Lineups & Game Notes: Mets vs. Dodgers 10:10 pm et.
New York Mets (19-11):
1. Curtis Granderson (L) RF
2. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
3. David Wright (R) 3B
4. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
5. Lucas Duda (L) 1B
6. Juan Lagares (R) CF
7. Wilmer Flores (R) 2B
8. Kevin Plawecki (R) C
9. Steven Matz (R) P
SP: Steven Matz LHP (4-1, 2.83 ERA)
Los Angeles Dodgers (16-15):
1. Enrique Hernandez (R) LF
2. Howie Kendrick (R) 2B
3. Adrian Gonzalez (L) 1B
4. Justin Turner (R) 3B
5. Yasiel Puig (R) RF
6. Trayce Thompson (R) CF
7. A.J. Ellis (R) C
8. Charlie Culberson (R) SS
9. Scott Kazmir (L) P
Game Notes:
METS-DODGERS NOTES: The Mets are 11-9 in Los Angeles (including the playoffs) since 2011.
NLDS REMATCH: The Mets and Dodgers met in last year’s NL Division Series…New York won Games 1 and 5 in Los Angeles to advance to the NLCS…Steven Matz started Game 4 at Citi Field and took the loss, allowing three runs in 5.0 innings.
BIG TIME SLUGGERS: The Mets are fifth in the majors with a .445 slugging percentage…Yoenis Cespedes (.701) leads the majors in slugging…New York leads the majors with a .507 road slugging percentage.
SCORING FIRST LEADS TO SUCCESS: The Mets have outscored the opposition 23-5 in the first inning this year…The five first-inning runs allowed are the fewest in the majors…New York has scored first in 18 of its last 24 games…The Mets are 17-3 when they score first this year, including 10-2 on the road.
THE MATZ MACHINE: Steven Matz is 4-0 with a 0.67 ERA (two earned runs/27.0 innings pitched) over his last four starts…He has struck out 29 and walked five in that stretch…The last Mets starter to win five straight starts was Jacob deGrom, July 8-August 2, 2014…Matz has not allowed a run in a career-high 13.2 innings entering tonight…Matz has allowed only one extra-base hit to a left- handed batter in his major league career.
DIRTY DOZEN: Steven Matz is making his 12th major league start tonight…He is 8-1 through his first 11 starts…His eight wins are the most by any pitcher through their first 11 starts in club history… Since 1913, only Kaz Ishii, Mel Stottemyre and Dave Ferriss have more wins in their first 11 starts…The trio each has nine victories.
MATZ VS. DODGERS: Has made two career starts (one regular season, one postseason) against the Dodgers…Won, 8-0, on July 5, 2015, at Dodger Stadium while tossing 6.0 scoreless innings and allowed two hits… Matz struck out eight and walked two…Started Game 4 of the NLDS against Los Angeles-NL at Citi Field…Took the loss in the Mets’ 3-1 defeat…Pitched 5.0 innings and allowed three runs, on six hits…Struck out four and walked two.
GOOD WITH THE BAT: Asdrubal Cabrera is hitting .321 (9-28) in May…With a runner on base and two outs, Cabrera is batting .333 (6-18)… Cabrera has a 50% (11-22) line drive rate over the past seven days, to lead 154 qualifying players.
HOMER PERCENTAGE: The Mets have scored 75 of their 133 runs this year on home runs, for a 56.4 percentage, the highest rate in the majors according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
METS VS. KAZMIR: The Mets will face their former top pitching prospect Scott Kazmir tonight…Kazmir was drafted by the Mets in the first round of the 2002 MLB First Year Player Draft with the 15th pick out of the University of Notre Dame… On July 30 2004 Kazmir was traded along with minor league pitcher Joselo Díaz to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for veteran starting pitcher Víctor Zambrano and minor league reliever Bartolomé Fortunato…Kazmir has made 3 career starts against his former organization and has posted a 2-1 record with a 4.80 ERA in 15 innings pitched…Kazmir has struck out 22 and walked 4…Notable Mets career numbers against Kazmir at the plate are posted below…
- David Wright: .400 (2-5, 1 2B)
- Curtis Granderson: .273 (3-11, 1 HR, 4 RBI)
- Lucas Duda: .200 (1-5, 1 K)
- Asdrubal Cabrera: .118 (2-17, 1 2B, 2 RBI)
- Yoenis Cespedes: .000 (0-6, 1 BB, 5 K)
- Juan Lagares: .250 (1-4, 1 BB, 1 K)
- Wilmer Flores: .000 (0-4, 4 K)
Above The Mendoza 