Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.
Teams: Mets vs. Marlins
Date: Monday, August 7, 2012 • 7:10 p.m
Location: Citi Field • Flushing, NY
Starters: LHP Wade LeBlanc (1-1, 1.35) vs. LHP Jonathon Niese (8-5, 3.72)
TV/Radio: SNY • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #110 • Home Game #53
Lineup
Ruben Tejada - SS
Daniel Murphy - 1B
David Wright - 3B
Scott Hairston - RF
Jason Bay - LF
Ronny Cedeno - 2B
Andres Torres - CF
Josh Thole - C
Jonathon Niese - RHP
METS AT A GLANCE: The Mets have dropped two of their last three games...New York went 6-5 on their season-long 11-game road trip ...New York is 5-5 in its last 10 games...The Mets are 7-16 since the All-Star break.
ROSTER MOVE: Before tonight’s game the Mets will select the contract of the left-handed pitcher Garrett Olson from Buffalo (AAA) of the International League...Olson will wear uniform #38 and will be available for tonight’s game...He was 4-7 with a 4.56 ERA (55 earned runs/108.2 innings) in 25 games, 21 starts for the Bisons this year...He allowed 115 hits, issued 51 walks and had 94 strikeouts...Olson pitched in four games with Pittsburgh in 2011 and in 35 contests with Seattle in 2010...Overall, he’s 14-22 with a 6.14 ERA (196 earned runs/287.1 innings) in 103 major league games...A corresponding roster move will be made prior to tonight’s game.
AT HOME: The Mets will play 29 of their next 47 games at home...The Mets are 26-26 at home this year...New York has lost seven straight home games dating back to July 8...Daniel Murphy ranks third in the majors with a .365 batting average at home...The Mets are 15-20 in the first game of a series, including 8-9 at home.
RUBEN TEJADA: Extended his hitting streak to a career-best 11 games with two hits on Sunday...Tejada is batting .380 (19-50) during this current stretch...The Mets shortstop is hitting .335 (54-161) with a .372 on-base percentage since he returned from the Disabled List on June 24.
PINCH-HIT HOME RUNS: Ronny Cedeno hit the team’s eighth pinch-hit home run on Sunday at San Diego...The eight pinch-hit home runs are tied for the fifth-most in team history...New York also had eight pinch-hit home runs last year...The franchise record is 12 set in 1983.
RONNY CEDENO: Has at least one RBI in six of his last seven starts and 10 RBI in his last four games...Nine of Cedeno’s last 11 RBI dating back to July 24 have all come with two outs.
DANIEL MURPHY: Is hitting .429 (6-14) this month (five games) and is batting .379 (47-124) with 20 RBI and 20 extra-base hits over his last 34 games...Murphy is tied for fourth in the majors with 33 doubles...He had a career-high 38 doubles in 2010.
SCOTT HAIRSTON: Is hitting .318 (20-63) with 11 runs scored, six doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI in his last 22 games...Nine of his 14 home runs this year have come against left-handed pitchers, tied for the seventh-most in the majors.
DAVID WRIGHT: Ranks third in the majors with a .420 on-base percentage, eighth with a .325 batting average and tied for 13th with 72 RBI...Wright is tied for eighth in the National League with 67 runs scored and seventh with 32 doubles...Wright is one home run shy of becoming the third player in franchise history to reach the 200 home run plateau...Darryl Strawberry (252) and Mike Piazza (220) are the others...Wright is also three RBI shy of 800 for his career.
TWO-OUTS: The Mets have scored 13 of their last 19 runs with two outs...New York leads the majors with 220 two-out runs this year...New York is hitting .266 with two outs, the third-highest average in the majors...New York’s pitching staff has surrendered 200 runs with two outs, the fourth-most in the majors.
ON THE MOUND: Over the team’s last eight games, the pitching staff has posted a 2.81 ERA (22 earned runs/70.1 innings)...Overall, Mets starters rank eighth in the majors with a 3.81 ERA...The bullpen has posted an ERA of a 2.45 (six earned runs/23.1 innings) over its last nine contests...Overall, New York’s bullpen has the worst ERA (4.92) in the majors...The pen has lost 21 games, the third-most in the majors and has 17 blown saves, the third-most in the majors.
JONATHON NIESE: Has thrown 7.0 innings or more in eight of his last 10 starts...Is 6-3 with a 3.17 ERA (31 earned runs/88.0 innings) in his last 13 starts dating back to May 23.
RISP: The Mets are hitting .261 with RISP on the season, ranking 11th in the majors...The Mets are hitting .277 with runners in scoring position and two outs, the highest average in the majors.
JOHAN SANTANA: Threw 3.0 scoreless innings vs. Auburn on Sunday for Brooklyn (A) of the New York-Penn League...He allowed one hit, one walk and had three strikeouts...Santana threw 38 pitches - 29 for strikes in the game and then threw 3.0 additional simulated innings in the bullpen, throwing 90 pitches total...Santana was placed on the 15-Day Disabled List on July 21 with a sprained right ankle...Santana is 6-7 with a 3.98 ERA (49 earned runs/110.2 innings) in 19 starts.
