213 Miles From Shea

The Mets are fresh off three series wins in a row and tonight they start their first of two, two-game home series, this one against the Marlins. Both of the Mets last two wins came from behind, and although they were against the worst team in the league, showing fight is showing fight. The Mets will have a tough challenge tonight as they face Josh Johnson who will go up against Big Pelf, in a rematch of the opening Day game.

Big Pelf is starting to show more what we expect from as of late. On the season he has an ERA of 5.74. In his last two games he has pitched 14.1 innings of work with an ERA of 2.51, which is better than half of his season ERA. The Mets will need him perform again tonight. The last time he faced the Marlins was on Opening Day where he allowed 5 earned runs in only 4.1 innings of work. The fish have the following numbers against Big Pelf:

Ramirez 10-35, HR

Infante 8-17

Dobbs 7-17, 2B, HR

Stanton 3-7, 2B

The Mets will have to deal with one of the best pitchers in baseball in Josh Johnson. This season he is 3-1 with a 1.63 ERA, which leads the majors. On Opening Day, the Mets were able to touch him for 2 earned runs over 6.2 innings, and since then he has just been on fire. His only bad start came at the start of the month in St. Louis where he allowed 5 earned runs in 7.1 innings of work, but he bounced back in his last start allowing 1 earned run over 7.0 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Josh Johnson:

Beltran 5-26, 2B

Wright 6-29, 3B, HR

Reyes 4-25, HR

Harris 5-18, 2 2B, HR

Murphy 4-14, 2 2B

Bay 4-9, 3B, HR

Let's Go Mets!

You know how you know you are getting old? When you realize that this will be the forth year that the MLB has had Stars and Stipes Hat. There will be soon be a generation of young fans cognitively aware to remember their collective first baseball game/season, and they will not know a season without this now silly promotion.

Anyway, if you have been living under a rock for the last four summers, the Stars and Stripes Hats are another example of nationalism in sports, where every teams puts aside their team colors for a day, and put on American themed hats, that you can also purchase for a considerable chunk of change. The hats help to “raise awareness for the Welcome Back Veterans Fund” (ie. no conclusive evidence that purchasing this hat actually helps anything)*.

Cynicism aside, the hats are often criticized because they also look terrible, and they don't match most team's uniform. The first incarnation of these hats where Navy Blue, the following year we saw Red. Last season was the first time different teams got different colors. Some teams got a white hat with a blue bill, other teams got a white hat with a red bill. This year, some teams will get a blue hat where the front panel is white, with a blue bill, and other teams will get the same thing, except with Red instead of Blue.

The Mets 2010 Hat.

The Mets 2011 Hat.

* I do recognize that the MLB donates $1 for every hat sold. However when the hat costs $37 dollars, what are you saying about yourself when you rationalize the purchase of this hat because it is donating $1.

The Mets look to take the series today in the rubber game against the Astros in Houston. After a fantastic comeback on Friday night, the Mets could not keep the momentum going yesterday afternoon in Houston, losing 7-3. Today the Mets will send out Chris Capuano, as he will face Aneury Rodriguez. Capuano has a 2-4 record this season with a 4.93 ERA. He has been the losing pitcher of record in both games he pitched in May, despite having really good outings totaling 13.0 innings with a 2.77 ERA. He also had a good outing earlier this season against Houston where he pitched 7 innings allowing only one earned run. The Astros have the following numbers on him:

Lee 2-10

Barmes 2-10, 2 2B

Bourn 1-8

Pence 1-7

Sanchez 0-6

The Mets will get their first look at Aneury Rodriguez as a starter, who recently made the switch from the pen to the rotation. On the season he is 0-1 over 18 innings of work with a 5.50 ERA. He did face the Mets in April, where he pitched 2 innings allowing 3 runs, but they were all unearned. Nobody on the team actually has a hit against him, but seven players have had one plate appearance.

Let's Go Mets!

The Mets go for four in a row this afternoon in Houston. For a second straight day, the Mets hit three homers to win the game. In Thursday's game, Beltran had a historic day belting out all three long balls. In yesterday's game, the Mets were down 4-0 going into the seventh when three homers (Fmart, Bay, Wright) propelled the Mets to a 5-4 win. In today's game, R. A. Dickey will take the mound to face J. A. Happ in the battle of pitchers that we refer by initials.

Dickey has pitched 46 innings pitched with a 4.50 ERA and a 1-4 record this season. He had an average start his last time out, pitching 7 innings, allowed 4 runs, 3 earned while walking 2 and striking out 3 (he allowed too many hits: 10). His longest out of the season came against the Astros as he pitched 8 innings, allowing 4 runs. It was after that game that he said some strong words about the Mets, and then Bay came back, and the Mets started to play a lot better. The Astros have the following numbers on Robert Allen:

Lee 7-18, 3 2B, HR

Bourn 4-12

Johnson 2-11, 2B

Pence 1-9, HR

Sanchez 1-8

The Mets batters will get another crack this season at J.A. Happ who is 2-4 this season with a 5.75 ERA over 40.2 innings of work. He has been a bit better in his last three games, pitching 17.1 innings with a 4.15 ERA. He also faced the Mets this season where the Amazin's were able to knock him out after 4.2 innings, lighting him up for 6 earned runs. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

Beltran 4-13, 2 HR

Reyes 1-10

Wright 6-11, 2 2B, 3 HR

Bay 2-4, 2B

Paulino 2-5, 2 2B

Murphy 1-4, 2B

Let's Go Mets!

The Mets will try to make it three in a row tonight, as they take on the Astros in Houston. After a rainout and a rain delay yesterday, the Mets, and by Mets I mean Carlos Beltran, put on a power display as they rolled by the Rockies 9-5. If you remember, it was after dropping the first two games of the series against the Astros in April that the Mets started their April winning streak.

Dillon Gee will take his 3.80 ERA over 21.1 innings into Houston tonight. Since Dillon Gee is young and has had limited time in the majors, not only has he never faced the Astros, but he has never faced any of their players while they were with other teams. He will be a complete mystery for the batters tonight.

On the side of the mound will be Bud Norris for the Astros who is 2-2 this season with a 3.16 ERA. In his last three starts he has been on fire with a 1.31 ERA over 20.2 innings of work. Earlier this season he faced the Mets picking up a no decision in 6 innings of work allowing 3 ER and 10 hits. The Mets have the following numbers on Bud:

Wright 0-6

Reyes 3-7

Thole 2-6, HR

Beltran 3-6, 2 2B

Murphy 2-3, HR

Let's Go Mets!

The Mets and Rockies finish off their series today, after being rained out yesterday, this afternoon in Colorado. The Rockies took the first game of the series by the score of 2-1 and then the Mets took game 2 by the score of 4-3. Today, Niese will get the call for the Mets while the Mets batters will get a challenge in Ubaldo Jimenez.

Jon Niese is 1-4 this season with a 4.71 ERA. In his last four starts he has logged 25 innings of work with a 3.24 ERA. One of his not so good starts this season was against the Rockies where he allowed 5 ER over 6 innings of work. The Rockies have the following numbers on Jon:

Helton 6-13, 3 2B

Spilboroghs 4-12, 2 HR

Tulo 5-10, 2B, HR

Gonzalez 0-6

Jimenez will get the ball for the Rockies. This season 0-2 with a 5.88 ERA. Last season he faced the Mets once and allowed only one earned run in 7 innings of work picking the loss. The Mets have the following numbers on Ubaldo:

Harris 5-11, 2B, 3B

Reyes 2-10, 3B, HR

Wright 2-10

Beltran 1-6, 2B

Let's Go Mets!

The Mets lost a close one last night in Colorado where they couldn't capitalize with runners in scoring position, ultimately wasting a good performance by Chris Capuano and causing the Mets another loss. Tonight the Mets look to rebound behind Mike Pelfrey as he takes on the Rockies for game two of this series. The Rockies tonight will send out Jason Hammel.

Big Pelf had a great outing last time his spot was up in the rotation, reminding us all why he is actually the ace of the team. In his last outing he logged 7.2 innings while allowing only 1 earned run. this dropped his season ERA from a terrible 7.39 to a, well still terrible 6.06, but it is heading in the right direction. Earlier this season he faced the Rockies posting 3 earned runs in 5.1 innings of work. The Rockies have the following numbers on Big Pelf:

Tulowitzki 6-17, 2B

Helton 6-10

Fowler 2-12, 2B

Stewart 3-11

The Mets will get another shot at Jason Hammel today, who has a 2.63 ERA this season in 37.2 innings of work. In his last three games he has been on fire with a 0.87 ERA. Earlier this season he pithed the definition of a quality start against the Met logging 6 innings of work while allowing 3 earned runs. The Mets have the following numbers on Jason:

Harris 3-11, 2B

Reyes 3-7, 3B

Beltran 2-7

Davis 1-6, 2B

Thole 2-5

Murphy 2-4

Let's Go Mets!

