Category: Baseball
Final Recap: Cubs 5 – Mets 1
The Chicago Cubs (56-36) defeated the New York Mets (49-43) tonight by the final score of 5-1. For a full boxscore recap follow the link below…
Game Notes:
- Steven Matz picked up the loss tonight going 5 innings while allowing 4 runs on 8 hits. He walked 1 and struck out 5.
- Wilmer Flores was 2-4 with a solo HR.
- Michael Conforto was 1-1 with a pinch hit single.
- Seth Lugo pitched 2 perfect shutout innings in relief while striking out a batter.
Well the Mets aren’t going to beat the Cubs 11 times in a row, as the Cubs are a good ballclub and the Mets simply squandered multiple opportunities tonight to go ahead. The Mets had Cubs starter Jon Lester on the ropes multiple times tonight early on in the game and could not drive in a run. Neil Walker was also unable to come through with runners on in the top of the eighth inning. The Mets offense finished 0-7 with runners in scoring position tonight, an area they’ve struggled in all season and it’s significantly affected their record. If the Mets aren’t hitting multiple home runs a game they aren’t scoring, and it’s frustrating to figure out how they can’t manufacture runs without the long ball. The Mets are currently ranked dead last in the league with a .209 average with runners in scoring position.
Terry Collins is going to have to also figure out a way to get Wilmer Flores more at bats, as all he has done over the past couple of weeks is rake. Word is that Jose Reyes is also learning how to play center field (like the Mets need another outfielder) but it may be helpful in getting both of their bats, as well as Reyes’ speed in the same lineup. Flores currently has six home runs this month, a number nobody else in the league has. Collins is going to need to be creative in getting him in the lineup until he stops hitting, as well as Michael Conforto who came up and got a base hit in his return to the Majors. Conforto is expected to get a start in left field tomorrow night with Cespedes in center field, and Granderson in right field.
Steven Matz essentially lost the game on one pitch to Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo who took him deep in the bottom of the third inning for a three-run homer. Rizzo turned on an 83 MPH changeup and took Matz’s pitch into the right center field seats. The Cubs would take a 3-0 lead, a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. To Matz’s credit it was a tough 10 pitch at-bat, and while Matz pitched admirably the rest of the night, that home run by Rizzo will stick out like a sore thumb for tonight’s loss.
- The Mets will attempt to take the second game of this three game series against the Cubs tomorrow night with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm et. You can watch tomorrow’s night’s game on SNY and ESPN.
- Noah Syndergaard (9-4, 2.56 ERA) will make his first start since his arm fatigue injury and square off with Cubs ace Jake Arrieta (12-4, 2.68 ERA).
Lineups & Game Notes: Mets vs. Cubs 7:05 pm et.
New York Mets (49-42):
1. Jose Reyes (S) 3B
2. Curtis Granderson (L) RF
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
4. Neil Walker (S) 2B
5. Wilmer Flores (R) 1B
6. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
7. Juan Lagares (R) CF
8. Travis d’Arnaud (R) C
9. Steven Matz (R) P
SP: Steven Matz LHP (7-5, 3.38 ERA)
Chicago Cubs (55-36):
1. Javier Baez (R) 2B
2. Kris Bryant (R) 3B
3. Anthony Rizzo (L) 1B
4. Willson Contreras (R) LF
5. Addison Russell (R) SS
6. Matt Szczur (R) RF
7. Albert Almora Jr. (R) CF
8. David Ross (R) C
9. Jon Lester (L) P
SP: Jon Lester LHP (9-4, 3.01 ERA)
Tonight’s game can be seen on SNY and ESPN.
Game Notes:
METS-CUBS NOTES: The Mets are 6-18 at Wrigley Field since 2008… The Mets have won eight straight games vs. the Cubs (including the postseason – 4-0 in 2016 at Citi Field and 4-0 in the NLCS)…That ties the longest winning streak in team history vs. the Cubs, done two previous times, last, August 3-September 19, 1985.
ONE SHY: Jeurys Familia has saved 48 consecutive games in the regular season dating to August 1, 2015, extending a franchise-record…It is the fifth-longest streak in major league history…John Axford is fourth on the list with 49 straight saves.