MEDICAL UPDATES: Tim Byrdak, Rob Johnson and Kirk Nieuwenhuis all underwent MRIs and were examined yesterday by doctors in New York...Byrdak had complained of soreness in his left shoulder and has now been diagnosed with an anterior capsule tear...The treatment for this injury has not been finalized, but surgery is a possibility...Tim’s return to throwing is undetermined at this time...Johnson suffered an injury to his right hand Sunday in the game against the Padres...He has been diagnosed with a contusion to the right hand and will be treated for swelling...Johnson is day-to-day...Nieuwenhuis suffered an injury to his right foot in an International League game in Buffalo on August 3...Kirk has been diagnosed with a partial tear of the plantar facia in his right foot and will report to Port St. Lucie for a rehabilitation progression as symptoms permit...No surgery is contemplated at this time.
C.J. NITKOWSKI: Was promoted to Buffalo (AAA) of the International League...Nitkowski, 39, was signed by the Mets on July 14 and made six scoreless appearances out of the bullpen for Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern League...In 4.2 innings of work, he allowed just one hit and four walks while striking out eight batters.
MINOR NOTE: Zack Wheeler made his Triple-A debut yesterday for Buffalo at Syracuse...Wheeler had a no-decision, working 4.2 innings, allowing three hits, two runs, earned, with four walks and seven strikeouts as the Bisons lost 5-4 in the first game of a doubleheader... Wheeler was 10-6 with a 3.26 ERA (42 earned runs/116.0 innings) with 117 strikeouts at Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern League.
LAST START: Earned his eighth win when the Mets beat the Giants, 2-1, at AT&T Park on August 1...Pitched 7.0 innings and allowed one run, earned, three hits, and two walks...Struck out five in the 105- pitch outing.
EXTRA REST: Niese will pitch on extra rest tonight against the Marlins...In 12 starts with extra rest this season (five days or more), he is 5-1 with a 2.08 ERA (18 earned runs/78.0 innings pitched)...Conversely, in nine starts on regular rest (four days of rest) this season, Niese is 3-4 with a 6.15 ERA (36 earned runs/52.2 innings).
HOME RUNS: Niese has given up a home run in five of his last six starts, dating to July 3...Has given up 18 home runs this season, and has posted a HR/9 of 1.24, the 10th-highest mark in the NL...Allowed a career-high 20 home runs in 2010.
WALKS: Had not walked a batter in 25.1 innings, a career-long streak that dated from the fifth inning on June 3, four starts ago, to the 2nd inning on July 27...Has allowed 10 walks in his last 11 starts, a span of 75.1 innings pitched, dating to June 3...Has walked more than one twice in those 11 starts...Prior to this stretch, Niese had allowed 18 base-on-balls over a six-start stretch (29.2 innings pitched) from May 1 to May 28...Niese’s 25.1 innings without a walk marks the longest streak by a Mets pitcher since 2011, when Mike Pelfrey went 25.0 innings without a base-on-balls from June 2-24.
RARE COMPANY: Niese has issued three walks in his last five starts and became the seventh pitcher in Mets history to throw at least 7.0 innings and not walk a batter in three consecutive starts (July 8-27) in one season...The last major league pitcher to do that was Cliff Lee, who did it in four straight starts in June, 2010.
INNINGS PITCHED: Since June 10, Niese has pitched 73.1 innings, spanning 10 starts, the sixth-most in the NL over that time...Has thrown at least 7.0 innings in eight of his last 10 starts.
RECENT SUCCESS: In his previous 13 starts dating to May 23, Niese is 6-3 with a 3.17 ERA (31 earned runs/88.0 innings pitched)...Has a 7.47 K/9 mark and nine quality starts over that stretch... Has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 15 of his 21 starts this season...Finished the month of July with a 4.63 ERA (18 earned runs/35.0 innings pitched).
SUCCESS VS. LEFTIES: Niese has held left-handed hitters to a .241 batting average (21-87) this season, with one home run and five walks...Conversely, Niese has allowed 17 home runs and 30 walks to right-handers...Niese held lefties to a .259 average and .357 slugging percentage during the 2011 season… Allowed only 10 extra-base hits (two home runs and eight doubles) to left-handed batters last season, which was tied for 10th-fewest in the National League.
DAY/NIGHT SPLITS: In 10 starts during the day this season, Niese is 4-1 with a 2.85 ERA (21 earned runs/66.1 innings)...In 11 night starts, the left-hander is 4-4 with a 4.62 ERA (33 earned runs/64.1 innings)...Niese has allowed 13 of his 18 home runs this season during night games..For his career, Niese has compiled a 13-9 record with a 3.65 ERA (77 earned runs/190.0 innings pitched) during the day in 32 starts, compared to his 17-17 mark with a 4.57 ERA (158 earned runs/311.1 innings pitched) at night in 53 starts.
LAST WIN VS. THE MARLINS: Won, 6-1, at Citi Field on June 5, 2010... Pitched 7.0 innings and allowed one run, earned, six hits, and one walk...Struck out six.
LAST LOSS VS. THE MARLINS: Lost, 5-7, at Sun Life Stadium on September 22, 2010... Pitched 5.2 innings and allowed six runs, earned, five hits, and six walks...Struck out seven.
CAREER VS. THE MARLINS: In eight career games, all starts, Niese is 1-4 with a 4.47 ERA (23 earned runs/46.1 innings pitched).
KEY MATCHUPS:
- Carlos Lee - .200 (2-10, RBI, BB)
- Giancarlo Stanton- .300 (3-10, RBI, 2 BB, 4 K)
- Jose Reyes- .000 (0-4, 2 K)