I'm writing the pre-game early because I'll be unavailable tonight to do so. Check and follow Citi Slickers twitter here for an update on the pregame and the starting lineup. Tonight will be a battle of 2 lefties at Hisanori Takahashi takes on Brian Matusz. Takahashi entered the rotation and was solid for his first few outings. His last couple of outings have been shaky (although he might have been left in too long vs. the Marlins last weekend). Some say Matusz is a future #1 starter for the Orioles, but up until this point he has been trouble by inconsistency.
For a full scouting report of Brian Matusz, check out Anthony's post here .
Don't forget to sign up to follow @citislickblog on twitter for the starting lineup and updates during the game.
LETS GO METS!!!!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Post Game Wrap up - Mets Win 5-1!!
Well, simply put, this road trip is off to a good start. The Mets took the first game of their 6 game road trip, defeating the Baltimore Orioles Friday night, 5-1. The Mets combined another good pitching effort by R.A. Dickey with timely hitting to come away with the victory. Chris Carter, the Mets DH for the night, hit his first career home run against Jeremy Guthrie. With the win, the Mets moved into sole possession of 2nd place, trailing the Braves by only 1.5 games.
Slick Hits:
- Dickey's knuckleball bewildered the O's tonight, as well as Rod Barajas. Dickey allowed only 1 run and struck out 8, in 7 innings of work.
- Pedro Feliciano and K Rod each pitched an inning of scoreless relief. Both relievers now have ERA's under 2.0 (Feliciano - 1.93 era; K Rod - 1.95 era).
- Chris Carter hit a 3 run home run in the 4th, Congratulations Chris on your first big league homer.
- David Wright continued his hot hitting of late, going 3 for 4 with 2 RBI's.
Tonight at 7:05pm, the Mets look to win back to ba.....I'm not going to finish that. It's bad luck. Anyway, the Mets send Hisanori Takahashi LHP (4-2, 3.80 era) to the mound to take on Brian Matusz LHP (2-6, 5.10 era).
Slick Hits:
- Dickey's knuckleball bewildered the O's tonight, as well as Rod Barajas. Dickey allowed only 1 run and struck out 8, in 7 innings of work.
- Pedro Feliciano and K Rod each pitched an inning of scoreless relief. Both relievers now have ERA's under 2.0 (Feliciano - 1.93 era; K Rod - 1.95 era).
- Chris Carter hit a 3 run home run in the 4th, Congratulations Chris on your first big league homer.
- David Wright continued his hot hitting of late, going 3 for 4 with 2 RBI's.
Tonight at 7:05pm, the Mets look to win back to ba.....I'm not going to finish that. It's bad luck. Anyway, the Mets send Hisanori Takahashi LHP (4-2, 3.80 era) to the mound to take on Brian Matusz LHP (2-6, 5.10 era).
Friday, June 11, 2010
Pre Game: Mets @ Orioles 7:05pm 6/11/10
Following a successful 5-1 home stand, the Mets are in Baltimore to take on the Orioles for a 3 game weekend series. Tonight, the Mets send R.A. Dickey RHP (3.20 era) to the mound to face Jeremy Guthrie RHP (3-6, 3.71 era). The Mets hope to bring their Citi Field momentum with them on the road, as they have been terrible away from home thus far this year (8-18). The Orioles limp into this series and have lost 12 of their last 14 games (including a 1-5 record vs. the 'other New York team').
The Mets will have the benefit of using a DH for the next 9 games, all at American League Parks. Here's a look at tonight's lineup:
Reyes SS
Pagan CF
Wright 3B
Davis 1B
Bay LF
Carter DH
Barajas C
Francoeur RF
Tejada 2B
LET'S GO METS!!!!
The Mets will have the benefit of using a DH for the next 9 games, all at American League Parks. Here's a look at tonight's lineup:
Reyes SS
Pagan CF
Wright 3B
Davis 1B
Bay LF
Carter DH
Barajas C
Francoeur RF
Tejada 2B
LET'S GO METS!!!!
How good was Jon Niese last night?
Anyone who watched Jonathan Niese's gem last night, had to come away impressed. He did not walk a batter and only allowed 1 hit in 9 innings. 1 hit! He faced a total of 28 batters, 1 over the minimum. This marked the 23rd time a Mets pitcher went the distance and allowed only 1 hit. ESPN New York has an interesting article about how special Niese's night was here .
