MMO Game Thread: Mets at Athletics, 3:35 PM

This afternoon, the Mets look to salvage a game in their two game series against the Oakland Athletics. The Mets send Zack Wheeler (8-8, 3.49) to the hill against Jeff Samardzija (5-9, 2.96).

In his last start, Wheeler earned his fifth straight win in the Mets’ 3-2 victory against the Cubs on August 15th at Citi Field. In that game, he pitched 6.2 innings, allowed four hits, two earned runs, and four walks, while tying a season-high with 10 strikeouts. It was the third double-digit strikeouts game of Wheeler’s career.

Wheeler has made nine straight starts without a loss (5-0 in decisions). The last Mets pitcher to have such a streak was Matt Harvey, who had a 13-game stretch without a defeat in 2013.

Travis d’Arnaud has four home runs and two doubles over his last 12 games. He has at least one hit in nine of those 12 contests.

Starting Lineup

Granderson-DH
Murphy-4
Wright-5
Duda-3
d’Arnaud-2
den Dekker-8
Flores-6
Nieuwenhuis-9
Young, Jr.-7
Wheeler-1

The Mets play the second game against the Athletics tonight looking to move behind yesterday’s lack of offense. Earlier in the season, the Mets swept a two game set of the Athletics at home, and right now they are at risk of being swept in a two game set against the Athletics on the road. Wheeler gets the nod for the Mets tonight. On the season he is 8-8 over 25 starts and 147.0 innings with a 3.49 ERA.In his last 9 starts he has logged 58.0 innings with 54 K’s and a 2.02 ERA. Earlier this season he faced the Athletics and it was a clunker of a start where he allowed 6 ER over 2.0 innings. The A’s have the following numbers against Wheeler:

Crisp 1-2
Donaldson 1-2
Jaso 1-1
Moss 1-2, HR
Callaspo 1-1

Jeff Samardzija gets the nod for the Athletics tonight. He is 3-2 over 8 starts with a 3.21 ERA for the Athletics and overall on the season he is 5-9 over 25 starts with a 2.96 ERA. In the month of August he pitched 19.1 innings over three starts with a 3.26 ERA. He hasn’t faced the Mets since 2012 and back then he allowed 12 ER in 11.1 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Jeff: