Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.
Teams: Mets vs. Giants
Date: Monday, July 30, 2012 • 10:15 p.m
Location: AT&T Park • San Francisco, CA
Starters: RHP Jeremy Hefner (1-4, 5.40) vs. LHP Madison Bumgarner (11-6, 3.10)
TV/Radio: SNY • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #103 • Road Game #51
Lineup
Ruben Tejada – SSAndres Torres – CF
David Wright – 3B
Scott Hairston – RF
Ike Davis – 1B
Jason Bay – LF
Ronny Cedeno – 2B
Rob Johnson – C
Jeremy Hefner - RHP
METS AT A GLANCE: The Mets snapped their two-game losing streak with a 5-1 win at Arizona yesterday...New York is 6-17 in July after posting winning months in April (13-10), May (15-13) and June (15-13) ...The Mets are 3-13 since the All-Star break...New York is 14-19 in the first game of a series, including 6-10 on the road.
ROSTER MOVE: Before tonight’s game the Mets will return outfielder Mike Baxter from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstate him from the 15-Day Disabled List...Baxter will wear #23 and will be available for tonight’s game...After last night’s game, New York optioned outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis to Buffalo (AAA)...Baxter hit .327 (16-49) with four runs scored, four doubles and eight RBI in 13 rehabilitation games with St. Lucie (A) of the Florida State League, Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern League and Buffalo...Baxter had been on the 15-Day DL since June 2 with a displaced right collarbone and fractured rib cartilage.
ON THE ROAD: New York is 2-2 on its season-high 11-game road trip after splitting four games with the Diamondbacks...After this series, the Mets will travel to San Diego for three games...The Mets have lost eight of their last 11 road games and are 23-27 overall on the road this year ...David Wright is second in the majors with a .369 road batting average.
ROAD RUNS: The Mets have scored 251 runs on the road, the second-most in the majors...Seattle is first with 258...The Mets are averaging 5.02 runs per game on the road which leads the majors.
JULY: Daniel Murphy ranks fourth in the majors with a .390 batting average this month...David Wright is third in the NL with 21 RBI in July and Ike Davis is tied for fourth in the majors with nine home runs this month.
SCORING EARLY: New York scored four first-inning runs during the four-game series vs. Arizona and plated the first run of the game three times...The Mets are 35-16 when they score first.
ANDRES TORRES: Went 2-3 with two runs scored yesterday...Torres has hit in 10 straight road games (16-33, .485) dating back to July 13...Torres went 0-14 on the Mets last homestand.
DANIEL MURPHY: Has at least one hit in 14 of his last 17 games (25-67, .373)…Over his last 27 games, dating to June 26, he is hitting .398 (41-103) with 19 RBI and 19 extra-base hits.
DOUBLES: David Wright and Daniel Murphy each collected a double yesterday...Murphy is tied for fourth in the majors with 32 doubles...He had a career-high 38 doubles in 2009...Wright ranks sixth in the majors with 31 doubles...The Mets are the only team in the majors with a pair of teammates with 30 or more doubles...New York has 200 doubles, the second-most in the majors behind Boston (227).
IKE DAVIS: Was 0-5 yesterday...Davis had hit four home runs over his two previous games...He has six home runs in his last seven contests...In addition, the 20 home runs are the most in the majors by a first baseman...Davis has 15 home runs since June 12, the third-most in the majors...Arizona’s Jason Kubel and Minnesota’s Josh Willingham are tied for first with 16 home runs over that period.
PITCHING NOTES: Mets starters rank eighth in the majors with a 3.85 ERA...New York’s bullpen has not allowed a run in its last two games (6.0 innings)...The pen has allowed a run in 12 of the 16 games since the All-Star break (5.40 ERA)...Overall, New York’s bullpen has the worst ERA (5.03) in the majors...The pen has lost 21 games, the third-most in the majors and has 16 blown saves, the third-most in the majors.
ONE RUN OR LESS: The Mets held Arizona to one run yesterday...It was the 25th time this year, New York’s pitching staff has held its opponents to one run or fewer, tied for the most in the majors with Dodgers...Oakland and Los Angeles (AL) are tied for third with 24.
STRIKEOUTS: New York pitchers struck out 10 batters yesterday...Mets pitchers rank seventh in the majors with 804 strikeouts...New York batters have struck out 809 times, ranking 11th in the majors.
R.A. DICKEY: Earned his 14th victory of the season to match Tampa Bay’s David Price for the major league lead in wins...Dickey joined Tom Seaver (1975) and Frank Viola (1990) as the only pitchers in franchise history to be the first National Leaguer to reach 14 victories in a season ...Dickey is third in the majors with 147 strikeouts and ranks eighth in the National League with a 2.83 ERA.
JOSH EDGIN: Has not allowed a run in his last seven outings, spanning 6.2 innings...Overall, he has racked up 16 strikeouts in 9.1 innings of work...Lefties are 3-21 (.143) with 11 strikeouts against him.
DAVID WRIGHT: Ranks third in the majors with a .423 on-base percentage, tied for sixth with a .332 batting average and tied for ninth with 71 RBI...Wright is tied for sixth in the National League with 65 runs scored and is third with 59 walks.
RISP: The Mets were 4-14 with runners in scoring position on Sunday and over their last 13 games, the club is hitting .184 (23-117) with runners in scoring position...New York is hitting .263 with RISP on the season, ranking 11th in the majors...The Mets are hitting .275 with runners in scoring position and two outs, the highest average in the majors.
TWO OUTS: The Mets scored one, two-out run yesterday and have scored 202 two-out runs this season, the most in the majors...New York is hitting .265 with two outs, the fourth-highest average in the majors ...New York’s pitching staff allowed one, two-out run on Sunday and has surrendered 190 runs with two outs, tied for the third-most in the majors.
FRANK FRANCISCO: Threw 1.0 scoreless inning yesterday for Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern League vs. Portland...He allowed one hit with no walks and no strikeouts...He threw 12 pitches, 9 strikes...He is expected to pitch tomorrow for the BMets vs. Harrisburg...Francisco has tossed 2.2 innings, allowed five hits, one run, earned, with one walk and one strikeout in three rehabilitation games...Francisco has been on the 15-Day Disabled List since June 23 with a left oblique strain.
LAST START: Took the loss in the Mets’ 5-2 defeat vs. Washington on July 25, but recorded his third quality start of the season...Allowed three runs, two earned, over a career high-tying 6.0 innings pitched...Surrendered six hits and walked a career high-tying two...Struck out a career-high seven.
CAREER AS A STARTER: Hefner has made four career starts, all coming in 2012...In those four starts, the 26-year old rookie has posted a 1-3 record with a 5.82 ERA (14 earned runs/21.2 innings pitched)...Hefner has struck out 17 while issuing just three walks.
CONTROL: Hefner has walked six in 38.1 major league innings this season, including only three walks in four starts... Has a K//BB of 4.17 and a BB/9 of 1.4.
NIGHT STARTS: Hefner is set to make his fourth career start at night...Has compiled a 1-2 record with a 6.89 ERA (12 earned runs/15.2 innings pitched) in three prior appearances.
LONGEST RELIEF OUTING: Hefner’s relief appearance on May 19 at Toronto (5.0 innings) was the longest by a Mets pitcher since Raul Valdez went 5.0 innings on May 20, 2010 at Washington.
STRUGGLES WITH RUNNERS ON: Opponents are hitting .314 (22-70) when runners are on base...Furthermore, opponents are hitting .293 (12-41) with four doubles, one home run, and 16 RBI with runners in scoring position, and .286 (6-21) in such situations with two outs...Hitters are batting .261 (24-92) when he pitches with the bases empty.