The Mets are still looking for their first no-hitter in team history. However, with the young arms the Mets are running out to the mound nowadays, the future certainly looks bright. One of these young arms could be the first one to do it..it's only a matter of time.
The Mets are still looking for their first no-hitter in team history. However, with the young arms the Mets are running out to the mound nowadays, the future certainly looks bright. One of these young arms could be the first one to do it..it's only a matter of time.
Post Game Wrap up - Mets Win 3-0!!
Wow. That's all I can really say. Jon Neise pitched an absolute gem tonight at Citi Field. He pitched a 1 hit, complete game shutout, leading the Mets to a 3-0 win. The Mets wrapped up this homestand with a 5-1 record and head to the road for 2 winnable series' against the Baltimore Orioles and the Cleveland Indians.
Slick Hits
- Jon Neise was dominant tonight, retiring the last 21 batters he faced. He went all 9 innings and did not walk a batter.
- This was the Mets 8th shutout this season.
- Neise did not need much run support, but received it in the form of an RBI singles from Jeff Francoeur and Ike Davis, and an RBI groundout by David Wright.
- Jose Reyes started to get himself going again, with a 3-4 night.
- The difference between Game 1 and Game 2 of this doubleheader was like 'night and day'. The Padres retired the last 22 Mets to come to the plate in Game 1, while The Mets retired the last 21 Padres to come to the plate in Game 2. "That's Baseball!"
The Mets head to Baltimore tonight and begin their 3 game series tomorrow night against the Orioles at 7:05pm. The Mets will send knuckleballer R.A. Dickey RHP (3-0, 3.20 era) to face Jeremy Guthrie RHP (3-6, 3.71 era).
Slick Hits
- Jon Neise was dominant tonight, retiring the last 21 batters he faced. He went all 9 innings and did not walk a batter.
- This was the Mets 8th shutout this season.
- Neise did not need much run support, but received it in the form of an RBI singles from Jeff Francoeur and Ike Davis, and an RBI groundout by David Wright.
- Jose Reyes started to get himself going again, with a 3-4 night.
- The difference between Game 1 and Game 2 of this doubleheader was like 'night and day'. The Padres retired the last 22 Mets to come to the plate in Game 1, while The Mets retired the last 21 Padres to come to the plate in Game 2. "That's Baseball!"
The Mets head to Baltimore tonight and begin their 3 game series tomorrow night against the Orioles at 7:05pm. The Mets will send knuckleballer R.A. Dickey RHP (3-0, 3.20 era) to face Jeremy Guthrie RHP (3-6, 3.71 era).
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Post Game Wrap up: Padres defeat Mets 4-2
In game 1 of today's double header, the Mets jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before losing the game 4-2. Johan Santana (4-3) pitched 6-2/3 but allowed 4 earned runs. He was out pitched by Mat Latos (6-4) and did not get run support. In face, the Mets had only 2 hits on the day (Jose Reyes and Henry Blanco). The Mets did not have a hit after the 2nd inning. The Mets bats look to wake up in the 7:10pm night game when Jonathan Neise takes on Jon Garland.
Slick Hits:
- Blanco hit his 2nd HR of the year in the 2nd, a 2-run shot to give the Mets an early lead.
- The Mets 2-7 hitters went a combined 0 - 19.
- Latos was in control after the 2nd, as he struck out 8 and allowed only 2 runs in 6 innings.
Overall, the Mets seemed asleep for a good part of the game. This did not look like the Mets team we have seen in 2010. Hopefully they can get back into the swing of things in the nightcap.
LETS GO METS!!!
Slick Hits:
- Blanco hit his 2nd HR of the year in the 2nd, a 2-run shot to give the Mets an early lead.
- The Mets 2-7 hitters went a combined 0 - 19.
- Latos was in control after the 2nd, as he struck out 8 and allowed only 2 runs in 6 innings.
Overall, the Mets seemed asleep for a good part of the game. This did not look like the Mets team we have seen in 2010. Hopefully they can get back into the swing of things in the nightcap.
LETS GO METS!!!
Pre Game 1: Padres @ Mets 1:10pm 6/10/10
Following last night's rain out, the Padres and Mets will play a day/night double header today. In Game 1 it will be Johan Santana LHP (4-2, 2.76 era) taking on Mat Latos RHP (5-4, 3.26 era). The Mets will look to win their 10th home game in a row at Citi Field. Here's the Lineup for Game 1:
Reyes SS
Pagan CF
Bay LF
Davis 1B
Wright 3B
Francoeur RF
Cora 2B
Blanco C
Santana P
I was sad to see the game get rained out last night because sweeping a double header is always tought. But these things happen. I expected Jerry to keep the same line-up that he had set for last night's game. I was wrong. It'll be interesting to see the changes for the second game with Jonathan Neise taking on Jon Garland.
