Category: MLB.COM
What happened this weekend?
Hello fellow Mets fans, unfortunately Nashville was hit with a storm on Friday night and I’ve had no access to technology until today (shout out to Comcast). But the Mets didn’t seem to have a great weekend either which I’d like to recap in the following post. Continue reading
Bartolo Colon is All Star Game Bound!
Yes you read that headline right, Bartolo Colon has been named to the NL All Star team this afternoon replacing Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner who was removed from the team today. Bumgarner is expected to start on Sunday which takes him out of pitching in Tuesday night’s game, and manager Terry Collins elected to go with one of his own guys for the team.
This will be the 43-year old’s fourth All Star Game appearance, with his last appearance coming back in 2010 as a member of the Oakland Athletics. Colon will be the oldest All Star since Mariano Rivera (also 43) who pitched in the game back in 2013.
Colon has arguably been the stabilizing force in the Mets rotation this season and he has had a remarkable season at the age of 43, which included his first career home run in the same ballpark he will playing in on Tuesday night. Colon has compiled a 7-4 record with a 3.28 ERA in 17 starts and one relief appearance this season for the Mets.
Colon will not only join manager Terry Collins and the entire Mets coaching staff in San Diego, but he will also join teammates Yoenis Cespedes, Noah Syndergaard, and Jeurys Familia who all made the NL All Star team as well.
You can catch the 87th annual All Star Game live from Petco Park in San Diego on Tuesday night on FOX.
Harvey to have TOS surgery out for season
Apr 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Matt Harvey (33) reacts after giving up two runs in the fifth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Agent Scott Boras earlier today disclosed that his client Matt Harvey would be undergoing surgery to correct the thoracic outlet syndrome in his throwing shoulder. Harvey is expected to miss the rest of the 2016 campaign but he should be ready to roll when next season rolls around. Continue reading
Lineups & Game Notes: Nationals vs. Mets 7:10 pm et.
Washington Nationals (51-36):
1. Ben Revere (L) CF
2. Jayson Werth (R) LF
3. Daniel Murphy (L) 2B
4. Bryce Harper (L) RF
5. Wilson Ramos (R) C
6. Clint Robinson (L) 1B
7. Anthony Rendon (R) 3B
8. Danny Espinosa (S) SS
9. Stephen Strasburg (R) P
SP: Stephen Strasburg RHP (11-0, 2.71 ERA)
New York Mets (47-38):
1. Jose Reyes (S) 3B
2. Curtis Granderson (L) RF
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) CF
4. Neil Walker (S) 2B
5. James Loney (L) 1B
6. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
7. Brandon Nimmo (L) LF
8. Rene Rivera (R) C
9. Noah Syndergaard (L) P
SP: Noah Syndergaard RHP (9-3, 2.41 ERA)
Tonight’s game can be seen on SNY.
Game Notes:
NATIONALS-METS NOTES: The Mets are 8-16 vs. Washington at Citi Field since 2014.
HOMERS AT HOME: New York has hit a home run in 10 straight home games (26 overall) dating to June 21…That is tied for the fourth-longest streak in franchise history and the longest streak since they also went deep in 10 straight home games from June 28-July 23, 2008.
HOME RUN RECORD: Five homers in the fourth inning (Washington-3, New York-2) last night tied a major league record for combined homers in one inning…It’s happened 26 previous times, last, June 21, 2008, when the White Sox and the Cubs did so at Wrigley Field…It was the only time the Mets have been involved in five home runs in one inning.
OFFENSE ON THIS HOMESTAND: The Mets have outscored their opponents, 55-31 during this homestand (the team is 7-1)…New York has belted 22 home runs, 14 doubles and is hitting .313 (86-275) with a .387 on-base percentage.
FIRST-HALF FAMILIA: Jeurys Familia is one of 10 relievers and is the first Met to have 31 saves prior to the All-Star break since saves became an official stat in 1969.
CLOSING TIME: Familia has saved 47 consecutive games in the regular season dating to August 1, 2015, extending a franchise-record…He is tied with Brad Lidge (2007-2009) for the fifth-longest streak in list in major league history.
SYNDERGAARD VS. NATIONALS: Has faced the Nationals twice this season…Is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA and struck out 15 and walked three…Is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in five career starts against the Nationals and has struck out 38 and walked nine…The 38 strikeouts are his most versus any opponent in his career….Has made three career starts against the Nationals at Citi Field…Is 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA and has struck out 29 and walked one.
