The Mets begin another critical series tonight against the Dodgers at 7:10.
The Mets and Dodgers are both currently in the hunt for the second Wild Card spot, with the Dodgers currently ahead of the Mets by 1.5 games. The Mets need to take this series to not only keep up with the Braves, but also distance themselves with some of the other Wild Card contenders. There are currently five other teams withing seven games of the last playoff spot.
The Dodgers that we will see this weekend is a much different team than we saw before the All-Star break, when the Mets took three of four games in Los Angeles. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, Kemp was having a ridiculous April and May before going down with a hamstring problem, which has since flared up again. Ethier was also having a nice season, driving in 59 runs through 81 games. With both of these guys back, the Dodger lineup immediately goes from well below average, to pretty decent.
What’s kept the Dodgers in contention despite the absence of their two best hitters has been their pitching. Clayton Kershaw and Chris Capuano have continued their fantastic seasons. Capuano, who the Mets decided not to sign this past offseason, has a 2.75 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 118 innings pitched. The team’s 3.34 starter’s ERA is second in baseball.
The Dodger bullpen has also played a big role in keeping this team alive. The Dodger bullpen has a 3.13 ERA. Kenley Jansen has continued his dominance this season. He has a 2.04 ERA to go along with 16 saves this season. He also has 13.4 strikeouts per nine this year.
Hopefully the Mets can get on a bit of a roll here and make everyone forget the si-game losing streak.
Pitching Matchups:
Game 1- Tonight 7:10
Johan Santana (6-6, 3.59 ERA) vs. Aaron Harang (6-5, 3.53 ERA)
Game 2- Saturday 1:10
Miguel Batista (1-2, 4.33 ERA) vs. Chris Capuano (9-5, 2.75 ERA)
Game 3- Sunday 1:10
Jonathon Niese (7-4, 3.58 ERA) vs. Nathan Eovaldi (1-6, 4.33 ERA)
Notes:
- In 43 appearances this season, Kenley Jansen has allowed more than one hit only four times.
- Nathan Eovaldi has struggled of late. The 22 yea-old has a 7.17 ERA over his last four starts, including a start against the Dodgers on June 25 in which he gave up eight runs on ten hits. Eovaldi was ranked before the season as the 96th best prospect in baseball by Baseball America.
- David Wright has hit five homers this month and driven in 15 runs in just 13 games. He is hitting .340 with a .407 on-base percentage this month.
- Ruben Tejada has also had a great month, hitting .345. He has seven multi-hit games this month.
8 comments
Stickguy
7/20/2012-12:15pm at 12:15 pm (UTC -4)
hey, a new post!
I agree that the mets are a bit on the banana peel here. While they are only 3.5 out of the playoffs, it seems after the last week that they are dead and buried.
these next 2 series at home are big. If they can take 2-3 in each, suddenly they are sitting right in the mix again heading into the trade deadline. Would be impossible (right?) to be sellers then.
but, lose 2-3 and be scuffling to stay above .500 through a rancid stretch.
I really do want to see some RP help show up. Sadly, they are missing fat franky something fierce. if he had not gone down, I bet they would have 3 more (at least 2) wins right now.
and how come the Mets can’t get one of their live arms out of th eminors to come up and dominate like this Jansen dude? Huge numbers in small doses the last 2 years (in 2010, he had an ERA+ of 588. Did not realize they could go that high!).
wanny
7/20/2012-2:40pm at 2:40 pm (UTC -4)
glad to be avoiding kershaw in this series.
asod75
7/20/2012-5:49pm at 5:49 pm (UTC -4)
Needless to say, a huge homestand coming up. The Dodgers are definitely beatable, especially since the Mets miss Kershaw this series. Got to get to their starting pitchers, as they have some nice arms in the pen. I believe Mets can take 2 out of three, fully expecting a loss in the Batista game but home I’m surprised. If Harvey wasn’t deemed ready, I would have rather Hef or even Collin McHugh to get a shot. But I digress. A good homestand, and the Mets may make a few moves. A bad one and they might just sell or worse yet, do nothing.
Stick
7/20/2012-6:52pm at 6:52 pm (UTC -4)
classic Mets would be the only game they do win is the Batista game.
And IMO the options are small buy (discount rack), or do nothing, I don’t see a sell (other than they would sell Bay, but no one is buying)
Hazmet
7/20/2012-7:00pm at 7:00 pm (UTC -4)
lol on the classic Met take – that would be typical.
Did you see where the Rays have expressed interest in Duda? No other names mentioned so not even at the smoke stage of hotness.
Stick
7/20/2012-8:04pm at 8:04 pm (UTC -4)
he’s my boy, and I think he is going to have some monster years with the bat, but I would move him to the AL in the right deal. Just not sure he will ever have enough glove to play the OF, and I don’t think Ike is leaving first base anytime soon.
Hazmet
7/20/2012-8:38pm at 8:38 pm (UTC -4)
I’m not willing to give up on him either although a move to the AL would be in his best interest. I keep thinking about how Jeremy Burnitz did essentially nothing with us went to the AL and was a power hitting beast. I just think if he were traded now we’d be selling low,and, if we were selling high at some point he’d be going good so why trade him unless it was part of something special coming back. I think come August once this leg things over with he’s going to go on a similar second half run like last year. Lord knows we could use it.
Hazmet
7/20/2012-8:41pm at 8:41 pm (UTC -4)
Everyday I watch Wright play I feel like I’m once again watching one of the best players in all of baseball. Great catch over the rail in the Dodger’s dugout. And Mr. Wilpon, your comments last year – just stay quiet, idiot.