LETS GO METS!!!
Reyes SS
Pagan CF
Bay LF
Davis 1B
Wright 3B
Francoeur RF
Cora 2B
Blanco C
Santana P
I was sad to see the game get rained out last night because sweeping a double header is always tought. But these things happen. I expected Jerry to keep the same line-up that he had set for last night's game. I was wrong. It'll be interesting to see the changes for the second game with Jonathan Neise taking on Jon Garland.
LETS GO METS!!!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Pre Game: Padres @ Mets 7:10pm 6/9/10
Tonight (weather permitting), the Mets look to win their 10th straight game at home when they continue their series with the Padres. Coming off a walk-off win last night in 11 innings, the Mets look to keep rolling at Citi Field. They'll look to finally give their ace, Johan Santana, some run support. Here's tonight's lineup:
Reyes SS
Pagan CF
Bay LF
Davis 1B
Wright 3B
Barajas C
Francoeur RF
Tejada 2B
Santana P
Johan Santana squares off against RHP Matt Latos (5-4, 3.26 era) in the pitching matchup
Lets Go Mets!!!
Reyes SS
Pagan CF
Bay LF
Davis 1B
Wright 3B
Barajas C
Francoeur RF
Tejada 2B
Santana P
Johan Santana squares off against RHP Matt Latos (5-4, 3.26 era) in the pitching matchup
Lets Go Mets!!!
Mike & Ike - A Glimpse at the Mets Future
That's right, Mike & Ike! Matt Cerrone of Metsblog.com had this great picture on his blog this morning here .The Bleacher Report, also has a good article about their future together here .
Hopefully they both continue to develop and get better. They are both under contract for years and the Mets future at 1B and at least 1 SP looks awfully good!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Post Game Wrap up - Mets Win 2-1!
We like Ike, We like Ike! Tonight, the Mets got a combination of quality pitching with timely hitting. Mike Pelfrey gave the Mets 9 strong innings of 1 run ball, continuing his solid season. For a while, it looked like the Mets thought Johan Santana was on the mound....Not because of the great pitching performance, but because they gave their starter no run support. That was, until Jose Reyes busted out of his recent slump, tying the game at 1 on a replay reviewed home run. Then, up to the plate strode Ike Davis, who hit the walk off, game winner in the 11th.
Slick Hits:
- Ike Davis' solo shot was his 7th of the year, giving the Mets their 9th home win in a row.
- Jason Bay took an 0 for 5 on the night with 3 strikeouts.
- Big Pelf went 9 innings, but got a no decision for his efforts. Mike allowed 1 run and had 6 strikeouts, while throwing 102 pitches.
- KRod came on for the 10th and pitched a scoreless frame.
- David Wright continued hitting, adding a 2 for 4 performance
Tomorrow night at 7:10pm, the Mets look to win their 10th in a row at home behind Johan Santana LHP (4-2, 2.76 era) taking on Matt Latos RHP (5-4, 3.26 era)
Slick Hits:
- Ike Davis' solo shot was his 7th of the year, giving the Mets their 9th home win in a row.
- Jason Bay took an 0 for 5 on the night with 3 strikeouts.
- Big Pelf went 9 innings, but got a no decision for his efforts. Mike allowed 1 run and had 6 strikeouts, while throwing 102 pitches.
- KRod came on for the 10th and pitched a scoreless frame.
- David Wright continued hitting, adding a 2 for 4 performance
Tomorrow night at 7:10pm, the Mets look to win their 10th in a row at home behind Johan Santana LHP (4-2, 2.76 era) taking on Matt Latos RHP (5-4, 3.26 era)
Pre-Game: Padres@ Mets 7:10pm 6/8/10
The Mets open up their 3 game series with the Padres tonight at Citi Field. The Amazins' hope to carry over some of the momentum from the weekend series sweep of the Marlins. Tonight the Mets send Mike Pelfrey RHP (8-1) to the hill to take on Clayton Richard LHP (4-3). Here is tonight's Mets Lineup:
Reyes - SS
Pagan - CF
Bay - LF
Davis - 1B
Wright - 3B
Barajas - C
Francoeur - RF
Tejada - 2B
Pelfrey - P
Lets Go Mets!!!!!
