Final touches at Kauffman Stadium for 2016 Season Opener; Mets vs Royals
It’s finally here! Opening Day!
It’s a different Opening Day for the Mets. First off, it’s at night. Second, it’s an inter-league game. Finally, it’s an MLB first as the two combatants of the World Series face off to open up the season. That said, the Mets ended Spring Training on a winning note with the starting pitching, bullpen and bats all in sync and ready to roll. More importantly, tonight they start to play some real baseball.
The Mets are literally picking up where they left off in 2016 opening up in Kansas City against the Royals team that beat them in the World Series. The scene of the crime. You can watch all the action tonight on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball at 8:37 PM.
Making the first Opening Day start of his career, RHP Matt Harvey will take the mound for the Mets against he will be opposed by RHP Edinson Volquez for the Royals in a rematch of the last year’s Fall Classic.
New York Mets
- Curtis Granderson, RF
- David Wright, 3B
- Yoenis Cespedes, LF
- Lucas Duda, 1B
- Neil Walker, 2B
- Michael Conforto, DH
- Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
- Travis d’Arnaud, C
- Juan Lagares, CF
Kansas City Royals
- Alcides Escobar, SS
- Mike Moustakas, 3B
- Lorenzo Cain, CF
- Erik Hosmer, 1B
- Kendrys Morales, DH
- Alex Gordon, LF
- Salvador Perez, C
- Omar Infante, 2B
- Reymond Fuentes, RF
During the regular season last year, Matt Harvey had a 13-8 record over 29 starts and 189.1 innings with a 2.71 ERA and 188 strikeouts. It was by all accounts, the best season for a pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery in MLB history.
The Mets’ ace pitched 6.0 innings in the first game of the World Series allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out two. In the second contest – Game 5 – he pitched 8.0 innings, allowing two earned runs while striking out nine. The Royals have the following numbers against Harvey:
- Cain 2-6
- Escobar 1-7
- Hosmer 1-5, 2B
- Moustakas 2-6
- Perez 1-6
- Gordon 0-3
- Infante 2-4
Edison Volquez was 13-9 last season making 33 starts (34 total games) in the regular season, reaching 200.1 inning with a 3.55 ERA. He matched up against Harvey in each of his two World Series starts. In the first game he allowed 3 ER over 6.0 innings while striking out 3 and in his second start he allowed 2 runs, 1 earned over 6.0 innings while striking out 5 (with 5 walks). The Mets have the following numbers against Edison:
- Wright 3-19
- Granderson 2-13, 2 HR
- Walker 3-17, 2B
- Duda 4-11, 2B
- Cabrera 4-13, HR
- d’Arnaud 1-10
- Cespedes 2-9
I am returning for my ninth year with Metsmerized Online, the best Mets fan community on the web. It’s my pleasure to bring you a Game Preview for all 162 regular season games this year and hopefully 11 more in the post season!
Let’s Go Mets!
