27
2012
Series Preview: Mets @ Rockies
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After another successful home stand, the Mets fly out West to Colorado before heading to Houston. At 11-8, the Mets have to build some momentum on this road trip.
The Rockies and Astros both present very winnable matchups for the Mets, and when you consider the Mets will see Arizona-Philadelphia-Miami-Milwaukee-Cincinnati-Toronto. Six teams that many predicted would be in a playoff chase in 2012.
Before they look ahead, they need to take care of the Rockies first.
Friday, 8:40 pm: Chris Schwinden v. Drew Pomeranz
In 4 big league starts, Schwinden went 0-2 with a 4.17 ERA, striking out 17 batters and walking 6 in 21 innings of work. This year, Schwinden’s control has been slightly off the mark in AAA. In 4 starts he’s allowed 9 walks, striking out just 13 on his way to a 2-2 record with a 2.05 ERA.
Pomeranz is a highly touted young arm for Colorado after he was dealt in the Ubaldo Jiminez deal. At 23, he’s had 6 big league starts and has yet to really show he’s worth the hype this year.
He looks like a solid prospect though, and when the Mets face young arms they’ve never seen, I almost expect them to get shut down. I don’t know what it is, it just always seems like the Mets do not do well against young starters that don’t have a lot of experience.
Tonight, it’s possible the Mets could once again have an all homegrown lineup with Schwinden on the mound.
Saturday, 8:10pm Dillon Gee v. Jeremy Guthrie
Guthrie has been labeled the Rockies #1 starter, but he’s obviously not unbeatable. I’d say I’m pretty confident that Dillon Gee can go toe-to-toe with a guy like Guthrie.
This is a big start for Gee. With Pelfrey being done for the year, Gee is the guy that needs to step up. After getting pummeled by the Giants, Gee will hopefully revert back to his April 16th ways when he went 7 innings, allowing 4 hits to Atlanta.
Gee has never faced Colorado, and the Mets have seen very little of Guthrie. When the Mets have seen Guthrie they are 2-0 against him.
Sunday, 3:10pm Johan Santana v. Jamie Moyer
What an interesting pitching matchup! You’ve got the 49 year old, and a guy trying to return to his former dominant days.
Santana is 2-0 against the Rockies, not allowing a single earned run against them. Meanwhile Moyer has seen the Mets plenty. He’s 10-6 with a 3.94 ERA.
In 56 plate appearances, David Wright has a .415 average with 4 HR and 14RBI against Moyer. That is a matchup you know old man river is circling and trying to avoid.
Summary
This stadium is the scene of the crime for Ike Davis. He and Wright collided at the mound, which lead to Davis missing the rest of the year.
The Mets matchup pretty well in this series. There isn’t a pitching matchup where I feel worried about their chances.
Michael Cuddyer has looked like the Cuddyer of old since joining Colorado. He, along with Tulowitzki are providing some nice run support for their pitchers.
CarGo continues to look like 2010 was a fluke.
We continue to wait for Davis to break out of his slump, facing two lefties may not be the best medicine for that. I’m curious to see if he will sit down against Moyer if he’s still struggling.
It’d be nice to get Johan a win here, since he’s 0-2 and really should be 2-1.
This team is fun to watch, we take it a game at a time right now. This is a road trip that should provide the Mets with 4 wins minimum in my opinion.
OVER/UNDER RUNS: (3-1 for the season) Tonight’s over/under is set pretty high at 9.5. Obviously it’s due to the young starters on the hill. A high over/under usually means I go low here. For the series, with the remaining matchups I’ll set the over/under at 22.5 and go over.
METS POTS: Taking DWright here. I think he plays well out there, and his numbers against Moyer tell me that he can carry the team to a win.
KEEP YOUR EYES ON: You always have to be weary of Tulo, but I’m going to pick a wildcard here and snag Dexter Fowler.
I’LL BE DRINKING A: Tonight, I’ll be working an event that features 2 crooners and some top shelf alcohol. This event single handedly raises roughly $20,000 in one night. So, water tonight but tomorrow, we’ll go with Long Trail Amber for the win!
Enjoy the series, and Let’s Go Mets!
About the Author: Michael J. Branda
My time with MMO began in July of 2009 when I wrote a Fan Post defending Omar Minaya (before it was cool to do that.) I grew up a Mets fan with the mid 1980's teams. My favorite Met of all-time is (and was) Wally Backman. When it comes to sabermetrics versus old school thinking, I like to think I meet in the middle. I believe thinking of new ways to get answers is helpful, especially when the same way has not produced results. However, I think over-thinking certain situations can get you into trouble. I'm excited for the new regime, because I believe they have pieces in place to focus on several aspects of the Mets organization. I've waited this long for a World Series, waiting a few more years for another chance isn't going to kill me.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 41 | 28 | .594 | - |
| Nationals | 34 | 34 | .500 | 6.5 |
| Phillies | 33 | 37 | .471 | 8.5 |
| Mets | 25 | 39 | .391 | 13.5 |
| Marlins | 21 | 47 | .309 | 19.5 |
Last updated: 06/16/2013
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Schwinden at Citi I would not be as concerned but in Colorado I have to say scares me. Hoping the offense can break out tonight. I have a bad feeling we may need it.
yes, i think the mets will win this series 2-1 , but if i have to pick from where the lose come… i guess it will be schwinden.
Anyway, take 2out of 3 and get the hell out of colorado
I think Schwinden will be a mystery to the Rockies so he’ll have a bit of an edge. Of course the same can be said about Pomeranz vs the Mets. The game will come down to one team capitalizing on another team’s mistake perhaps. Let’s hope the team doing the capitalizing is the Mets.
I think in one of Pete’s posts it mentions Backman talking about how improved Schwinden has become. I am hoping that is the case tonight and that it’s enough for the win.
Moyer is hard to fathom. Age and still going, and how he is surviving with a 78 MPH FB.
Interesting story I saw the other day. Some MiL club decided to have a promo thanks to Moyer. They had a speedpitch booth, and would give a ticket to anyone that could hit 78 in honor of Moyer. I believe it cost $1 per try. Even though it seemed easy, no one was able to do it (highest was around 75). Some dude spent $50 trying (seems like pride their vs. wanting a $10 ticket for free!)
though to be fair, those guns are probably far from accurate, and it is easier to get velocity off a mound than it is standing on flat ground. And it does make you appreciate what it means to be a pro pitcher (and hitter, to handle it).
Looking forward to this series. These pitching matchups are interesting.
Looking forward to Schwinden’s first start up here this season. As much as many Met fans complain about Pelf, think I’d rather be seeing him on the mound tonight. But I’ll be keeping an opened mind on Schwinden tonight.