Reyes - SS
Pagan - CF
Bay - LF
Davis - 1B
Wright - 3B
Barajas - C
Francoeur - RF
Tejada - 2B
Pelfrey - P
Lets Go Mets!!!!!
Padres @ Mets - Series Pitching Matchups
The Mets look to continue their winning ways at home, as they open up a 3 game series with the San Diego Padres, starting tonight at Citi Field. Below is a preview of the pitching matchups for this series:
Tuesday: RHP Mike Pelfrey (8-1, 2.39 era) vs. LHP Clayton Richard (4-3, 2.87 era), 7:10 p.m. ET
Wednesday: LHP Johan Santana (4-2, 2.76 era) vs. RHP Mat Latos (5-4, 3.26 era), 7:10 p.m. ET
Thursday: RHP R.A. Dickey (3-0, 3.20 era ) vs. RHP Jon Garland (6-3, 2.68 era), 1:10 p.m. ET
* For a full scouting report of these pitchers vs. the opposing lineups, please check out EspnNewYork.com here.
This looks to be a series that will be decided by pitching. The highest ERA in the 6 pitchers is 3.26. With the way the Mets are playing at home, and the fact that they have their #1 and #2 pitchers scheduled to start, I'll go with the Mets taking 2 of 3.
Tuesday: RHP Mike Pelfrey (8-1, 2.39 era) vs. LHP Clayton Richard (4-3, 2.87 era), 7:10 p.m. ET
Wednesday: LHP Johan Santana (4-2, 2.76 era) vs. RHP Mat Latos (5-4, 3.26 era), 7:10 p.m. ET
Thursday: RHP R.A. Dickey (3-0, 3.20 era ) vs. RHP Jon Garland (6-3, 2.68 era), 1:10 p.m. ET
* For a full scouting report of these pitchers vs. the opposing lineups, please check out EspnNewYork.com here.
This looks to be a series that will be decided by pitching. The highest ERA in the 6 pitchers is 3.26. With the way the Mets are playing at home, and the fact that they have their #1 and #2 pitchers scheduled to start, I'll go with the Mets taking 2 of 3.
Monday, June 7, 2010
MLB Draft - Mets Draft RHP Matt Harvey (UNC)
Earlier tonight in the MLB 1st year player draft, the Mets selected Matt Harvey of UNC with the 7th overall selection. Early reviews are that this is a solid pick, for the Mets. For further information regarding this pick, please check out Long Live Shea Stadium Blog here . Metsblog.com also has a good write up here .
The MLB draft and prospects are not as well known as NFL or even NBA prospects because the lack of popularity and television distribution of college baseball. At this point, we can only rely on what the 'experts' tell us and hope Mr. Harvey develops into the type of pitcher worth the #7 pick overall. I'm not surprised the Mets went pitching here instead of position player. With Citi Field, the Mets should be focusing on pitching and defense.
The MLB draft and prospects are not as well known as NFL or even NBA prospects because the lack of popularity and television distribution of college baseball. At this point, we can only rely on what the 'experts' tell us and hope Mr. Harvey develops into the type of pitcher worth the #7 pick overall. I'm not surprised the Mets went pitching here instead of position player. With Citi Field, the Mets should be focusing on pitching and defense.
NL East - Weekly Preview
As a baseball fan, the 162 game schedule can seem overwhelming and never-ending. I like to think of the season in smaller portions, week by week. I plan on writing Weekly Previews for the NL East, so you can get an idea of how tough the week ahead looks for the Mets and their division rivals.
New York Mets
Coming off a 3 game sweep of the Florida Marlins, the Mets welcome in the San Diego Padres for a 3 game series. This weekend, the Mets head to Baltimore to take on the struggling Orioles. With one road series against a bad team, and a home series, the Mets should finish these 6 games with AT LEAST a 4-2 week.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves are out west and are coming off their 4 game series split with the Dodgers. The Braves remain on the road and will play 4 atArizona then 3 at Minnesota.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philles finish up their 4 game series with the Padres tonight, having taken 2 of the first 3 games. The Phillies then welcome in the Florida Marlins for a 3 game series before heading to Boston to battle the Red Sox in a 3 game set at Fenway Park over the weekend.
Florida Marlins
After leaving Flushing and a 3 game sweep at the hands of the Mets, the Marlins head to Philadelphia for a 3 game set with the Phillies. They then head to the Tampa Bay to take on the 1st place Rays in a 3 game series over the weekend.
