MMO Game Thread: Dodgers vs Mets, 7:10 PM

The New York Mets begin a four game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday at Citi Field.

Bartolo Colon (9-8, 4.86 ERA) gets the starting nod for the Mets and will oppose reigning NL MVP Clayton Kershaw (7-6, 2.68 ERA). First pitch is at 7:10 pm.

Bartolo Colon is 3-0 with a 2.77 ERA (eight earned runs/26.0 innings) in his last four home starts dating to May 25. Overall, he’s 6-2 with a 4.18 ERA (26 earned runs/56.0 innings) in nine home starts this season.

Clayton Kershaw is 5-0 with a 1.58 ERA in eight career starts against the Mets. Kershaw allowed one run on five hits and two walks in seven innings in a no-decision against the Mets at Dodger Stadium on July 3. He has a 0.58 ERA over his past four starts.

Ex-Met Justin Turner is hitting .322 with 12 homers and 41 RBIs in 239 at-bats this season. He is now the Dodgers’ starting third baseman.

Michael Cuddyer remains out of the lineup but has yet to be placed on the disabled list. Daniel Murphy is also out of the lineup.

Mets Starting Lineup

Curtis Granderson – RF
Ruben Tejada – SS
Wilmer Flores – 2B
John Mayberry Jr. – LF
Eric Campbell – 3B
Lucas Duda – 1B
Juan Lagares – CF
Anthony Recker – C
Bartolo Colon – RHP

The Mets dropped 2 of 3 in Washington after a disappointing loss yesterday where the team couldn’t hold onto a lead late, and the offense couldn’t score more than a few runs. However today they look to start fresh against the Dodgers at home with Bartolo Colon on the mound.

Bartolo is 9-8 over 18 games and 109.1 innings with a 4.86 ERA. When Bartolo has a rough day on the mound, he really has a rough day on the mound and his last time out he allowed 7 ER over 4.1 innings against the Cardinals (the second time this year he has allowed at least 7 ER over 4.1 innings against The Cardinals).

Last year he allowed only 2 ER over 6.0 innings against the Dodgers on his way to a win, the Dodgers have the following numbers against Colon:

Callaspo 9-35, 3 2B, HR
Crawford 6-36, 2 2B
Rollins 6-25, 2B, HR
Kendrick 2-22
Gonzalez 9-21, 2 2B, 2 HR

The Mets get Clayton Kershaw (lucky us) who is 7-6 this year with a 2.68 ERA over 19 starts and 131.0 innings. He led the league in ERA from 2011 to 2014. He’s also in a very good stretch right now pitching 24.0 innings over his last three starts allowing 1 ER with 34 strikeouts.

His worst start of the three was against the Mets where he allowed 1 ER over 7.0 innings and only struck out 7. The Mets have the following numbers against Kershaw: