MMO Game Thread: Dodgers vs Mets, 8:05 PM (ESPN)

Sunday, May 28, 2016 • 8:08 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, N.Y.
LHP Clayton Kershaw (7-1, 1.48) vs. RHP Bartolo Colon (4-3, 3.44)
ESPN • WOR 710 AM • ESPN 1050 AM

Well last night was, interesting. The night started off with a beautiful ceremony to recognize the 1986 Mets. Then came the game and things went down hill quickly. Syndergaard threw a pitch behind Utley, which under any other circumstance where teams have tension, would have resulted in a warning to both benches.

However there was an umpire who was inexperienced behind the plate and he immediately tossed Syndergaard. I’ve watched a lot of baseball and I’ve never seen such a quick pull of the ejection trigger. Anyway the Dodgers went on to score a bunch of runs, Utley did most of the damage, and it all leads up to tonight’s rubber match.

Team Notes:

Noah Syndergaard may be used out of the bullpen for an inning on Tuesday. He will make his next start on turn Friday in Miami.

Newly acquired first baseman James Loney will be activated during the White Sox series on Tuesday, when the Mets face right-handed starting pitcher Mat Latos. Loney was acquired from the Padres on Saturday for cash.

Mets Lineup

Curtis Granderson, RF
Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
Yoenis Cespedes, LF
Neil Walker, 2B
Juan Lagares, CF
Wilmer Flores, 3B
Kevin Plawecki, C
Eric Campbell, 1B
Bartolo Colon, RHP

Dodgers Lineup

Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Joc Pederson, CF
Howie Kendrick, RF
A.J. Ellis, C
Clayton Kershaw, LHP

Bartolo Colon and Clayton Kershaw have combined to win 343 games (Colon-222, Kershaw-121) and strikeout 4,120 batters (Colon-2,279 Kershaw-1,841). The duo has won four Cy Young Awards (Kershaw-three, Colon-one). Among active pitchers they rank 1-2 in shutouts (Kershaw-14, Colon-13).

Clayton Kershaw is 7-0 with a 1.17 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 10 career regular season starts vs. New York. He went 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA vs. the Mets in last year’s NL Division Series. Kershaw tossed a three-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts vs. the Mets earlier this season on May 12 at Los Angeles.

Bartolo Colon is 4-3 over 10 games and 9 starts with a 55.0 innings with a 3.44 ERA. He is coming off one of his strongest starts of the season after two not so good ones. Last time out he allowed 1 ER over 7.0 innings vs the Nationals. His one start against the Dodgers this year was not so good as he allowed 5 ER over 5 innings. The Dodgers have the following numbers vs Bartolo:

Crawford 6-36, 2 2B
Gonzalez 13-28, 2 2B, 3 HR
Kendrick 3-25
Utley 10-20, 2 2B, HR
Turner 1-12
Puig 0-9
Grandal 2-8, HR

Clayton Kershaw is Clayton Kershaw. He’s leading the league in ERA, again, for the 5th time in 6 seasons at 1.48 over a 7-1 record and 10 starts with 3 complete game shutouts and 79.0 innings. Currently he’s leading the league in innings (he did that last year too) and is leading the game in complete game shutouts at 3. He lead the league with 3 in that same category all of last season. All three complete game shutouts came in the month of May starting off with the Padres, then two starts later against the Mets and then his last start (also two starts later), the Reds. The Mets have the following numbers against the Mets: