Tagged: Sports

September 21, 2016

Lineups: Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets 7:10 pm et.

Atlanta Braves (60-91):

1. Ender Inciarte (L) CF
2. Adonis Garcia (R) 3B
3. Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
4. Matt Kemp (R) LF
5. Nick Markakis (L) RF
6. Anthony Recker (R) C
7. Jace Peterson (L) 2B
8. Dansby Swanson (R) SS
9. Ryan Weber (R) P

SP: Ryan Weber RHP (1-1, 5.46 ERA)

New York Mets (80-71):

1. Jose Reyes (S) 3B
2. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
4. Curtis Granderson (L) RF
5. T.J. Rivera (R) 2B
6. Alejandro De Aza (L) CF
7. James Loney (L) 1B
8. Rene Rivera (R) C
9. Bartolo Colon (R) P

SP: Bartolo Colon RHP (14-7, 3.14 ERA)

Tonight’s game can be seen on SNY.

September 20, 2016

Mets fall to Braves for second straight night in a row

The New York Mets (80-71) fell to the Atlanta Braves (60-91) for the second night in a row by the final score of 5-4. For a full boxscore recap follow the link below…

http://m.mlb.com/gameday/braves-vs-mets/2016/09/20/449117?#game=449117,game_state=final,game_tab=box

Game Notes:

Robert Gsellman was solid despite picking up tonight’s loss going 5.1 innings and giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, while walking 2 and striking out 6.
Relievers Fernando Salas and Jerry Blevins combined to allow 3 runs on 4 hits in 1.1 innings of work.
Asdrubal Cabrera was 3-3 with a double, 2 walks, a run scored and an RBI single.
Curtis Granderson was 1-4 with an RBI double.
T.J. Rivera was 1-3 with a sacrifice fly.
Eric Campbell was 1-1 with a pinch-hit RBI single.

Well after the last two days we can assume nothing is going to be easy with the Mets, and we should brace ourselves for a race down to the wire. The Mets have far and away the easiest schedule of the three teams battling for the NL Wild Card, and the Braves have taken it to the Mets the last two nights. It is very possible there is a three-way tie after tonight’s play with the Mets loss tonight, and victories by both the Cardinals and Giants. It is certainly frustrating to see the Mets not carrying the momentum built from over the weekend into this week’s series against the Braves. The Braves have historically given the Mets fits and put a damper on their postseason dreams in the past which makes it all the more frustrating. The Mets will have a chance tomorrow to salvage a game from the series tomorrow evening against the Braves, but I’m sure many Mets fans at this point may be internally freaking out about the way the team has looked the past two nights.

I am currently not freaking out about the Mets chances just yet, but I am very concerned with the play of Jay Bruce. Bruce went 0-3 on the evening before Terry Collins pinch-hit for the former Reds slugger with Eric Campbell (yes you read that correctly), in the middle of the Mets three-run inning in the bottom of the eighth. Bruce also had the miscommunication in the top of the sixth in the outfield with Curtis Granderson which allowed the Braves to plate their first run of the game. I’m not sure where the Mets go from here with Bruce as he’s clearly been struggling on the field for the Mets, and they certainly haven’t gotten nothing close to the return on investment they were expecting when they made the trade. Collins has stressed that if you hit you will play, as Michael Conforto was in the lineup over Bruce both on Sunday and Monday. It will be interesting to see if Bruce, who has hit .176 since joining the Mets, will be in tomorrow’s lineup for the Mets or if they go in another direction yet again.

The Mets will need to regroup and put together another winning streak if they want a chance to reach the postseason, as they have suffered back-to-back critical losses. I will not doubt this team yet as they have overcome multiple hurdles this season but time is of the essence and victories are the only thing that will matter over this final week and a half of the season.

The Mets will look to avoid the sweep against the Braves tomorrow evening with a 7:10 pm et. scheduled first pitch. You can catch tomorrow night’s game on SNY.

Bartolo Colon (14-7, 3.14 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Mets and face Braves right-hander Ryan Weber (0-1, 6.00 ERA).

September 20, 2016

Lineups: Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets 7:10 pm et.

Atlanta Braves (59-91):

1. Ender Inciarte (L) CF
2. Adonis Garcia (R) 3B
3. Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
4. Matt Kemp (R) LF
5. Nick Markakis (L) RF
6. Tyler Flowers (R) C
7. Jace Peterson (L) 2B
8. Dansby Swanson (R) SS
9. Julio Teheran (R) P

SP: Julio Teheran RHP (5-10, 3.18 ERA)

New York Mets (80-70):

1. Jose Reyes (S) 3B
2. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
4. Curtis Granderson (L) CF
5. T.J. Rivera (R) 2B
6. Jay Bruce (L) RF
7. James Loney (L) 1B
8. Travis d’Arnaud (R) C
9. Robert Gsellman (R) P

SP: Robert Gsellman RHP (2-1, 3.08 ERA)

Tonight’s game can be seen on SNY.

