|
Mets took two of three at CF during the second series of the year.
Game 1 - Mets were getting their baserunners vs Alex Sanabia but not pushing across any runs. Hefner left down 1-0 after 6 and watched while Burke & Rice fell apart to the tune of a 5-run 7th, many of the runs unearned courtesy of an inning-opening error by Tejada. A Muffy 3R HR closed the gap a bit but even that plus the 2 runs in the 9th only made the 7-5 score look somewhat respectable.
Game 2 - Niese held them to 2 runs over 6 but took an 'ND' as the bats needed 2 in the 6th, 3 in the 7th, and 1 more in the 8th to secure the win.
Game 3 - Two in the 9th via Tejada, Nieuwenhuis & Byrd stole the rubber game after being down 3-0 at mid-game.
So what is there to say about the Marlins?
That they suck on account of trading away every player over the age of 17 or who was making more than $9.75/hour even after being handed a virtually free stadium where the artwork in the place is more valuable than the talent? DUH!!!
So just how bad are they?
Well, they’re 6-19, have yet to win two games in a row, and have managed to compile a negative 46 Run differential (67 - 113) before the end of April.
They’re last in Runs Scored/Gm by nearly a full run
They’re last in Team BA by 10 points, SlgP by 50, and OPS by almost 80
Their team slash line is .220/.281/.309 and their lead-off man (John Peter) has an OBP 45 points below even that piss-poor standard.
They entered Sunday’s game with just one more HR than John Buck
That their players are so anonymous, even to the 3,000 or so fans who show up regularly, that one of the fishes in that tank behind home plate was the fans’ choice for the next bobble-head day.
And then on the pitching side they’re 3rd worst in the NL in RA/G (NYM are worst) and dead last in baserunners allowed (WHiP)
Have I mentioned that they’re not very good?
Have I mentioned that we need to take a minimum of two games here (and preferably all three) or the season is headed down the shitter in a real big hurry?
MONDAY 7:10
Harvey vs Jose Fernandez
The 20 y/o Fernandez made his ML debut against the Mets on April 7 with a 1-run; 3-hit; 8-K; 5 inning outing. This wound up being the game where we won with 2 in the 9th via that well-placed bouncer inside 3rd base by Marlon Byrd
After that Fernandez had another good outing (2 runs over 6 vs Phils) but followed that up with two bad ones where he surrendered 9 runs on 12 hits over a total of 9 innings vs CINNY & MINNY
TUESDAY 7:10
Hefner vs Kevin Slowey
Slowey, who has seemingly been on the verge of decent for years now yet usually falls short and then missed all of 2012 with injuries, has turned in five pretty good starts this year but has nothing to show for it except an 0-2 record despite a 2.43 ERA. He’s gone at least 5.1 innings in all of his starts and has held the opposition to 1 run in three of the five.
Not a lot of Ks per/9 (6.4) but also keeps the walks down (1.8)
Mets faced him once back when he was with the Twins in 2010
WEDNESDAY 12:40
Gee vs Wade LeBlanc
The Lefty LeBlanc is 0-4 in 5 starts and has pretty much earned that record with a 6.20 ERA and 1.78 WHiP
Mets faced him 4 times in 2012 including twice in starts where NYM bats managed jrang up 13 hits + 4 walks in 9 innings ... and yet managed only 2 runs.
What do you need to know about their offense except that all starters are hitting under .250 save for Placido Polanco (.286) and their HR leaders (Stanton plus something named Ruggiano) have just 3 each.
Only Ruggiano has reached double digits in RBIs
Giancarlo is starting to heat up after sitting on the interstate with zero HRs until just a few days ago. He hit his first HR on Saturday and then two more Sunday. So, you know, as in the words of Sgt Phil Esterhaus, “let’s be careful out there”.
The SS you barely heard of, Adeiny Hechavarria who had an annoying 5 hits during the series at CitiField and then 2 since, has been replaced by one you’ve never heard of: Chris Valaika
Closer Steve Cichek has given up 8 runs (7 earned) in 11 outings/innings.
Set-up man Jon Rauch has an ERA just shy of 10.00 [9 earned on 11 hits in 8.1 IP]
NYM legacy Ryan Webb is having a good start out of the pen (although we smacked him around in his one appearance from the CF sereis) as is Mike Dunn their only LHP out there (so expect to see a lot of him)
Good points:
Thanks to the dome we won't get rained out and the temperature will be in baseball range for the first time since maybe that early series in Philly when it nearly hit 90
| 