ONE MORE RECORD: Familia has tied another franchise record with saves in each of his last 10 appearances…It’s the fifth time it’s occurred and first since Familia also did so, April 12-May 1, 2015.
HOT AS JULY: The Mets are averaging 5.15 runs per game in July, the second-most in the National League behind San Diego (5.39 runs per game)…New York has belted 28 homers this month to lead the majors.
LAGARES LOVES LEFTIES: Juan Lagares is batting .333 (4-12) with one double, one triple, one homer and two RBI over his last four games…Lagares is hitting .279 (17-61) vs. lefthanders this year and has batted .279 (113-405) with nine homers vs. lefties during his career.
SLUGGIN’ ASDRUBAL: Asdrubal Cabrera is batting .318 (14-44) with five homers and seven RBI’s in 11 games in July…Cabrera hit his 13th home run of the year yesterday (88 games)…He had 15 home runs in 143 games last year with the Rays.
MATZ VS. CUBS: Has made two starts against the Cubs (one regular season, one postseason)… Received the no-decision in his lone regular season start against the Cubs…Pitched 5.1 innings, allowed three runs, earned, on seven hits in the Mets’ 4-3 win on June 30, Matz struck out six and walked three…Started the decisive Game 4 of the 2015 NLCS at Chicago and received the no- decision in the Mets’ 8-3 series clinching victory…Pitched 4.2 innings allowed one run, earned, on four hits, and struck out four and walked two.
METS VS. LESTER: Jon Lester holds a 2-1 record with a 6.05 ERA in four career starts against the Mets…He had the worst start of his career against the Mets back on July 3 at Citi Field… Lester allowed 8 runs on 9 hits in 1.1 innings pitched…It bumped Lester’s season ERA from 2.03 to 2.67…Notable numbers against Lester are provided below…
- Travis d’Arnaud: .667 (2-3), 1 HR
- Juan Lagares: .444 (4-9), 2 2B
- Wilmer Flores: .400 (4-10), 2 HR, 3 RBI
- Curtis Granderson: .306 (15-49), 3 HR, 8 RBI
- Neil Walker: .300 (3-10), 1 RBI
- Asdrubal Cabrera: .259 (7-27), 2 RBI, 9 K
- Yoenis Cespedes: .167 (3-18), 2 RBI, 5 K
- Jose Reyes: .120 (3-25), 2 RBI
Michael Conforto Recalled
PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 19: Michael Conforto #30 of the New York Mets hits a two run home run in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
The Mets made a surprising move tonight as they recalled outfielder Michael Conforto from Triple-A Las Vegas and sent outfielder Brandon Nimmo back to Las Vegas in a corresponding move.
The move is somewhat surprising as the Mets had recently stated they had no plans to bring up Conforto after the All Star break, but it seems the way Conforto has swung the bat down in Las Vegas they have changed their minds. In the 16 games Conforto has played in the minors he has hit .344 with three home runs and 15 RBI’s. He also seemed to cut down on the strikeouts as well, as he had as many strikeouts as walks with eight. The Mets also had Conforto play some right field down in AAA which means he may see some playing time there with big club.
His promotion does also come at a time when Juan Lagares is swinging a hot bat, and Yoenis Cespedes had expressed after Sunday’s game a desire to strictly play left field for the remainder of the season. It will be interesting to see how Terry Collins juggles the outfield from here on out, as he has many talented outfielders and simply not enough spots to play them all at once.
It’s sad to see Nimmo go back down to the minors after he produced a spark upon his arrival to the big leagues three weeks ago. However the 23-year old outfielder could benefit from a little more seasoning in the minors, rather sit on the bench as he currently has been. Nimmo is also expecting to mainly focus on playing center field when he heads back down to the minors. Nimmo heads back to Las Vegas with a .235 average and a home run with four RBI’s in 51 at-bats.
With the way Conforto has swung the bat in Triple-A and Nimmo hitting just .158 over his last 19 at-bats, the Mets made an executive decision to help better the ball club right now, while also hoping Conforto has regained his confidence. Conforto was expected to be a big piece to this team’s offense coming into the season, and if he comes back swinging the bat like he had been in April, it will be the equivalent of the Mets adding an impact bat at the trade deadline.