September 19, 2016

Lineups: Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets 7:10 pm et.

Atlanta Braves (58-91):

SP: Aaron Blair RHP (0-6, 8.23 ERA)

New York Mets (80-69):

1. Jose Reyes (S) 3B
2. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
4. Curtis Granderson (L) CF
5. T.J. Rivera (R) 2B
6. Michael Conforto (L) RF
7. James Loney (L) 1B
8. Rene Rivera (R) C
9. Noah Syndergaard (L) P

SP: Noah Syndergaard RHP (13-8, 2.43 ERA)

Tonight’s game can be seen on WPIX.

September 18, 2016

Mets sweep Twins with 3-2 victory.

The New York Mets (80-69) completed their sweep of the Minnesota Twins (55-95) this afternoon by the final score of 3-2. For a full boxscore recap follow the link below…

http://m.mlb.com/gameday/twins-vs-mets/2016/09/18/449097?#game=449097,game_state=final,game_tab=box

Game Notes:

T.J. Rivera continued his hot-hitting going 2-4 with a solo HR.
Michael Conforto was 2-4 with a 2-run single.
Yoenis Cespedes was 1-2 with a double but left after the 6th the with dizziness and nausea.
In his return to the lineup Lucas Duda went 0-2 with a strikeout.
Gabriel Ynoa filled in admirably for Jacob deGrom going 4.2 innings while allowing 1 run on 4 hits with 1 walk and 8 strikeouts.
Jerry Blevins picked up the save today going 1.1 hitless innings with no walks and 2 strikeouts.

In an important series as the Giants and Cardinals battle one another, the Mets were able to care of the Minnesota Twins with a three game sweep. The Mets will wait for the results for today’s finale between the two to see where they stand, but as of now they are in sole possession of the first NL Wild Card seed. The Mets are continuing to take advantage of their relatively soft schedule down the stretch, and will welcome an Atlanta team looking to play spoiler to Citi Field next for three games. If the Mets can continue to keep their foot on the pedal, the odds of the Mets making the playoffs will continue to look promising. There is still plenty of baseball left to play however, but you always want to be playing your best baseball down the stretch heading into October, and the Mets are currently one of the hottest teams in baseball. It always seems the hottest teams towards the end of the season make the deepest runs in October, and lets hope that rings true for our boys if they continue to play at this high level.

The next man up mentality continues to work for the Mets rotation as starter Gabriel Ynoa pitched a one run ballgame, despite loading the bases with one out in the top of the second inning. Despite the glaring hole in the Mets rotation behind Syndergaard and Colon, the “Metsfits” as I call them (Lugo, Gsellman, Montero, Ynoa) have kept the Mets afloat when the odds have been stacked against them. The team is hoping to have Steven Matz rejoin the rotation later this week, possibly against the Phillies, which will be a great lift for the team. In the meantime however the “Metsfits” have taken care of business when relied upon, and Robert Gsellman will be relied upon in the upcoming series against the Braves. Seth Lugo and Gabriel Ynoa already took care of their business this weekend.

Yoenis Cespedes did leave early today with nausea and dizziness, as he told Manager Terry Collins about his symptoms between innings and was immediately pulled. There is no indication as to how serious this ailment may be, so for the time being we will just consider our slugger day-to-day until further information is disclosed. We can’t afford to miss Cespedes down the stretch so let’s hope it’s something relatively minor and he can return to the lineup soon!

The Mets and Atlanta Braves open their final series of the season tomorrow evening at Citi Field with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 pm et. You can catch tomorrow’s game on WPIX.

Noah Syndergaard (13-8, 2.43 ERA) will open the series for the Mets and oppose Braves right-hander Aaron Blair (0-6, 8.23 ERA).

September 18, 2016

Lineups: Minnesota Twins vs. New York Mets 1:10 pm et.

Minnesota Twins (55-94):

1. Brian Dozier (R) 2B
2. Logan Schafer (L) RF
3. Jorge Polanco (S) SS
4. Kennys Vargas (S) 1B
5. Robbie Grossman (S) LF
6. Byron Buxton (R) CF
7. James Beresford (L) 3B
8. John Ryan Murphy (R) C
9. Kyle Gibson (R) P

SP: Kyle Gibson RHP (6-9, 5.08 ERA)

New York Mets (79-69):

1. Alejandro De Aza (L) CF
2. T.J. Rivera (R) 2B
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
4. Michael Conforto (L) RF
5. Kelly Johnson (L) 3B
6. Travis d’Arnaud (R) C
7. Lucas Duda (L) 1B
8. Matt Reynolds (R) SS
9. Gabriel Ynoa (R) P

SP: Gabriel Ynoa RHP (1-0, 15.19 ERA)

Today’s game can be seen on SNY.

September 17, 2016

In Mets latest blow deGrom is done for season

598596740 The New York Mets announced prior to tonight’s contest against the Minnesota Twins that starting pitcher Jacob deGrom will not make tomorrow’s scheduled start, and he has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. DeGrom is a candidate to undergo surgery to correct an unlnar nerve in his right elbow.