METS VS. STRASBURG: Stepehen Strasburg holds a career 6-3 record with a 2.11 ERA against the Mets in 11 starts…He has struck out 95 and walked 20 in 67.2 innings…Holds a 5-1 career record in seven starts at Citi Field with a 2.08 ERA… He has struck out 61 and walked 11 in 43.1 innings… Notable numbers against Strasburg are provided below…
- Yoenis Cespedes: .500 (4-8), 1 2B, 1 BB
- Neil Walker: .353 (6-17), 1 HR, 2 RBI
- Asdrubal Cabrera: .333 (2-6), 1 HR, 2 RBI
- Jose Reyes: .263 (5-19), 2 2B, 2 K
- James Loney: .200 (1-5)
- Curtis Granderson: .167 (3-18), 1 RBI, 5 BB
Amed Rosario Added To Futures Game
It has been announced that Mets shortstop prospect Amed Rosario will join organizational teammates Dominic Smith and Dilson Herrera, in San Diego on Sunday for the annual MLB Futures game. Rosario was added to the game due to Yankees organizational shortstop Jorge Mateo recently being suspended, and the 20-year old Rosario will take his spot on the World roster.
Rosario is considered the current crown jewel of the Mets farm system and is enjoying his best offensive season in the minors. Rosario is currently ranked as the second best prospect in the Mets system by MLB.com, behind first baseman Dominic Smith. The 20-year old shortstop has hit for a combined average of .330 between both High-A Port St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton. Rosario also has a combined 11 triples with 52 RBI’s between both leagues in 82 games.
You can watch Sunday’s Futures Game on MLB Network at 7 pm et live from Petco Park in San Diego.
Final Recap: Mets 9 – Nationals 7
The New York Mets (47-38) defeated the Washington Nationals (51-36) tonight by the final score of 9-7. For a full boxscore recap follow the link below…
Game Notes:
- Wilmer Flores took center stage tonight by swatting a 3-run HR in the bottom of the fifth to give the Mets the lead after being down 6-4. He finished the game 1-2.
- Jose Reyes was 1-5 with a solo HR.
- Travis d’Arnaud was 1-5 with a solo HR.
- Asdrubal Cabrera was 2-4 with a solo HR.
- Curtis Granderson was 3-4 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored.
- Yoenis Cespedes was 2-3 with an RBI double.
- Jeurys Familia converted his league leading 31st save of the season.
Down by 1 run? No problem. Down by 3 runs? No problem. Down by 2 runs? No problem. These were the deficits the Mets came back from in order tonight as they consistently rallied against the Nationals, and took the first game of this pivotal four game series. The Mets did not lay down tonight and continued to show the fight they have shown all homestand.
The Mets belted out 15 hits tonight and got into a home run derby with the Nationals as both teams combined for eight home runs, which is a Citi Field record. Also what more can you say about the week Wilmer Flores is having?! Flores stepped into the box, pinch-hitting for James Loney with the Mets trailing 6-4, and cracked a three-run bomb into the left field seats. Flores has been proving that his bat belongs in the lineup all week, and he is going to make it tough on Terry Collins to fill out the lineup card everyday without his name in it. It was also awesome to see Jose Reyes crack a solo home run into the top deck in right field and get the loud “Jo-se Jo-se Jo-se” chant by the Mets faithful tonight. It was Reyes first home run with the Mets since September 27, 2011.
The game ended with a bit of controversy as Jayson Werth and Daniel Murphy were both called out in the top of the ninth inning on a controversial double play. Asdrubal Cabrera made a great diving stop on a Daniel Murphy hit, and Werth appeared to slide legally into Neil Walker to break up a double play. Werth who was out anyway, was incensed when Murphy was called out at first base due to umpire Jim Joyce claiming he violated the new slide rules. Personally I am not a fan of these new slide rules, and I believe a runner should only be called out if they deliberately go out of their way to take out the infielder, such as Chase Utley last postseason. Nats GM and President Mike Rizzo had gotten into a shouting match with Jim Joyce after the game and I’m sure Major League Baseball will step in after that incident. But as a Mets fan that was a win I’ll take as the Mets certainly have had their fair share of breaks go the other way this season.
Oh and by the way, if Daniel Murphy keeps hitting at this pace against the Mets, it is going to be a long three seasons while he is under contract with the Nationals. Murphy is seeing red when playing his former ball club, and he may give Chipper Jones a run for his money as the all-time Met killer at the pace he is swinging the bat. Murphy is currently hitting .425 with five home runs and 14 RBIs in 10 games against the Mets this season. Ouch.