The Mets recent winning streak was snapped yesterday in a 4-2 loss in Queens, and the Mets look to get back on the right track tonight in Colorado as they take on the Rockies. The last time these two teams met this season was the low point in the Mets season as the Rockies were able to beat the Mets four straight in New York, really assisting in the 7 game losing streak. The Mets will try to return the favor behind Capuano who will be facing Chacin.

Capuano is 2-3 on the season with a 5.40 ERA. Two starts ago he had bad start where he allowed 4 ER in 5.2 innings of work, and responded last time going 6.1 innings, allowing 2 ER while striking out 5 batters. One of his worst starts of the year was against the Rockies, where he allowed 7 ER over 5.2 innings, so hopefully he will take his shot at redemption tonight. The Rockies have the following numbers on Chris:

Helton .364 BA

Tulo 3-3, HR

Spilborghs 3-5

The Mets batters will get a look at Chacin tonight, who is 4-2 on the season with a 2.85 ERA this season. However in his last three games he has an ERA of around 4.27, so he is in a bit of rough spot. The last time he faced the Mets was in his rookie season (2009) where he faced the Mets in relief, allowing no earned runs in 1.0 innings of work. The only Mets who have seen him are the new guys and they have all been perfect (Hairston 1-1, Hu 2-2, Paulino1-1).

Let's Go Mets!

The Mets go for their fourth win a row, and three game sweep this afternoon in Citi Field against the Dodgers. Yesterday the Mets rallied back late in a tied game to get the win behind a spot start from Dillon Gee and a great day at the plate from Jason Pridie. Today, R.A. Dickey will take the mound against Clayton Kershaw.

Dickey is 1-3 on the season with a 4.62 ERA over 7 games (6 starts) and 39 innings of work. Robert Allen strung two good starts together earlier, but in his last start against the Giants he fell flat, allowing 6 runs in 6 innings of work. Last season he pitched a scoreless 5.2 innings of work against the Dodgers who have the following numbers on Dickey:

Gibbons 1-6

Uribe 2-6, 2B

Barajas 1-4, 2B

Carroll 0-4

Ethier 1-2, 2B

Loney 0-2

The Mets bats will get a crack at Clayton Kershaw this afternoon who is 3-3 over 7 starts and 45.1 innings of work posting a 3.38 ERA. In his last three starts he has tossed 21 innings with a 3.86 ERA. He pitched a great game last season against the Mets where he logged in 8 scoreless innings against the Mets who have the following numbers on Clayton:

Hairston 5-13, 2B

Wright 1-7, 2B

Reyes 2-6

Paulino 2-6

Beltran 0-4

Davis 1-3, 2B

Let's Go Mets!

The Mets go for three straight tonight against the Dodgers at Citi Field. Last night, the Mets were trailing most of the game but they got some three-run pop out Jason Pridie, who would put the Mets ahead for good. Despite all of the negative feelings around this team, with trade talk rumors, the team is, maybe surprisingly, only 4 games below .500. Anyway, Chris Young gets the start for the Amazins tonight and he will face Jon Garland.

After Young's disappointing game in Washington when he returned from injury, he threw an absolute gem in Philly last Sunday night of 7 scoreless innings. However the Mets batters left a ton of batters on base, and the game would eventually go on for 14 innings. Anyway on the season he has pitched 4 games over 24 innings of work (about 6 innings a game, which is exactly what to normally expect of Young) with an ERA of 1.88. The last time he faced the Dodgers was in 2009 where he faced them 3 times totaling 18 innings and posting an ERA of 4.00. The Dodgers have these numbers on Chris:

Ethier 12-29, 2 2B, 6 HR

Loney 6-17, 2 2B

Kemp 5-15, HR

Uribe 2-11, 2B

The Mets bats will try to crack Jon Garland tonight with is 1-2 on the year over 4 starts with a 3.81 ERA in 26 innings of work. Last season he picked up the loss in one game against the Mets where he pitched 6 innings, allowed 3 ER over 8 hits. The Mets have the following numbers on Jon:

Beltran 11-37, 3 2B, 2 HR

Wright 1-13

Reyes 5-6, 3B

Murphy 1-4, 2B

Bay 1-3

Davis 2-3

Let's Go Mets!