great Niese wouldn’t get the loss and a clutch Murphy brought in the winning run (followed by the Mets leaving the bases loaded). Tonight Matt Harvey will take the mound against Hiroki Kuroda. 

Matt Harvey is 5-0 this season with a 1.93 ERA over 10 games and 70.0 innings of work. His last start was the worst of the season where he allowed 4 ER over 6.1 innings, meaning it was a normal start for the rest of the rotation. In the month of May he has a 2.43 ERA over 29.2 innings of work. This is Harvey’s first subway series game and the first time facing anyone on the Yankees roster. 

Hiroki Kuroda makes the start for Bronx Bombers tonight. He is 6-3 on the season over 10 starts and 60.2 innings with a 2.67 ERA. The Yankees’ ace is also coming off of his worst start of the season where he allowed 5 ER over 2 innings of work. This occurred after his second best start of the season where he allowed no runs over 8.0 innings. Last year he faced the Mets once allowing 1 hit and no runs over 7 innings of work. The Mets have the following numbers against Hiroki:

Wright 6-17
Murphy 2-11, 2 2B
Ankiel 2-11
Davis 2-9, 2B, HR
Byrd 3-6, 3B
Duda 2-5, 2B
Tejada 1-3, 2B

Lets Go Mets!

It’s rivalry week where most teams are playing their Interleague partner. Of course it feels different this year as there is always an interleague series happening and one rivalry pair (Houston/Texas) is no longer interleague so they aren’t playing right now. Anyway, the Mets won last night and look to continue that into a long streak to reverse the direction the team is moving. Tonight Jon Niese takes on the Yankees and Phil Hughes.

Jon Niese is 3-5 over 10 games this season while pitching 54.1 innings and a 4.80 ERA. In his last 13.0 innings of work he has allowed only 2 ER (although thanks to the Mets defense its 5 runs). Last year he faced the Yankees twice where he allowed 4 runs, 2 earned over 13.1 innings while striking out 11 batters. The Yankees have the following numbers against Niese:

Cano 4-9, 2B
Nix 2-4
Boesch 2-2, HR
Hafner 1-2
Wells 2-3

The Mets bats will get a crack at Phil Hughes today who is 2-3 over 9 games this season over 47.1 innings while posting a 5.51 ERA. His last start (6.0 innings, 2 ER) is went much better than the start before that where he allowed 7 ER in 0.2 innings which was on the heels of a 5.2 inning 6 ER game. Last year he allowed 2 ER against the Mets in a 6.2 inning outing. The Mets have the following numbers against Phil:

Buck 2-7, HR
Davis 1-5
Wright 3-9, HR
Murphy 0-5
Byrd 0-3
Ankiel 2-2, HR

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets and Braves finish off their series in the rare/annoying Sunday Night baseball game as the Mets look to avoid being swept. Yesterday the Mets ended up losing two games dropping their resumed baseball game by the score of 7-5 and then their actual baseball game by the score of 6-0. Tonight Shaun Marcum will take the mound as he goes up against Teheran.

Shaun Marcum is 0-5 this season with a 6.59 ERA over 27.1 innings of work. Two starts ago was his best of the season where he allowed only 2 ER over 6.2 innings of work, but in his last outing against the Reds he regressed back to typical Marcum allowing 4 ER over 6 innings of work. Earlier this season he faced the Braves where he allowed 3 ER over 4.1 innings. The Braves have the following numbers against Shaun:

BJ Upton 8-23, 3 2B
Schafer 3-9, 2B
Chris Johnson 1-12
Uggla 1-10
J Upton 2-10

Julio Teheran is 3-1 this season over 8 starts with a 3.99 ERA over 49.2 innings of work. He is coming off of his best start of the season where he allowed 1 ER over 8.1 innings. Back in 2011 he logged 8.0 innings against the Mets allowing 5 ER, and the Mets have the following numbers against Julio:

Duda 1-4, 2B
Tejada, 0-4
Turner 1-3
Wright 1-2, HR

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets and Braves will play 1.1 (or more) games today as they finish off last night’s game and then start tonight’s game. Last night the Mets had a 3-2 lead with Hefner in the game before the bullpen let the game get away. Right before the game was almost called, the Mets scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to tie it causing tonight’s first game. Right now (7:50 AM), I am not sure who will start the resumed game for both teams so I can’t preview that. I can however preview tonight’s scheduled game between Dillon Gee and Mike Minor.

Dillon Gee is 2-5 on the season over 9 games with a 6.04 ERA while pitching 44.2 innings. May continues to be a struggle for Gee who has a 6.16 ERA over 19.0 innings. He didn’t face the Braves the first time around this year and last year he made one start against the Braves where he allowed only one earned run in 7 innings of work. The Braves have the following numbers against Dillon:

Uggla 4-19, 2B, 3B
Heyward 6-12, HR
McCann 3-14, 2B
Freeman 1-11
Upton 2-8, HR

Mike Minor is 5-2 on the season over 9 starts with a 2.78 ERA while pitching 58.1 innings. He has a 2.36 ERA in the month of May over four starts and 26.2 innings of work including his first start of the month against the Mets where he allowed 3 ER and 3 hits over 7 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Minor:

Wright 2-14, 2 2B
Tejada 5-16, 2 2B
Buck 1-11, HR
Turner 3-10
Duda 4-11, 2B, HR
Byrd 4-10, 2B
Murphy 2-8, 2 2B

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets open up a home series against the Braves tonight at Citi Field where the Mets will look to Wright the ship (I’m writing this at 5:40 AM, I’m allowed a terrible pun, deal with it). Anyway, the Mets find themselves 10 games under .500 after being swept by the Reds this week and its not even June yet. There are two ways to look at that: one with deep depression, the other with optimism that there is plenty of time to turn it around. Anyway Kris Medlen will get the nod for the Braves tonight and square up against Jeremy Hefner.