Final Recap: Mets 5 – Phillies 0
New York Mets’ Jacob deGrom pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, July 17, 2016, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies this afternoon by the final score of 5-0. For a full boxscore recap follow the link below…
Game Notes:
- Jacob deGrom threw a complete game shutout, allowing only one hit, while striking out 7 and only walking 1.
- Curtis Granderson was 1-3 with a solo HR.
- Asdrubal Cabrera was 1-4 with a 2-run HR.
- Juan Lagares was 1-4 with an RBI triple.
- Jose Reyes was 1-5 with an RBI double.
What an outstanding performance by Jacob deGrom this afternoon! He was absolutely filthy and threw his best game of the season, while only needing 105 pitches to do so. Today’s performance was also the first shutout and complete game in deGrom’s career. With today’s complete game shutout, deGrom became only the third pitcher in Mets history to throw a one-hit shutout in Philadelphia, joining Tom Seaver in 1970 and Terry Leach in 1982 to accomplish that feat. I previously stated that the All Star break came at the perfect time for the Mets rotation, and deGrom looked to be revitalized after deciding to rest, rather than participate in the All Star Game. After the slow start that deGrom’s season got off to with the lat injury and the birth of his son, he has seemed to turn a corner over the last couple of months. His velocity has been on the uptick and he seems to have returned to his dominant form as he has a 1.92 ERA over his last nine starts. The last time the Mets threw a one-hit shutout, R.A Dickey was on the mound against the Orioles back on June 12, 2012 during his Cy Young winning season. A surprising statistic considering all the talent the Mets currently possess in their rotation. Nonetheless congratulations to Jacob and I’m looking forward to a big second half from the Degrominator!
The Mets offense was also clicking today as Juan Lagares stayed hot, and both Asdrubal Cabrera and Curtis Granderson provided a pair of home runs for the Mets. The Mets love hitting in Philly however as they have hit 35 home runs at Citizens Bank Park over the last two seasons, (2015-16) which is the highest total for any visiting team at any major league venue over that span. Jose Reyes also stole his second base as a member of the Mets which now puts him only one behind the Mets team lead with three. A mind-boggling statistic nonetheless.
This was the perfect series win for the Mets heading into Wrigley Field for the next three games. The Cubs are certainly going to have revenge on their mind as they have lost eight straight to the Mets dating back to last year’s NLCS. The Mets will have to bring their A game as they did a couple of weeks back when the Cubs came to Citi Field. It’s going to be a great competitive series, but for the rest of the day I’m going to enjoy this victory and deGrom’s historic performance.
- The Mets will open up a three-game series with the Cubs tomorrow evening at Wrigley with first pitch slated for 7:05 pm et. You can catch tomorrow night’s game on SNY and ESPN.
- It will be a battle of southpaws as lefty Steven Matz (7-5, 3.38 ERA) will make his first start of the second half and oppose Cubs lefty Jon Lester (9-4, 3.01 ERA).
Lineups: Mets vs. Phillies 1:35 pm et.
New York Mets (48-42):
1. Jose Reyes (S) 3B
2. Curtis Granderson (L) RF
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
4. Neil Walker (S) 2B
5. James Loney (L) 1B
6. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
7. Juan Lagares (R) CF
8. Rene Rivera (R) C
9. Jacob deGrom (L) P
SP: Jacob deGrom RHP (5-4, 2.61 ERA)
Philadelphia Phillies (43-49):
1. Odubel Herrera (L) CF
2. Peter Bourjos (R) RF
3. Cody Asche (L) LF
4. Maikel Franco (R) 3B
5. Ryan Howard (L) 1B
6. Cameron Rupp (R) C
7. Freddy Galvis (S) SS
8. Cesar Hernandez (S) 2B
9. Zach Eflin (R) P
SP: Zach Eflin RHP (2-2, 4.08 ERA)
Today’s game can be seen on WPIX.
