Mets at Dodgers • 10:10 PM • Dodger Stadium
Jenrry Mejia (1-1, 1.96) vs Ricky Nolasco (8-9, 3.65)
Starting Lineup
- Eric Young, Jr. – LF
- Juan Lagares – CF
- Daniel Murphy – 2B
- Marlon Byrd – RF
- Ike Davis – 1B
- Wilmer Flores – 3B
- John Buck – C
- Omar Quintanilla – SS
- Jenrry Mejia – RHP
Game Notes
- OF Andrew Brown took advantage of a rare opportunity to swing the bat on Sunday and took advantage. Brown hit a pinch-hit three-run homer off Will Harris, his second pinch-hit home run and fourth overall. After starting both ends of a July 26 double-header against Washington, Brown has had seven plate appearances.
- LHP Jonathon Niese was activated from the 15-day disabled list earlier Sunday in order to make his start against the Diamondbacks. Niese, on the DL since June 21 with a partial tear of his left rotator cuff, allowed three earned runs in 11 innings across three starts with four walks and 11 strikeouts. Against the Diamondbacks, Niese gave up four runs on seven hits in six innings with one walk and five strikeouts, needing only 83 pitches. “I made what I felt were some pretty good pitches but they got some good swings on them,” Niese said. “I felt good. It’s big league speed now, which is different than the rehab. It felt good leaving my hand today.”
- RHP Jeremy Hefner was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas before Sunday’s game. Hefner also could end up on the disabled list. He was flying back to New York on Sunday to meet with team doctors because of pain in his right elbow, soreness that Hefner said he believes relates to a line drive he took off the joint in spring training. Hefner is 4-8 with a 4.34 ERA in 23 starts and 24 appearances for the Mets. Optioning Hefner also means the Mets will not be using a six-man rotation, general manager Sandy Alderson said Sunday. Manager Terry Collins had said early last week he expected to return to a six-man rotation once Jon Niese returned.
- 1B Ike Davis continued moving north of the .200 mark on Sunday, going 1-for-2, walking three times and scoring two runs in the Mets’ 9-5 victory. Davis was hitting under the so-called Mendoza line the entire season until Saturday, a club-record span of 264 at-bats to start the year. Davis dubiously held the prior record of 233 at-bats set a year ago. “I’m just trying to see the ball as long as I can, being ready to hit and if it’s not in the zone just taking it,” Davis said. “Some at-bats I get lax, like the last one where I took a fastball down the middle. But that’s because I haven’t seen a fastball down the middle all series.”
- LHP Pedro Feliciano recorded his first hold since 2010 on Saturday night and, while only the most dedicated of statheads may take note of holds, it was a milestone for a 36-year-old who has spent three years battling a variety of ailments. Feliciano appeared in 92 games for the Mets and signed with the Yankees but never played for them. What started as triceps soreness in 2011 turned into shoulder surgery. A heart ailment sidelined Feliciano in 2012 and he lost a month in the minors this April with a severe case of food poisoning. Yet there was Feliciano, striking out Gerardo Parra with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to preserve a 4-1 Mets lead and eventual win. “He went down, and a guy with his background, his experience, he did a lot of things a lot of guys wouldn’t do,” said Mets manager Terry Collins. “He went to extended spring, he was down (in Port St. Lucie) during all the hot months. He played A-ball, he played rookie ball. He stood his ground, because he knew he was gonna get back.”
Game Preview
The Mets continue their West Coast Road swing by going into Dodger Town tonight to try their recent hot streak against one of the leagues best teams right now. Yesterday the Mets bats came alive as they trounced the Diamondbacks 9-4 in the rubber game featuring the first homer by Wilmer Flores. Tonight Jenrry Mejia takes the mound for the Mets as he takes on an old foe in Ricky Nolasco.
Jenrry Mejia is 1-1 over 3 games and 18.1 innings with a 1.96 ERA. After his first start (7 scoreless) he allowed 3 ER over 6 in his second outing. Last time out he allowed 2 runs, 1 earned over 5.1. He’s logged one inning against the Dodgers where he has allowed no hits, no runs, no strikeouts and one walk. The Dodgers have the following numbers against Jenrry:
Ramirez 1-3
Hairston 0-1
Nolasco 0-2Ellis 0-1
Uribe 0-1
For those who don’t remember, Ricky was one of the few players that survived the fire sale of the Marlins back in the offseason. He was also one of the players that a lot of people predicted would be moved at some point this season (which was not at all a bold prediction). Nolasco was traded back on July 6. On the season he is 8-9 with a 3.65 ERA over 145.1 innings. His ERA with the Marlins was 3.85 and has been reduced to 3.00 with the Dodgers. His second start of the season was against the Mets where he allowed 3 ER over 5.1 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Nolasco:
Murphy 8-28, 3 2B
Davis 5-23, 2 2B
Byrd 2-11, 2B
Baxter 1-2
Young 1-3
Lets Go Mets!
