Friday, July 21, 2017 • 7:10 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, N.Y.
RHP Paul Blackburn (1-0, 1.83) vs. LHP Steven Matz (2-3, 4.58)
SNY • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050 AM
In a rematch of the 1973 World Series, the Athletics come to town! We only match up with the AL West every three years so it’s a welcomed change of pace to see Oakland come to town. The MLB Trade Deadline will be a narrative running all weekend as both the Athletics and Mets are to be sellers this year. The cross-town team, the Yankees, has been linked to both the first basemen of the Athletics and Mets (Alonso & Duda). We may be in for a #HugWatch weekend.
Mets Lineup
- Michael Conforto – CF
- Asrubal Cabrera – 2B
- Jay Bruce – RF
- Yoenis Cespedes – LF
- Lucas Duda – 1B
- T.J. Rivera – 3B
- Jose Reyes – SS
- Travis d’Arnaud – C
- Steven Matz – LHP
A’s Lineup
- Rajai Davis – CF
- Marcus Semien – SS
- Ryon Healy – 1B
- Khris Davis – LF
- Matt Chapman – 3B
- Matt Joyce – RF
- Adam Rosales – 2B
- Josh Phegley – C
- Paul Blackburn – RHP
The Mets are coming of a series split with the Cardinals. Sometimes luck does come the Mets way as a mental mistake by the Cards in the bottom of the ninth led to a Mets win. Tonight Steven Matz looks to get back on the right track. He is 2-3 over 7 games and 39.1 innings with a 4.58 ERA, 5.35 FIP and 1.347 WHIP. He is coming off the worst start of his career where he allowed 7 runs off 9 hits and a walk in 1.0 innings. In his last two starts he has allowed 12 runs over 5.1 innings. Only two Athletics have seen Matz in a game: Rajai Davis (1-3) and Adam Rosales (0-2).
The Mets get a look at rookie Paul Blackburn making his 4th career start. So far he is 1-0 over 3 games and 19.2 innings with an 1.83 ERA, 4.71 FIP and 1.119 WHIP. He is coming off his first statistically average start of the year where he allowed 3 runs off 5 hits and 4 walks in 6.0 innings. Previously he allowed only 1 run off 8 hits in 7.2 innings (which explains why his FIP and ERA is so different). Before being called up this year he was 5-6 over 79.2 innings with a 3.05 ERA in the minors.
Notes –
The Mets and Athletics met in the 1973 World Series. The A’s won Game SIx and Game Seven in Oakland to capture the series. Rusty Staub hit .423 with six RBI during the seven games.
New York is 3-2 vs. the AL this year. The Mets went 12-8 vs. the American League last year. Since 1997, when Interleague play began, the Mets are 181-166. The .522 Interleague winning percentage is the best all-time among NL clubs.
Reyes’ first walk-off RBI with the Mets came on April 13, 2005. Prior to yesterday, he had gone 12 years and 98 days between walk-off RBI with the Mets. That
is the longest span between walk-off RBIs for a player with a particular team since Ken Griffey, Jr. with the Mariners. Griffey, Jr.’s last walk-off RBI with his first stint with Seattle came on September 19, 1995. His next one with Seattle came 13 years, 327 days later on August 12, 2009.
Let’s Go Mets!