Washington Nationals
The Nats are reeling, having lost 5 of their last 6. Tomorrow they welcome rookie phenom, Stephen Strasburg as they start a 3 game series at home versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. Following the Pirates series, the Nats head to Cleveland for a 3 game series with the Indians.
As you can see, the Mets have a chance to get right back in the race, with some of the top teams in the East having tricky series' ahead. It's essential that the Mets start to play better on the road. If their great play at home continues, they really only need to post a .500 road record to stay in the race (is that asking too much?!?)
New York Mets
Coming off a 3 game sweep of the Florida Marlins, the Mets welcome in the San Diego Padres for a 3 game series. This weekend, the Mets head to Baltimore to take on the struggling Orioles. With one road series against a bad team, and a home series, the Mets should finish these 6 games with AT LEAST a 4-2 week.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves are out west and are coming off their 4 game series split with the Dodgers. The Braves remain on the road and will play 4 atArizona then 3 at Minnesota.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philles finish up their 4 game series with the Padres tonight, having taken 2 of the first 3 games. The Phillies then welcome in the Florida Marlins for a 3 game series before heading to Boston to battle the Red Sox in a 3 game set at Fenway Park over the weekend.
Florida Marlins
After leaving Flushing and a 3 game sweep at the hands of the Mets, the Marlins head to Philadelphia for a 3 game set with the Phillies. They then head to the Tampa Bay to take on the 1st place Rays in a 3 game series over the weekend.
Washington Nationals
The Nats are reeling, having lost 5 of their last 6. Tomorrow they welcome rookie phenom, Stephen Strasburg as they start a 3 game series at home versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. Following the Pirates series, the Nats head to Cleveland for a 3 game series with the Indians.
As you can see, the Mets have a chance to get right back in the race, with some of the top teams in the East having tricky series' ahead. It's essential that the Mets start to play better on the road. If their great play at home continues, they really only need to post a .500 road record to stay in the race (is that asking too much?!?)
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Post Game Wrap up - Mets Win 7-6! Complete sweep of Marlins
The Mets completed the sweep of the Florida Marlins today, overcoming a 5-0 deficit to win the game 7-6. The Mets fell behind as Hisanori Takahashi had a rough day, allowing 5 runs in 5.1 innings. Takahashi started out the game well, but seemed to tire as the game went on.
Slick Hits
- Jeff Francoeur continued his torrid hitting streak (now 10 games), going 2 for 4 and belting a game-tying 3 run home run in the 7th.
- Jose Reyes struggled again, going 0 for 4.
- David Wright went 3 for 3 with 3 singles; Rod Barajas added 2 hits including his 10th double of the season.
- Ike Davis had a poor looking box score (0-4), but he put the ball in play when he needed to. In the 8th, it was 1st and 3rd with no outs. Yes, he grounded into a double play, BUT the eventual winning run scored. Although he is not credited with an RBI, this was a mature at bat, knowing the situation.
- Francisco Rodriguez came on for the 9th and allowed the tying run to reach 2nd base before finally ending the game with a big strikeout.
The Mets have an off day tomorrow, but look to continue their winning ways at home on Tuesday night vs. the San Diego Padres.
I was out at Citi today and the crowd was into the game at times, sitting on their hands at others. I love seeing the Mets fight back. In 07, 08, and 09 we saw very little 'fight' in this team. Coming back from a 5 run deficit certainly shows that this team has heart.
Slick Hits
- Jeff Francoeur continued his torrid hitting streak (now 10 games), going 2 for 4 and belting a game-tying 3 run home run in the 7th.
- Jose Reyes struggled again, going 0 for 4.
- David Wright went 3 for 3 with 3 singles; Rod Barajas added 2 hits including his 10th double of the season.
- Ike Davis had a poor looking box score (0-4), but he put the ball in play when he needed to. In the 8th, it was 1st and 3rd with no outs. Yes, he grounded into a double play, BUT the eventual winning run scored. Although he is not credited with an RBI, this was a mature at bat, knowing the situation.
- Francisco Rodriguez came on for the 9th and allowed the tying run to reach 2nd base before finally ending the game with a big strikeout.
The Mets have an off day tomorrow, but look to continue their winning ways at home on Tuesday night vs. the San Diego Padres.
I was out at Citi today and the crowd was into the game at times, sitting on their hands at others. I love seeing the Mets fight back. In 07, 08, and 09 we saw very little 'fight' in this team. Coming back from a 5 run deficit certainly shows that this team has heart.
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