Last Night’s Recap: Mets 5 – Phillies 3
The New York Mets (48-41) defeated the Philadelphia Phillies (42-49) last night by the final score of 5-3. For a full boxscore recap follow the link below…
Game Notes:
- Neil Walker was 1-4 with a 3-run home run.
- Juan Lagares was 1-2 with a solo HR and 2 walks.
- Asdrubal Cabrera was 3-5 with a double.
- Jose Reyes was 0-5 with an RBI fielders choice.
- Bartolo Colon got the win going 5.2 innings while allowing 3 runs (0 ER) on 4 hits with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts.
- Jeurys Familia converted his 32nd save of the season.
The Mets won in customary Mets fashion last night as they homered their way to victory followed by some great pitching. Juan Lagares kicked the scoring off with a blast to center field that put the Mets up 1-0. Neil Walker followed that act up by blasting a Jeremy Hellickson fastball with two runners on into the left field seats in the top of the sixth. The Mets would never let the Phillies take the lead, although the Phillies made it a 4-3 game at one point. An errant toss by James Loney to Bartolo Colon allowed the Phillies back in the game in the bottom of the sixth inning as they would score three unearned runs. A triple, an RBI groundout, and a three straight singles would put the pressure on the Mets and have Colon removed from the game. Colon just seemed out of gas at that point and the bullpen did an excellent job in holding down the win for the Mets. Kudos to Addison Reed for getting four critical out tonight. He has been nothing short of spectacular this season in bridging the gap to Familia. It was a great win to start off the second half of the season and the Mets will need to continue to build off of wins against teams behind them in the standings as they make their chase for the postseason.
Mets Tidbits:
- Noah Syndergaard threw off flat ground prior to tonight’s game and reportedly felt fine. That is certainly good news for the Mets, as Syndergaard is now scheduled to throw a bullpen session sometime tomorrow afternoon. Throwing off flat ground successfully is a huge step for the 23-year old flamethrower, as he is now cleared to be able to throw off a mound for the first time since his arm fatigue injury last Friday night. Syndergaard is currently on schedule to start Tuesday at Wrigley Field against the Cubs.
- Despite taking early batting practice this afternoon, Yoenis Cespedes remains out of the starting lineup while he battles a lingering quadriceps injury. Cespedes, who was originally injured last Friday night, can still not fully run the bases and there is still no timetable as to when he will return to the starting lineup. Fortunately for the Mets they have plenty of outfield depth, but the Mets can’t afford to go a long stretch without their best player offensively. As for now we will continue to monitor Cespedes’ condition and consider him day-to-day.
- Former Met and current Pirates pitcher Jon Niese was put on blast by his current GM Neal Huntington earlier today during a radio station interview. Huntington was asked about his offseason swap of Neil Walker for Jon Niese and openly admitted to regretting making the trade for Niese. He stated,”In hindsight, maybe the two fringe prospects and trying to figure out where to reallocate the money might have been a better return [for Walker],” Huntington told the radio station. “That’s where the results take us. … Given the thinness of the starting pitching market, given the dollars that we had available, we felt that was our best return, and it has not played out that way.” Yikes. Niese is currently on the trade block for the Pirates and has been demoted to the bullpen. The 29-year old lefty holds a 7-6 record with a 5.13 ERA over 18 starts this season.
Lineups & Game Notes: Mets vs. Phillies 7:05 pm et.
New York Mets (47-41):
1. Jose Reyes (S) 3B
2. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
3. Curtis Granderson (L) RF
4. Neil Walker (S) 2B
5. James Loney (L) 1B
6. Travis d’Arnaud (R) C
7. Brandon Nimmo (L) LF
8. Juan Lagares (R) CF
9. Bartolo Colon (R) P
SP: Bartolo Colon RHP (7-4, 3.28 ERA)
Philadelphia Phillies (42-48):
1. Odubel Herrera (L) CF
2. Peter Bourjos (R) RF
3. Maikel Franco (R) 3B
4. Tommy Joseph (R) 1B
5. Cameron Rupp (R) C
6. Cody Asche (L) LF
7. Freddy Galvis (S) SS
8. Cesar Hernandez (S) 2B
9. Jeremy Hellickson (R) P
SP: Jeremy Hellickson RHP (6-6, 3.92 ERA)
Tonight’s game can be seen on SNY.
Game Notes:
METS-PHILLIES NOTES: The Mets are 29-12 at Citizens Bank Park since 2012…The Mets have won 10 of their last 12 series vs. the Phillies…The Mets are 17-8 vs. Philadelphia since the start of the 2015 campaign.
HOMERS IN PHILLY: The Mets have hit 12 home runs in three games at Citizens Bank Park this year…New York has hit 29 homers in their last 10 games in Philadelphia dating to August 24, 2015.
FIRST-HALF HOMERS: New York belted 122 homers in the first- half, establishing a franchise record…The 2006 Mets had 120 home runs prior to the All-Star break.
SOLID PITCHING: The Mets rank third in the majors with a 3.39 ERA, the club has allowed 80 home runs, the second-fewest in the majors…The staff has issued 225 walks, the second-fewest in the majors…The Mets rank seventh in the majors with 749 strikeouts.
CLOSING TIME: Jeurys Familia was one of 10 relievers and the first Met to have 31 saves prior to the All-Star break since saves became an official stat in 1969…Familia has saved 47 consecutive games in the regular season dating to August 1, 2015, extending a franchise-record.
COLON VS. PHILLIES: As a Met, Bartolo Colón is 7-3 with a 3.00 ERA in 11 career starts vs. the Phillies…His last win against the Phillies came on August 31, 2015 at Citi Field…Tossed 8.0 shutout innings and struck out nine in the Mets’ 3-1 win.
METS VS. HELLICKSON: Jeremy Hellickson is 2-1 with a 7.32 ERA (16 ER, 19.2 IP) in 4 career starts against the Mets…In two games started against the Mets this season he is 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA (6 ER in 10 IP) with 11 strikeouts and 2 walks…Notable numbers against the 29-year old right-hander are provided below…
- Neil Walker: .500 (5-10), 1 2B, 2 RBI
- Jose Reyes: .381 (8-21), 1 HR, 4 RBI
- Yoenis Cespedes: .417 (5-12), 2 HR, 3 RBI
- Travis d’Arnaud: .500 (1-2), 1 2B
- Asdrubal Cabrera: .250 (3-12), 1 2B, 3 K
- Juan Lagares: .333 (1-3), 1 K
- James Loney: .500 (1-2), 1 RBI
Predictions for the second half
The Mets open second half play tonight in Philadelphia, and they sit six games out of first place behind the Washington Nationals. I provided a few reasonable predictions on what to expect in the second half of the season… Continue reading
Mets Tidbits:
- ESPN’S Adam Rubin is reporting that the Mets will not recall outfielder Michael Conforto when second half play opens tomorrow night. Conforto who is handling the bat quite well at Triple-A Las Vegas, is hitting .340 with three home runs and 13 RBI’s since being demoted back on June 25. It isn’t unreasonable to see Conforto back up in the big leagues sometime soon if he continues to rake at the current pace he is at. Brandon Nimmo who is currently 2-12 with six strikeouts over his last five games, could be the casualty if Conforto is recalled. While I believe Alejandro De Aza should be the first outfielder to go, it makes sense to give Nimmo more playing time in Las Vegas, rather than sit on the bench.
- Travis Taijeron was named his team’s top star of last night’s Triple-A All Star Game in Charlotte North Carolina. Taijeron provided the only runs for the losing Pacific Coast League All Star Team which was managed by his Triple-A manager Wally Backman. The 27-year old outfielder went 1-4 in the starting DH spot but hit a two-run home run in the top of the second inning to open the scoring of last night’s game. Taijeron is currently hitting .308 with 13 home runs and 69 RBI’s in 84 games this season at Las Vegas.
- The Mets organization had a successful night at last night’s All Star Game’s, as Matt Oberste took home the MVP Award from the Double-A Eastern League All Star Game. The 24-year old Oberste went 4-5 with a double and 4 RBI’s in leading his All Star squad to a 10-2 victory. Oberste who plays first base and designated hitter for Double-A Binghamton, is hitting .290 with six home runs and 34 RBI’s in 74 games played this season.
Above The Mendoza 