Updated by Joe D.
Here’s a couple of shots Matt sent in from the press box at Target Field. Looks like he has a great view…
Bases Loaded For John Buck…
Is that Kevin Burkhardt roaming around in the upper deck?
Matt tells me he’ll bring a regular digital camera for the Saturday and Sunday games…
Starting Lineup
- Jordany Valdespin CF
- Daniel Murphy 2B
- David Wright 3B
- Ike Davis 1B
- John Buck C
- Lucas Duda DH
- Marlon Byrd RF
- Mike Baxter LF
- Ruben Tejada SS
Jon Niese LHP
Game Notes
The Mets went 8-7 in Interleague play in 2012. The Mets are .500 or better in 11 of their 16 seasons of Interleague play, and are 135-127 all-time in Interleague play. The 135 wins are the fourth-most among National League teams.
The Mets have signed LHP Sean Henn to a minor league contract. Henn has not appeared in a Major League game since 2009 when he went a combined 0-3 with a 7.53 ERA in 20 relief appearances with the Twins and Orioles.
David Wright has 89 career RBI vs. the American League, tied with Mike Piazza for the most in team history. The 89 Interleague RBI are the ninth-most among any major leaguer since 2005, the first season Wright played an Interleague game. He has 19 career Interleague home runs, nine behind Piazza (28) for the most in club history.
Jonathon Niese has thrown 6.0 or more innings in his last 22 consecutive starts, the longest current streak in the major leagues. The streak is also the longest by a Mets pitcher since Tom Glavine went 27 starts from July 15, 2005-June 3, 2006 lasting 6.0 or more innings.
Has hit a home run in three straight games (April 8- present) for the first time in his career. Buck has five home runs through the team’s first nine games, tied for the second-most in franchise history with Darryl Strawberry (5 home runs in nine games in 1987) and Jeff Kent (5 home runs in nine games in 1994). Dave Kingman holds the team mark with seven home runs in New York’s first nine games in 1976.
In New York’s five wins, Mets starting pitchers have posted a 2.03 ERA (seven earned runs/31.0 innings). In the club’s four losses, the starters have combined for a 6.87 ERA (14
earned runs/18.1 innings).
The Mets bullpen has hurled 16.2 innings in their last four games. During that span, the pen has allowed four earned runs (2.16 ERA). Overall, the Mets pen is 2-0 with a 3.34 ERA (11 earned runs/29.2 innings). The ERA is 7th in the National League.
Overall, the Mets have recorded a 3.53 ERA (31 earned runs/79.0 innings), ranking third in the NL and seventh in the majors.
Game Preview
The Mets travel to Minnesota tonight to start their first interleague game of the season. Some of you may be asking yourself, “Hey, why are we playing an interleague game so early”. To those of you, “HAVEN’T YOU BEEN PAYING ATTENTION! GEEZ..”
The Astros joined the American League this year making each league have 15 teams thus making the wild card system for fair in terms of chance of getting one. Having 15 in each league forces two teams to always be locked in an interleague series. Anyway, the Mets might be playing in the American League tonight but will see an old foe as they take on Vance Worley behind Jonathan Niese.
Niese is off to a good start this year going 1-0 in his first two games pitching a total of 12.2 innings allowing 3 earned runs, 4 total. In that stretch he has 12 hits and 4 walks while striking out 9 batters. He has faced the Twins once where he picked up the win throwing 6 shutout innings of baseball allowing 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4. The Twins have the following numbers against Niese:
Carroll 3-5
Willingham 2-5, HR
Worley 1-6
Mauer 0-2
The Mets batters going from facing the Phillies to an ex-Philly in Vance Worley who is 0-1 this season over two starts. During that time has pitched 11.0 innings allowing a league leading 18 hits, 8 runs (7 earned), and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. Last season he was 6-9 over 23 starts and 133.0 innings with a 4.20 ERA. He was 0-2 against the Mets last season over 3 games where he allowed 14 ER over 14.1 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Vance:
Murphy 10-15, 2B, 3B (Seriously, that’s 2 hits per 3 AB’s)
Tejada 7-17, 2B
Wright 4-15, HR
Duda 5-10, 2B, HR
Davis 1-9
Turner 4-10, 2 2B
Baxter 1-3, HR
Let’s Go Mets!
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