It’s a big blow to the Mets rotation as the team was expecting deGrom back tomorrow, and he was expected to be relied upon as a big part of the Mets postseason push. DeGrom has not pitched since September 1st due to issues with his forearm/elbow. Now the Mets are left with more questions than answers in regards to how their rotation will hold up for the rest of the season, and possibly postseason. Both Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman have filled in admirably, and they will now be relied upon to fill a much larger role than initially expected as the Mets have their eyes set on the postseason.

The good news is that deGrom will be expected to be ready for Spring Training next season, and that he doesn’t have any ligament damage in his throwing arm. The Mets will now hope that Steven Matz, who is attempting to make his way back to the rotation, can help provide the rotation with stability down the stretch. It’s a fair question to wonder if the 216 combined innings last season played a part in deGrom’s uneven season. Regardless you can’t forecast injuries and this season the Mets have just been decimated by them.

Right-hander Gabriel Ynoa will make the start tomorrow afternoon against the Twins in deGrom’s place.

September 17, 2016

Lineups: Minnesota Twins vs. New York Mets 7:10 pm et.

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 16: Asdrubal Cabrera #13 of the New York Mets follows through on a third inning home run against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field on September 16, 2016. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

New York Mets (78-69):

1. Jose Reyes (S) 3B
2. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
4. Curtis Granderson (L) CF
5. Jay Bruce (L) RF
6. T.J. Rivera (R) 2B
7. James Loney (L) 1B
8. Rene Rivera (R) C
9. Seth Lugo (R) P

SP: Seth Lugo RHP (4-2, 2.40 ERA)

Minnesota Twins (55-93):

1. Brian Dozier (R) 2B
2. Joe Mauer (L) 1B
3. Jorge Polanco (S) SS
4. Max Kepler (L) RF
5. Eduardo Escobar (S) 3B
6. Eddie Rosario (L) LF
7. Byron Buxton (R) CF
8. Juan Centeno (L) C
9. Ervin Santana (R) P

SP: Ervin Santana RHP (7-10, 3.53 ERA)

Tonight’s game can be seen on WPIX.

September 17, 2016

Mets look to continue to distance themselves in Wild Card race

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The New York Mets took a 3-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins last night, behind a pair of home runs from Jose Reyes and Asdrubal Cabrera. Yoenis Cespedes also added an RBI single, to aid a vintage Bartolo Colon start. Colon who has shown no sign of aging this season has been nothing short of remarkably consistent, despite being depending on coming into the season as insurance for the rotation until Zack Wheeler was ready. Since the All Star Break, the 43 year old veteran has posted a 7-3 record with a 2.96 ERA.

With the San Francisco Giants defeating the St. Louis Cardinals again last night, the Mets have added two games to their lead in the NL Wild Card race over the past two days. There are multiple challenges that still lie ahead for the Mets, but the challenges aren’t considered as difficult as their opposition’s. Regardless there is still plenty of work left to do before the Mets can punch a ticket to the postseason, and that includes winning the next two games against the Twins as the Cardinals and Giants continue to battle one another.

There isn’t a hotter pitcher for the Mets to send to the mound tonight, as Seth Lugo will make his sixth career start. Lugo has posted a 4-1 record thus far with a 2.27 ERA as a starting pitcher and has shown no signs of slowing down. The Mets will look to him to continue to build on their Wild Card lead over the Cardinals, which something we would’ve been hard pressed to say back on August 19 when they were 5.5 games behind the Cardinals.

The Mets look like a hungry and focused bunch with their eyes set on an October 5th Wild Card play-in game, and with only fifteen games remaining every game counts down the stretch. But I don’t think we need to remind this team, who has fought through consistent adversity all season long, that they hold their own destiny in their hands. One game at a time is the continued approach, as there is no need for us to get ahead of ourselves just yet. But it truly is an exciting time to be a Mets fan!

September 16, 2016

Lineups: Minnesota Twins vs. New York Mets 7:10 pm et.

Minnesota Twins (55-92):

1. Brian Dozier (R) 2B
2. Joe Mauer (L) 1B
3. Jorge Polanco (S) SS
4. Max Kepler (L) RF
5. Kurt Suzuki (R) C
6. Eduardo Escobar (S) 3B
7. Eddie Rosario (L) LF
8. Byron Buxton (R) CF
9. Jose Berrios (R) P

SP: Jose Berrios RHP (2-6, 9.27 ERA)

New York Mets (77-69):

1. Jose Reyes (S) 3B
2. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
4. Curtis Granderson (L) CF
5. Jay Bruce (L) RF
6. T.J. Rivera (R) 2B
7. James Loney (L) 1B
8. Travis d’Arnaud (R) C
9. Bartolo Colon (R) P

SP: Bartolo Colon RHP (13-7, 3.27 ERA)

Tonight’s game can be seen on SNY.