I start this series preview as an angry Mets fan. Nothing, and I mean nothing, makes me madder as a fan than when a team plays down to the level of their competition. The Houston Astros shouldn’t have won 2 games against the Mets, let alone sweep them.
Everything was in the Mets favor heading into that series, and they laid down.
I’m not one to judge Terry Collins on little moves here and there. To me, he’s had his team playing above expectations for almost 2 years now. However, that series sweep is on him. It’s his job to make sure they play like a team that is better than a lowly Astros bunch.
So now, as I have been referencing in the past this is a huge test for this Mets team. The next 6 series’ are against teams everybody expects to be in a playoff race come August/September.
It all starts with Arizona tonight!
Friday, 7:10pm: Wade Miley v. Dillon Gee
The Mets will get a look at the April Rookie of the Month in Wade Miley. Miley has been almost unhittable in his first 5 outings.
He’s shown very good control thus far, walking only 7 batters in 21 innings of work. For a rookie that wasn’t in the rotation plans, that is pretty solid.
Can the Mets offense wake up finally? A young lefty with momentum is going to be a tough task for the Mets.
Dillon Gee is coming off a decent outing against Colorado. Gee has become a tad inconsistent with his starts though. He keeps the Mets in the game for sure, but he doesn’t really carry them. With the loss of Pelfrey, Gee’s role on this team has become much more important.
In 6 plate appearances, Justin Upton is hitting .400 with 1 HR against Gee.
Starting Lineup
- Ruben Tejada – SS
- Daniel Murphy – 2B
- David Wright – 3B
- Lucas Duda – RF
- Scott Hairston – LF
- Ike Davis – 1B
- Andres Torres – CF
- Josh Thole – C
- Dillon Gee – RHP
Saturday, 4:05pm: Patrick Corbin v. Johan Santana
This will be Corbin’s 2nd big league start, with his first one ending in a victory against Miami. Corbin is a product of the trade that sent Dan Haren to Los Angeles.
Corbin’s obstacle will be out pitching Johan Santana. No biggy right? Can we get Johan a win please? He’s pitching like the #1 they need him to be, but he’s got nothing to show for it. He’s 2-0 against Arizona with a 0.62 ERA.
Santana has pretty much dominated everybody on this Arizona team. You know he’s salivating with a W, so he may go out there and just take what is rightfully his rather than rely on anybody else.
I could go for a nice 8 inning outing by Johan.
Sunday, 1:05pm: Trevor Cahill v. R.A. Dickey
Cahill can be a very tough pitcher to face. He’s very streaky though. People sometimes forget that he is only 24 years old.
Probably because he was traded in a deal to get “younger.” Cahill has pitched very well in 3 out of his 5 starts this year. Atlanta and Philadelphia roughed him up for 4 earned runs each.
He’s coming off a very solid 7 innings of work, allowing just 1 run against Washington.
Dickey deserved better in his last start against Houston. However, he’s really 2 for 5 in my book. His Miami and Philadelphia starts were so much better than his other 3 in my book. He pitches very well at home, and I expect a solid outing here.
Series Summary:
Arizona caught a lot of us by surprise last year. They are still a pretty young team, but they have a winning attitude already. They tend to not give many games away too, so the Mets cannot get cute with letting any leads slip away.
Their bullpen is very good. Breslow, Hernandez, Shaw and Ziegler compile the best young bullpen in the league in my opinion. J.J. Putz has had 2 bad outings that contributed to his high 6 ERA, so do not let that fool you. This is not the Mets version of Putz.
The Mets have to attack the young arms early. If this series becomes a battle of the bullpens, I’m afraid Arizona is just too strong.
OVER/UNDER RUNS: (4-1 on the season) Tough break in Houston. I missed it by 1.5 runs. Tonight’s over/under is set at 7.5, which is low in my opinion. You have two very young starters up there and 2 offenses that have the ability to put up a big number. I am expecting a Santana ace like performance with little run support on Saturday, and then a close one on Sunday. So I’m setting it at 23, and taking the under.
METS POTS: If the Mets take 2 out of 3, I feel like the bullpen will come up huge.
KEEP YOUR EYES ON: Miguel Montero. Why? Because in the last 20+ years, Mets fans haven’t seen what it’s like to have a young all-star catcher and he’s just that good.
I’LL BE DRINKING A: Naughty Nurse. It’s brewed in Hartford by City Steam brewery and it is distributed to our local stores and it is dang delicious!
Enjoy the series, and let’s go Mets!
