Daniel Murphy hit two home runs, Scott Hairston hit a grand slam and the Mets offense had a banner day in their 17-1 win against the Cubs

Game Recap

Jonathon Niese had a great outing, allowing one run on eight hits while walking one and striking out six in seven innings. Niese consistently drew weak contact, and after allowing a second inning run, settled in to hold the Cubs scoreless for the next five innings. With the offensive eruption, Niese was afforded a large margin for error. Ramon Ramirez pitched two mop-up innings, allowing one hit in two innings while striking out two. A quality pitching effort from the Mets staff today.

Now, for the true story of the day – the Mets offensive. Daniel Murphy broke his home run drought stretching to July 2011 by hitting two home runs, Ike Davis added a three run homer and for good measure Scott Hairston hit a grand slam to add to the ever growing score on the Mets side of the scoreboard. Every Mets starter got on base, and only Lucas Duda didn’t manage a hit, but walked three times on the day. Scoring 17 runs on 16 hits with ten extra base hits is a great way to win.

Notes

Andres Torres stole his fifth base in four games, going absolutely crazy on the basepaths. As long as Kirk continues to struggle, Torres will see more time in the outfield.

Lucas Duda may only be hitting .258, but his OBP is nearly 100 points higher at .349 and his ability to not be rendered ineffective against lefties does add to his value.

Ike Davis has homered in three of his last five games, all while finally raising his average to .201. This season will more then likely wind up with Ike hitting below .270, but the improvements in June and patience seem to be paying off now

Player Of The Game

Daniel Murphy went 3 for 5 with two home runs, two runs scored and four RBI. Murphy may be showing some signs of life at the plate, and if he can keep going in the right direction, then the Mets will be significantly better on the offensive side of the ball.

On Deck

The Mets will travel to Los Angeles to begin a series against the now-floundering Dodgers. The Mets will send Chris Young (1-1, 3.42) to the mound against former Met Chris Capuano (9-2, 2.60). Game time is 10:10 P.M.