Sunday, September 3, 2017 • 2:10 p.m. (ET)
Minute Maid Park • Houston, TX
RHP Chris Flexen (3-3, 6.89) vs. RHP Mike Fiers (8-9, 4.55)
SNY • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050 AM
Both games yesterday were quite Mets for different reasons. In the first game, Matt Harvey struggled in his return from the DL allowing seven runs over two innings. Not helping matters – Tommy Milone allowed three runs over 2 2/3 innings immediately after him. Normally that wouldn’t be a big deal but the Mets offense went off thanks to a flurry of homers and they ended up losing 12-8. In the second game, things were going great for Seth Lugo until the sixth and then he just fell apart allowing four runs. That’s all the Astros needed. Making the game even more “Mets,” Flores got injured in a freak accident fouling a ball off his face. 2017 has been a career season for him and all of us here wish him a speedy recovery.
METS LINEUP
- Jose Reyes – 2B
- Norichika Aoki – RF
- Asdrubal Cabrera – 3B
- Travis d’Arnaud – DH
- Dominic Smith – 1B
- Amed Rosario – SS
- Brandon Nimmo – LF
- Kevin Plawecki – C
- Juan Lagares – LF
ASTROS LINEUP
- George Springer – DH
- Alex Bregman – 3B
- Jose Altuve – 2B
- Carlos Correa – SS
- Josh Reddick – RF
- Cameron Maybin – CF
- Tyler White – 1B
- Juan Centeno – C
- Tony Kemp – LF
So Chris Flexen goes out to the mound today. He is 3-3 over seven games and 32 2/3 innings with a 6.89 ERA, 6.90 FIP and 1.990 WHIP. Hats off to the FIP/WHIP stats here for supporting the old school ERA stat well. He is coming off his worst start of the season allowing seven runs over 4 2/3 innings against the Reds. Before that he was on a better run allowing two runs in two of his last three starts.
The Mets bats draw Mike Fiers who is 8-9 over 26 starts and 144 1/3 innings with a 4.55 ERA, 5.42 FIP and 1.351 WHIP. He is leading the league in hit batters with 12 as well. This is relevant because in last night’s game there was a little tit-for-tat between the two teams. If he hits someone today, hopefully the Mets realize that its probably not because of a retaliation campaign but more this is what Fiers does. He is also coming off his worst start of the season where he allowed eight runs over four innings against Texas. A few Mets have seen Fiers before:
- Aoki 6-for-14, 2 2B, HR, BB
- Reyes 3-for-8, BB
- Flores 1-for-2, BB
- Lagares 0-for-3
- Milone 0-for-2 (If Milone takes an AB in an American League Park then this is the most bizarre Mets season in history)
- Plawecki 1-for-1
NOTES:
Dominic Smith slugged his fourth home run of the year yesterday in the first game of the doubleheader. Smith went 3-8 with a double, homer and three RBI in the doubleheader. Smith has eight RBI in his last 11 games.
Norichika Aoki went 1-for-5 in the second game of the doubleheader. He’s the 13th Japanese-born player to play for the Mets. Aoki, who was released by Toronto on Aug. 29, hit .274 (64-for-234) with 13 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 27 RBI and 32 runs scored in 83 games combined between the Blue Jays and Houston Astros this year. The 5-9, 180-pounder has hit .305 (222-for-727) during his career vs. left handers.
Jose Reyes has hit in eight straight games, going 12-for-29 (.414) with a .514 OBP and four doubles dating to August 13. It is the longest hitting streak for Reyes since also hitting in eight consecutive games in Aug. 9-18, 2015 with Colorado. The last time he had a longer hitting streak was June 2-14, 2015 (11 games). Reyes is five extra-bases behind Darryl Strawberry (469) for second place on the club’s all-time list. David Wright is first with 658.
Amed Rosario has four home runs in 107 at-bats in the majors after hitting seven homers in 393 at-bats at Las Vegas (AAA) this season. Rosario is hitting .283 (15-53) with two home runs and four RBI over his last 14 games. Rosario was named the Pacific Coast League’s top rookie this year. In his first year at Triple-A, he hit .328 (5th in the PCL), with seven home runs, 58 RBI, 66 runs scored and 19 stolen bases. He was named to the mid-season and end of year All-Star team.
Let’s Go Mets!
