Opening Day Game Preview: Mets @ Marlins

Don’t let the weather outside fool you. It’s baseball season!

The Mets open up the 2011 Marathon with the Marlins tonight in Florida for what will be the last home opener for the Marlins in their current stadium (their name changes too, as the Florida Marlins become the Miami Marlins). But this isn’t about the Marlins. This is about the Mets starting another year of baseball. This is about the Mets showing us what they are made of.

Today is the first time we will get to see Terry Collins manage a baseball game in a Mets uniform (for real, Spring Training doesn’t count). In some ways, today represents a lot of the entire season. The Mets will be facing an uphill climb this season in a stacked division. We will need strong performances from Mike Pelfrey and we will need the team to rise up in tough situations. One team that has always had Mike Pelfrey’s number is the Florida Marlins. One player that has always the Mets Lineup looking silly is Josh Johnson. The Mets get a challenge on day one, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Mike Pelfrey gets the call for the Mets today. Last season he 204 innings (second time in his career breaking the 200 mark) while posting a 3.66 ERA and a 15-9 record. In his career he is 1-6 with a 5.32 ERA over 67.2 innings against the Marlins. However, last season he started to improve posting two no decisions in 11.2 innings of work and a 3.86 ERA. The fish have these numbers against Big Pelf:

Ramirez 9-32, 2B
Dobbs 7-17, 2B, HR
Infante 8-15
Coghlan 3-9, 2B, 2 3B
(Scary Numbers)

In the other dugout, Josh Johnson gets the Opening Day start. Last season Johnson 183.2 innings of work where he had a 2.30 ERA (league low) and an 11-6 record. Overall against the Mets, he is 7-1 with a 2.74 ERA over 75.2 innings. Oddly, the Mets were able to get to him last season as he posted a 0-1 record against the Amazins over 17.0 innings and had a 4.24 ERA. The Mets have these numbers:

Beltran 4-23
Wright 6-26, 2B, HR
Harris 4-15, 2B, HR
Murphy 4-14, 2 2B
Thole 1-3, 2B

Let’s Go Mets!

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Side Note: Hi everyone! If this is your first Mets season with Metsmerized Online, Welcome! My name is Elliot and for the last 4 seasons I have been writing Mets Game Previews here, and over at my blog (linked above). Here’s looking to a great season!