The Mets now sit three games out of first place with tonight’s win and are looking as good as they have all season on this current homestand. The Mets are now 7-1 on this pivotal season-high eleven-game homestand, and they have scored 55 runs with eight home runs over these eight games. The test will be a smidgen tougher tomorrow night to drive in runs, but I have no doubt this team right now will be up to the challenge. Let’s go Mets!
- The Mets and Nationals will do battle in the second game of their four game series tomorrow evening at 7:10 pm et. You can watch tomorrow’s game on SNY.
- Noah Syndergaard (9-3, 2.41 ERA) will make a final audition for manager Terry Collins to get the start in Tuesday night’s All Star Game, against Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg (11-0, 2.71 ERA) who is also auditioning for that starting spot.
Harvey has Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Symptoms
In another terrible turn for Matt Harvey this season, it has been announced that Harvey has been diagnosed with symptoms consistent with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, after meeting with Dr. Robert Thompson in St. Louis today. Thompson who is regarded as the leading specialist in TOS, handed down the bad news to Harvey and he is now contemplating season ending surgery. While his shoulder will have to be operated on sooner or later, he is also contemplating a non-surgical injection that could help treat his condition temporarily and let him pitch the remainder of the season.
Looking up the condition of TOS, it has been described as compressed nerves or blood vessels between both the collarbone and rib cage. In something that already sounds painful, the disorder leads to neck and shoulder pain, as well as numbness.
Either way it is not a positive diagnosis for Harvey who has taken a step back this season, and this disorder could possibly be one of the primary factors to him taking that step back. If Harvey were to go under the knife he would miss the rest of the season, and could possibly miss time next season depending on when he has the surgery.
There is no telling how Harvey will come back from the surgery as many pitchers have come back differently from the operation. Kansas City Royals starter Chris Young is one the success stories and has revitalized his career after having the operation. Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Phil Hughes underwent the operation earlier this week to alleviate his symptoms that he had also been experiencing.
The Mets will give Harvey a few days to mull over his decision, and right-hander Logan Verrett will slide into Harvey’s rotation spot. With many of the Mets starters banged up, it is a fair question to wonder, if will we ever see Harvey, deGrom, Syndergaard, Matz, and Wheeler all in the starting rotation at the same time?
Lineups & Game Notes: Nationals vs. Mets 7:10 pm et
May 18, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Bartolo Colon (40) reacts as he leaves the game against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Washington Nationals (51-35):
1. Ben Revere (L) CF
2. Jayson Werth (R) LF
3. Daniel Murphy (L) 2B
4. Bryce Harper (L) RF
5. Wilson Ramos (R) C
6. Clint Robinson (L) 1B
7. Anthony Rendon (R) 3B
8. Danny Espinosa (S) SS
9. Lucas Giolito (R) P
SP: Lucas Giolito RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
New York Mets (46-38):
1. Jose Reyes (S) 3B
2. Curtis Granderson (L) RF
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) CF
4. Neil Walker (S) 2B
5. James Loney (L) 1B
6. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
7. Brandon Nimmo (L) LF
8. Travis d’Arnaud (R) C
9. Bartolo Colon (R) P
SP: Bartolo Colon RHP (7-4, 2.87 ERA)
Tonight’s game can be seen on SNY and MLB Network.
Game Notes:
NATIONALS-METS NOTES: The Mets are 7-16 vs. Washington at Citi Field since 2014.
HOME COOKIN’: The Mets are 8-1 in their last nine home games… Overall, the club is 25-17 at home…New York has the fifth-best winning percentage (.595) in the NL at home.
HOMER HAPPY: New York has hit a home run in nine straight home games (22 overall) dating to June 21…The Mets have hit 59 home runs at home, the most in the NL and tied for the third-most in the majors.
AS HOT AS THE SUMMER: Travis d’Arnaud is hitting .406 (13-32) with one home run and seven RBI over his last 10 games…Curtis Granderson is 5-16 (.313) with two home runs and five RBI over his last four games…Brandon Nimmo is batting .310 (9-29) with four RBI in nine games since June 27…Yoenis Cespedes is hitting .360 (27-75) with five homers, 11 RBI and a .417 OBP over his last 20 games.
FIRST-HALF FAMILIA: Is one of 15 relievers and is the first Met to have 30 saves prior to the All-Star break since saves became an official stat in 1969.
GO FLO: Wilmer Flores has two multi-home run games in his last four games…According to Elias, he became the first third baseman in team history to accomplish that feat…Flores is 9-for-his-last-17 (.529) with four homers and seven RBI.
