Reyes Returns To Citi: Game Notes, Game Preview, Starting Lineup

Starting Lineup

1. Kirk Nieuwenhuis – CF
2. Ruben Tejada – SS
3. Daniel Murphy – 2B
4. David Wright – 3B
5. Lucas Duda – RF
6. Ike Davis – 1B
7. Mike Baxter – LF
8. Josh Thole – C
9. Johan Santana – LHP

Mets Notes

RISP: The Mets were 3-15 with runners in scoring position during yesterday’s doubleheader. On the year, the Mets are batting .222 (32-144) with runners in scoring position, ranking 25th in the majors.

BASES LOADED: The Mets were 0-4 with the bases loaded during yesterday’s doubleheader and are 0-14 on the year with the bases full. Last year, the Mets hit .297 (46-155) with the bases loaded, ranking ninth in the majors.

BULLPEN: New York’s pen tossed 7.2 combined scoreless innings during yesterday’s doubleheader. The Mets pen is 3-2 with a 3.78 ERA (22 earned runs/52.1 innings). The pen’s three wins are tied for seventh in the majors…In addition, Mets relievers have allowed two home runs, the third-fewest in the majors.

ON-BASE: The Mets have four players in the top 20 in the National League in on-base percentage (based on 40 plate appearances). David Wright is fourth (.466), Josh Thole is fifth (.457), Kirk Nieuwenhuis is 13th (.407) and Daniel Murphy is 18th (.394).

STARTERS: Mets starters are 0-3 with a 6.91 ERA (22 earned runs/28.1 innings) in their last five games. In their previous five contests from April 13-17, they were 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA (seven earned runs/28.0 innings). Overall, Mets starters are 5-6 with a 4.12 ERA (41 earned runs/89.2 innings), ranking 17th in the majors.

Game Preview

The newly minted Miami Marlins make their first season trip to Citi Field tonight as the Mets take on the Marlins for the first time this season. This of course means there is a lot of Jose Reyes talk that I will leave out of this Game Preview. Yesterday was a pretty rough day for the Mets as both starters struggled and the offense in both games struggled. The Mets will try to leave all of this behind them as Santana takes on Josh Johnson for game 1.

Santana will look to rebound from his last start tonight. So far on the season Johan is 0-2 with a 3.97 ERA in 11.1 innings. In his last start against the Braves, Santana labored through 1.1 innings allowing 6 runs, 4 earned. In 2010 he has made two starts with a record of 1-0 over 13.0 innings and 0.69 ERA. The Marlins have the following numbers against Santana:

Infante 8-39
Ramirez 3-21
Buck 4-17, 3B
Kearns 2-15, 2B
Sanchez 4-8, 2B
Reyes 1-4

The Mets bats will get a look at Marlins Ace Josh Johnson tonight who is 0-2 on the season with a 5.94 ERA over 16.2 innings of work. Last season against the Mets, Josh was 1-0 against the Mets in 2 games as he pitched 11.2 innings with a 2.31 ERA. The Mets have the following numbers against Josh:

Wright 6-29, 3B, HR
Murphy 5-17, 2 2B
Bay 5-12, 3B, HR
Davis 1-7
Thole 1-5, 2B
Tejada 0-1

Let’s Go Mets!

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