Hefner is 0-5 over 9 games this year, 8 starts while pitching 45.0 innings with a 5.00 ERA. Hefner struggled in his last start allowing 4 ER over 4 innings of work. In the Month of May he’s pitched 16.o innings while allowing 11 ER. He hasn’t faced the Braves yet this season but last year he allowed 6 ER over 6.1 innings of work. The Braves have the following numbers against him:

Freeman 2-4, HR
McCann 2-4, 2B
Medlen 1-3, 2B
Uggla 2-3
Heyward 1-3

The Mets will get a crack at Medlen tonight who is 1-5 this season over 9 starts with a 3.02 ERA. In his last four starts he’s pitched 26.1 innings with a 2.73 ERA. In 27.2 innings against the Mets last year he posted an amazing 1.3o ERA while striking out 21 batters. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

Davis 4-15, HR
Wright 2-16
Murphy 2-14, 2B
Tejada 3-13, 2B
Duda 1-8
Baxter 2-7

Lets Go Mets!

The Mets try to salvage this series with Matt Harvey tonight, therefore, happy Harvey Day! Last night Niese was average but the bats just produced nothing, which is becoming a sad theme of the season. The Mets will try to avoid that today against Mat Latos.

Harvey is now 5-0 on the season with an ERA of 1.55. Over 63.2 innings this year he has walked 14 batters while striking out 68. His performance in May is fairly comparable to his performance over all as he has made three starts, 1-0, with a 1.54 ERA and 23.1 innings. He made a start against the Reds last year where he pitched 7.2 innings, allowing 4 hits, 1 earned run while striking out 8. The Reds have the following numbers against Matt:

Cozart 0-4
Bruce 1-3, 2B, 2 K
Frazier 0-3, 2K
Phillips 1-3, 2B
Paul 0-1

We go from talking about Matt to talking about Mat. Mat Latos has had a good start to season where he is 4-0 over 9 games with a 2.91 ERA. In that stretch he has pitched 58.2 innings walking 19 batters and striking out 51. His last outing was a rebound start where he came back from 6.0 inning, 7 run (6 earned) performance with a 8.1 inning, 2 ER one. In two starts against the Mets last year, he was 0-0 with a 2.25 ERA allowing 3 ER over 12.0 innings.

Wright 2-11, 2B, HR
Murphy 3-9, 2B
Buck 0-8
Davis 0-6
Byrd 2-4, 2B
Duda 2-6, 2B
Tejada 1-5, 2B

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets dropped the opener to the Reds last night but look to get back on the right path as they play game two in Citi Field. Marcum got the Mets off to a rough start last night but was able to limit the damage for the rest of his outing (with the exception of one more run, which ended up being the difference). Byrd was able to tie the game with  homer but the offense as a whole wasn’t enough to keep the Mets going. Tonight it will be Jon Niese for the Mets as he squares up against Mike Leake.

Jon Niese is 3-4 over 9 starts this season with 48.1 innings of work while posting a 5.40 ERA. So far this season he has walked 24 batters while striking out 24. After two bad starts in a row (8.1 innings, 15 ER) he got back on the winning horse last time out with a 7.1 inning, 2 ER performance. Last year he had one start against the Reds where he allowed 4 ER and 6 hits over 7 innings. The Reds have the following numbers against Niese:

Phillips 5-13, 2B, 2 HR
Votto 2-10, HR
Bruce 2-8, HR
Choo 0-3
Cozart 1-4

Mike Leake is 3-2 this season over 8 starts with a 3.72 ERA while pitching 48.1 innings. He has walked 13 and struck out 34 in that stretch. He is coming off a rather interesting start, at least from a statistics stand point. Last time out against the Marlins, he pitched 6.2 innings allowing 9 hits, but no runs, which doesn’t bode well for the Mets who have the following numbers against him:

Byrd 3-15, 2B
Wright 1-10
Murphy 1-10, 2B
Ankiel 3-8, 2B
Davis 1-8, 2B
Turner 3-7
Duda 3-3

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets continue their tour against NL Central Teams, this time at Citi Field as the Mets open up their series with the Reds. THe Mets, who recently lost 6 games in a row, now have won 3 out of their last 4 and could use this week to build off of that. Tonight Shaun Marcum will get the nod as he goes up against Johnny Cueto.

Shaun Marcum is 0-4 on the season with a 6.75 ERA over 21.1 innings of work. His last start was the best of the season so far as he allowed 3 runs, 2 earned over 6.2 innings of work. Last year he allowed one earned runs over 6.0 innings of work while striking out 7 batters against the Reds who have the following numbers against him:

Paul 3-12, 2B
Phillips 0-12, 3 K
Votto 5-9, HR
Bruce 2-8, HR
Choo 2-9, 3B

The Mets bats will try to do some damage against Johnny Cueto who is 1-0 this season over three starts and 17.1 innings with a 2.60 ERA. This will be Cueto’s first start since mid-April due to oblique issues. Last year he made one star against the Mets where he allowed 1 earned run over 7 innings of work allowing 6 hits and striking out 8 Mets. The Mets have the following numbers against Johnny:

Wright 5-17, HR
Ankiel 7-16, 2B, HR
Byrd 6-11, 2B
Murphy 2-7
Davis 2-6
Turner 2-3, 2B

Let’s Go Mets!