COLON VS. NATIONALS: In his nine games (eight starts) against the Nationals as a Met, Colón is 3-5 with a 3.70 ERA… His last win versus Washington came on May 23, when he pitched 7 innings and allowed one run on five hits in the Mets’ 7-1 victory… Colon struck out two and walked two.
GIOLITO VS. METS: Lucas Giolito was summoned to the big leagues to start in place of RHP Stephen Strasburg on June 28 against the Mets… In his Major League debut, he tossed 4 innings of one-hit no-run ball before a rain delay forced him from the game…Tonight will mark his second career start and both have come against the Mets.
Matt Harvey placed on 15-day DL
Matt Harvey has been placed on the 15-day disabled list this afternoon with discomfort in his right shoulder. It is being reported that Harvey is being sent to Dr. Robert Thompson in St. Louis for further examination. It’s another drastic turn of events for Harvey, as he seemed to finally be turning the corner a couple of weeks ago, but recently had only lasted 3.2 innings in his previous two starts. Harvey has a 4.86 ERA over 92.2 innings this season, and at this point it is tough to determine how serious the shoulder injury is, as no injury had been previously reported. As of right now it’s a big blow to the Mets rotation despite how bad Harvey has pitched this year. If there is indeed anything wrong with Harvey’s shoulder, it could be part of the reason Harvey has had the worst season of his career thus far. Let’s hope it is nothing serious at this point and rest is the diagnosis.
Former Met Dillion Gee had visited Dr. Thompson back in 2012 to have artery damage repaired in his throwing shoulder, after he had a previous blood clot removed.
Seth Lugo will be promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. Lugo recently made his MLB debut back on July 1st for the Mets, and threw two scoreless innings before being sent back down to Triple-A.
Final Recap: Mets 4 – Marlins 2
The New York Mets (46-38) defeated the Miami Marlins (44-41) by the final score of 4-2 this afternoon at Citi Field. For a full boxscore recap follow the link below…
Game Notes:
- Wilmer Flores had a huge game today going 2-4 with 2 solo HR’s.
- Curtis Granderson was 2-4 with an RBI single that scored 2 runs.
- Jose Reyes was 2-4 with 2 doubles and a run scored.
- Jacob deGrom was solid for 7 innings allowing 6 hits and 2 runs. He walked 2 and struck out 7.
- Jeurys Famila converted his 30th save of the season.
The Mets won a big game today against the Marlins as they took two of three from a team just inches behind them in the standings. Wilmer Flores continues to have a big week as he crushed two home runs this afternoon, and he is making a case for Terry Collins to continue to find ways to keep his hot bat in the lineup. Flores was supposed to get the start at first base today and give James Loney a well needed day off, but Asdrubal Cabrera was a late scratch and Flores got the start at third base with Jose Reyes manning shortstop. Cabrera who has been battling a knee injury lately, did not sit out due to his knee issues, but due to a family illness that had kept him up all night. We should expect Cabrera to be back in the lineup tomorrow.
After debuting 0-5 last night, Jose Reyes seemed more comfortable today as he ripped two doubles down the left-field line and looked good at shortstop today. I’m sure last night he was playing with a whirlwind of emotions and today he seemed to be a bit more settled, especially at the plate. Reyes also tacked on a run after scoring on a Curtis Granderson RBI single.
Jacob deGrom tip-toed out of danger a few times today and only limited his damage to two solo Giancarlo Stanton home runs. Stanton who seems to be getting white-hot for the Marlins is leaving New York at the right time, as he has homered four times against the Mets in less than 24 hours. It was a solid outing for deGrom who threw a season-high 117 pitches and pitched in his final game before the All Star Break.
The Mets will begin a huge four game series starting tomorrow night against the Washington Nationals. After the Mets recent 6-1 homestand, the Mets have a chance to play for first place again, as crazy as that sounds after last week’s showing against the Nationals. The team has done a complete 180 degree turnaround since last week’s series and it will be interesting to see how the Mets carry their recent home success into this upcoming series. All of us will be watching this series with a very close eye and let’s hope that the Mets are in first place heading into the All Star Break!
- The Mets and Nationals kick off game one of their four-game set at 7:10 pm et tomorrow night. You can watch tomorrow night’s game on SNY and MLB Network.
- Age will be on display tomorrow night as the 43-year old Bartolo Colon (7-4, 2.87 ERA) will take on the top prospect in all of baseball in 21-year old Nats right-hander Lucas Giolito (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Above The Mendoza 