Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.
Teams: Mets vs. Cardinals
Date: Wednesday, September 5, 2012 • 1:45 p.m
Location: Busch Stadium • St. Louis, MO
Starters: RHP R.A. Dickey (17-4, 2.63) vs. RHP Adam Wainwright (13-11, 3.90)
TV/Radio: SNY • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #137 • Road Game #72
Lineup
Mike Baxter – RF
Ruben Tejada – SS
Daniel Murphy – 2B
Ike Davis – 1B
Lucas Duda – LF
Justin Turner – 3B
Josh Thole – C
Andres Torres – CF
R.A. Dickey – RHP
METS AT A GLANCE: New York have dropped two straight games following their three-game winning streak...The Mets are 7-3 in their last 10 games...New York is 18-32 (14-17 on the road) since the All-Star break.
ON THE ROAD: The Mets are 5-3 on their current nine-game road trip, the club’s second-longest of the season...The Mets are 34-37 on the road this year after going 43-38 away from Citi Field in 2011...David Wright is third in the National League with a .331 road batting average.
VS. ST. LOUIS: After dropping the first two games of the series, the Mets will look to avoid being swept in a three-game series in St. Louis for the first time since April 21-23, 2009...The Mets have been swept seven times this year.
DAY BASEBALL: Daniel Murphy (.344) ranks first in the National League in batting average during day games and David Wright (.326) is fourth...Justin Turner is hitting .408 (20-40) during day games but does not have enough plate appearances to qualify...New York is 28-22 in day games this season, including 14-12 on the road...The 28 victories are the fifth-most in the majors.
DICKEY DURING THE DAY: R.A. Dickey is 10-1 during the day this year...Dickey’s 10 day victories are the second-most in the majors, behind Cincinnati’s Johnny Cueto (11-1)...The only Mets to reach double-digit wins in day games in a single season are: Tom Seaver (12-5 in 1975) and Dwight Gooden (10-3 in 1985).
HEADING HOME: Following today’s game, the Mets head home for a six-game homestand vs. Atlanta and Washington...New York will play 16 of their remaining 25 games at Citi Field.
KIDS GO FREE IN SEPTEMBER: The Mets launched Kids Go Free to Mets games at Citi Field in September...Up to three children 12 and under will get free admission with the purchase of one regularly priced ticket, subject to availability for every September home game...For tickets via phone call (718) 507-TIXX and in person at Citi Field, fans buying one regularly priced ticket will get up to three complimentary kids tickets...All tickets must be picked up at Citi Field the day of the game and children must be present.
WRIGHT RANKINGS: David Wright is fourth in the majors with a .403 on-base percentage, is tied for eighth with 37 doubles and is fifth in the National League with a .313 batting average...Wright is tied for 11th in the National League with 79 runs scored...He is tied for 10th in the NL with 56 extra-base hits...Wright ranks second in the NL with 75 walks...Wright also is hitting .312 vs. right-handers this season, ranking fifth in the NL.
BULLPEN: The Mets pen hurled 4.0 innings yesterday, allowing two runs...The Mets pen has allowed four runs over its last 29.1 innings (1.23 ERA), spanning 10 games.
JEURYS FAMILIA: Made his major league debut last night tossing a scoreless inning with one strikeout.
RISP: The Mets went 0-8 with runners in scoring position last night and are 12-for-their-last-86 (.140) with RISP...The Mets are hitting .166 (36-217) with runners in scoring position since August 1...The Mets are hitting .247 with RISP on the season, ranking 21st in the majors...The Mets are hitting .263 with runners in scoring position and two outs, the fourth-highest average in the majors.
METS STARTERS: Mets starters rank eighth in the majors with a 3.80 ERA...The starters have posted a 2.86 ERA (34 earned runs/107.0 innings) over their last 17 games and over their last 22 contests they have a 3.06 ERA (47 earned runs/139.1 innings).
R.A. DICKEY: Is tied for the major league lead with 17 wins...Dickey is fourth in the majors and second in the National League with a 2.63 ERA and he is sixth in the majors and third in the NL with 190 strikeouts.
WINNING WAYS: R.A. Dickey is seeking to become the first Mets pitcher to reach 18 wins since Frank Viola (20-12) and Dwight Gooden (19-7) both accomplished the feat in 1990.
STRONG STARTS: Dickey has pitched 7.0 innings or more and allowed one or fewer runs 15 times this season...Dwight Gooden holds the franchise record with 18 such starts in 1985...Dickey’s total is the most in the National League this year and one behind Seattle’s Felix Hernandez for the major league lead...Bob Gibson’s 24 such starts in 1968 for St. Louis is the most in major league history since 1918.
COMPLETE GAMES: Dickey leads the NL with five complete games...Only Justin Verlander (six) has more this year...Dickey’s five complete games are the most in a single season by a Mets pitcher since 1993, when Dwight Gooden tossed seven.
SHUTOUTS: Dickey shut out the Marlins, 3-0, in his last start on August 31...It was his third shutout this year, the most in the NL and the most by a Mets pitcher since David Cone recorded five shutouts in 1992.
CHIPPER JONES MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Braves third baseman Chipper Jones will be available for questions at 4:30 p.m. on Friday in the Press Conference Room at Citi Field regarding his final trip to New York.
MINOR LEAGUE PLAYOFFS: St. Lucie lost game one of its best of three Florida State League semifinals at Jupiter, 3-1, last night...Danny Muno went 2-4 with an RBI for St. Lucie...RHP Logan Verrett had a no-decision working 5.0 innings, allowing three hits, one run with four strikeouts...Game two is tonight in St. Lucie with RHP Jacob DeGrom (9-3, 2.43) on the mound...Brooklyn’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot in the New York-Penn League playoffs is one with one remaining game to play...The Cyclones host Lowell tonight while Batavia plays a doubleheader.
STERLING AWARDS: The organizational minor league awards will be presented in an on-field ceremony on Saturday, September 8 prior to the Braves-Mets game...The Sterling Organizational Player of the Year is infielder Wilmer Flores...The Sterling Pitcher of the Year is RHP Rafael Montero...The Sterling recipient, emblematic of the MVP at Buffalo is RHP Matt Harvey, Binghamton: LHP Zack Wheeler, St. Lucie: infielder Alonzo Harris, Savannah: RHP Michael Fulmer, Brooklyn: RHP Hansel Robles, Kingsport: RHP Miller Diaz, Dominican Summer League #1: RHP Yoryi Nuez and Dominican Summer League #2: outfielder Vincente Lupo.
LAST START: Earned his major league high-tying 17th win in the Mets’ 3-0 victory vs. Miami on August 31 at Marlins Park…Pitched his fifth complete game and third shutout of the season...Allowed five hits, three walks, and recorded seven strikeouts...Dickey’s 17 wins are the most by a Mets pitcher since Al Leiter won 17 in 1998...He is seeking to be the first 18-game winner for the Mets since 1990, when Frank Viola won 20 and Dwight Gooden won 19...Dickey now has a career-high 190 strikeouts, surpassing last year’s total of 134 in his July 24 start vs. Washington.
STRONG STARTS: Dickey has pitched at least 7.0 innings and allowed one run or less 15 times this season..The total is the most in the National League and one behind Felix Hernandez (Sea) for the major league lead with 16...Dickey’s total is tied for third-most in club history with Jerry Koosman (1968) and Frank Viola (1990)...Only Dwight Gooden and Tom Seaver had higher single-season totals...Gooden holds the franchise record with 18 such starts in 1985...Bob Gibson (StL) had 24 such starts in 1968, the most in the majors since 1918.
SHUTOUTS: Dickey’s three shutouts this season are the most in a season by any Mets pitcher since David Cone hurled five shutouts in 1992...Dickey has five career shutouts, four with the Mets...The three shutouts rank second in the majors and first in the NL this season...Felix Hernadez’s (Sea) five shutouts lead the majors.
RANKS: Dickey ranks in the top five in all three NL triple crown categories (W, ERA, K)...After his start on August 9 vs. Miami, he became the first pitcher in the NL to reach 15 wins this season...Tied for major leagues in wins with 17...Has struck out 190 in 191.1 innings this season, good for sixth in the majors and third in the NL...Is second in the NL with a 2.63 ERA...Johnny Cueto (Cin) leads the NL with a 2.58 ERA...Leads the NL with a 1.01 WHIP...Also has six double-digit strikeout games this season, second to Yu Darvish (Tex) who has eight...Is tied for second in the NL with 18 starts of pitching at least 7.0 innings...Johnny Cueto (Cin) lead the NL with 19 such starts...Felix Hernandez (Sea) lead the majors with 21 starts of at least 7.0 innings.
MORE RANKS: Has recorded 21 quality starts, tied for second in both the majors and NL...Yovani Gallardo’s (Mil) 22 quality starts leads the majors...His K/BB ratio of 4.32 ranks sixth in both the majors and NL...Has limited opposing right-handed batters to a .209 (79-378) batting average this season, good for ninth in the majors and fifth in the NL...Dickey has 12 starts in which he has struck out eight or more this season, tied for second in the majors trailing only Max Scherzer (Det), who has 16 such starts.
COMPLETE GAMES: Tossed his National League-best fifth complete game of the season on August 31 at Miami…It was Dickey’s second complete-game against the Marlins this season (August 9)...Dickey’s five complete games are the most in a single season by a Mets pitcher since 1993, when Dwight Gooden tossed seven....Only Justin Verlander’s (Det) six complete games this year top Dickey’s five.
DOUBLE-DIGIT STRIKEOUTS: Dickey has six double-digit strikeout games this year, the most by a Mets pitcher since David Cone had eight in 1992...He had just one such start prior to this season...Has recorded back-to-back double-digit strikeout games twice this season.
CAREER-HIGH STRIKEOUTS: Dickey recorded 12 and 13 strikeouts in back-to-back starts at Tampa Bay on June 13 and again vs. Baltimore on June 18, respectively, setting a new career-high each time...He first set his career-high striking out 11 at Pittsburgh on May 22.
WINNING STREAK SNAPPED: Dickey’s loss in his start vs. Washington on July 24 snapped a streak of 11 consecutive winning decisions dating to April 25 vs. Miami...The 11-game win streak was the best of his career and the third longest in Mets history...Dickey’s streak spanned 16 starts, also tied for the third longest streak of consecutive starts without a loss in Mets history...This was the first home loss for Dickey of the season and his first since falling to Washington on September 12, 2011, 3-2.
ONE-HIT WONDER: On June 18 vs. BAL, Dickey became the 10th pitcher since 1900 to record consecutive one-hitters...Became the first pitcher in modern baseball history (since 1900) to register back-to-back complete game one-hitters with 10 strikeouts or more in both starts.
LAST WIN VS. ST. LOUIS: Won, 5-0, on June 2 of this season...Pitched a complete-game shutout allowing seven hits...Did not walk a batter and struck out nine.
LAST LOSS VS. ST. LOUIS: Lost, 13-2, on June 13, 2004, at Arlington Park, as a member of the Texas Rangers...Pitched 1.1 innings, allowing a career high-tying nine runs, earned, eight hits, and three walks...Struck out three.
CAREER VS. ST. LOUIS: In six career games, four starts, Dickey is 2-1 with a 4.44 ERA (13 earned runs/26.1 innings pitched) vs. the Cardinals.
KEYMATCHUP:
- Carlos Beltran - .278 (5-18, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 3 K)
- Matt Holliday - .300 (3-10, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K)
- Yadier Molina - .286 (2-7, 2 RBI)