Tuesday, April 10, 2018 • 7:10 p.m.
Marlins Park • Miami, FL
RHP Jacob deGrom (2-0, 1.54) vs. LHP Caleb Smith (0-1, 4.32)
SNY • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050
The 2017 Mets never won more than five games in a row. The 2018 Mets surpassed that already last night! The Mets won their sixth game in a row behind the same elements that have gotten them through each game so far this year: good to average starting pitching, a stellar (although sometimes stress inducing) bullpen and timely hitting. The Mets will look to make it seven games in a row tonight.
Mets Lineup
- Michael Conforto – RF
- Yoenis Cespedes – LF
- Wilmer Flores – 1B
- Todd Frazier – 3B
- Asdrubal Cabrera – 2B
- Kevin Plawecki – C
- Juan Lagares – CF
- Jacob deGrom – P
- Amed Rosario – SS
Marlins Lineup
- Derek Dietrich – LF
- Miguel Rojas – SS
- Starlin Castro – 2B
- Justin Bour – 1B
- Brian Anderson – 3B
- Lewis Brinson – CF
- Braxton Lee – RF
- Bryan Holaday – C
- Caleb Smith – P
Jacob deGrom makes his third start of the season tonight and will also look to be the first Mets starter this season to get into the seventh inning. He’s 2-0 over 11.2 innings allowing three runs off eight hits and four walks while striking out 12. That’s led to a 1.54 ERA, 2.00 FIP, 1.029 WHIP and 247 ERA+ in a super small sample size. In two starts against the Marlins last year, he allowed seven runs over 13.1 innings from 14 hits and a walk while striking out 21. The Marlins have the following numbers against deGrom:
- Dietrich 3-for-16, BB, 9 K
- Castro 4-for-13, BB
- Bour 6-for-12, 2B, HR, 2 BB, 3 K
- Rojas 3-for-13, BB
- Maybin 0-for-9, BB
The Mets bats draw former Yankee pitcher Caleb Smith tonight who will make his third start of the season. He is 0-1 over two games and 8.1 innings allowing four runs from six hits and nine walks while striking out 12. This has led to a 4.32 ERA, 4.95 FIP, 1.800 WHIP and 86 ERA+. Just for fun, early on he has a 13 K/9 and a 9.7 BB/9. He got into nine games for the Yankees last year, allowing 16 runs in 18.2 innings from 21 hits and 10 walks while striking out 18. In the minors last year between Double-A and Triple-A, he had a 2.31 ERA over 100.2 innings. He has never faced the Mets before nor has he faced any Mets while they were members of other teams.
Notes
Prior to today’s game, the New York Mets called up right-handed pitching prospect Corey Oswalt. In a corresponding move, outfielder Brandon Nimmo was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas.
Jacob Rhame became the fifth Mets rookie to earn a save in one of the team’s first 10 games of a season on Sunday. The four others: Bob Apodaca (1974), Rick Baldwin (1975), Mardie Cornejo (1978) and Orber Moreno (2004).
Jeurys Familia has five saves in the Mets first nine games, that is the most in team history and tied for the third-most in major league history. Only Armando Benitez (2004 with Florida) and Mike MacDougal (2003 with Kansas City) had more with six saves in their team’s first nine games. Familia leads the majors in saves and has tossed 7.0 scoreless innings this year.
Michael Conforto has collected one double, one home run and two RBI in four games. Conforto has drawn one walk in each of the four games and has a .438 OBP.
At 8-1, Mickey Callaway Is off to the best start for a manager in franchise history. Joe Torre started 7-1 after taking over in May, 1977. Elias notes that Callaway, 42, is the youngest former major league pitcher at the time of his debut as a manager since 1952, when 32-year old Fred Hutchinson was named player-manager of the Tigers.
New York’s pitching staff has allowed 24 runs through the first nine games, tied for the fifth fewest runs allowed through nine games in franchise history. The Mets’ +19 run differential is tied for the second-best in the NL this year and is the franchise’s fourth-best run differential ever through nine games. The Mets have allowed 24 runs this year, the fewest in the majors.
