Most of the buzz around the Mets indicates that adding a starting pitcher remains a low priority for the team. And knowing the Mets, that means any starter will probably be cheaper than even their usual clearance-rack prices.

Despite the lack of urgency to improve the rotation, the Mets could really benefit from adding a Bartolo Colon-esque veteran starter. They could use the kind of guy who maybe isn’t a star, but can eat innings and stay off the DL. Outside of Jacob deGrom Noah Syndergaard and perhaps Seth Lugo, they don’t have anyone they can count on to start on a consistent basis. Matt Harvey had a 6.70 ERA last season. Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler are too injury prone to be counted on. And Rafael Montero… Well, let’s not even go there.

Anyway, the Mets are probably going to have to resort to a minor-league deal for a starter — if they even decide to sign one. Here are 15 guys who should fit that bill:

Anibal Sanchez– Sanchez led the American League in ERA in 2014, with a 2.57 mark. It has subsequently risen to 3.43 in 2014, 4.99 in 2015, 5.87 in 2016, and 6.41 in 2017. What happens in 2018 — if anything — remains to be seen.

Ubaldo Jimenez– This name has generated some speculation due to Jimenez’s history with Mickey Callaway: He pitched with the Indians from 2012-13. In 2012, Jimenez went 9-17 with a 5.40 ERA, leading the league in losses. Once Callaway came to the team in 2013, Jimenez went 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA. So Callaway oversaw a solid improvement here.

Jimenez has been downright awful over the last two seasons, recording a 6.13 ERA since 2016. Perhaps Callaway can turn him around again.

Ricky Nolasco– Nolasco went 6-15 with a 4.92 ERA last season. But on the bright side, he’s made at least 30 starts in each of the last two seasons.

Chris Tillman– Tillman might actually get a major-league deal, given the fact that he’s approaching his age-30 season, and his decent track record in the major leagues. But his 7.84 ERA last season might not do him any favors in that department. Tillman had a 3.81 ERA and 108 ERA+ from 2012-2016, so he would be a terrific bounce-back candidate on a one-year deal.

Matt Garza– The former Rays-ace has a 5.10 ERA since 2015. That means he’ll be cheap which in turn means he’s probably on the Mets’ radar.

Hector Santiago– A 2015 All-Star, Santiago had a 5.63 ERA in just 14 starts in 2015. Much like Tillman, Santiago is a solid age-30 bounce-back candidate.

R.A. Dickey– It’s widely believed that the 43-year-old will retire. But if he doesn’t, the Mets should strongly consider a reunion with Dickey: He recorded a 4.26 ERA last year, and has made at least 26 starts every year since 2010. His price and consistency make him a perfect fit for the Mets.

Clay Buchholz– Buchholz made just two starts last season for the Phillies, letting up ten runs in 7.1 innings. He doesn’t really make sense for the Mets, who don’t need another injury-prone starter.

Wade Miley– Miley has largely been unable to find the success he had early in his career with the Diamondbacks: He’s got a 4.59 ERA since 2014. But he did make 32 starts and pitch 157.1 innings last year, so he is capable of eating up innings.

Scott Feldman– Coming into his age-35 season, Feldman recorded a 4.77 ERA and 92 ERA+ for the Reds last season. He recorded ERA’s under four in the three seasons prior to that, however, so he’s a pretty solid bounce-back candidate.

Derek Holland– The former Ranger has been consistently awful since 2015, recording a 5.50 ERA over the last three seasons. He’ll probably be looking for a minor-league deal going into his age-31 season.

Jake Peavy– Peavy, 37, is planning a comeback after spending last year out of baseball. When he last pitched in 2016, he was 5-9 with a 5.54 ERA and a 4.36 FIP — which could indicate Peavy was a victim of bad luck. He was effective as recently as 2015, when he went 8-6 with a 3.58 ERA.

Tim Lincecum– Lincecum spent last season out of baseball, and had a 9.16 ERA in 2016. Which means the Mets may actually be able to afford him.

Henderson Alvarez– The former Marlins ace made three starts at the end of last season for the Phillies — his first MLB appearances since April of 2015. Alvarez looked like a potential star in the making for Miami in 2014, when he went 12-7 with a 2.65 ERA and 140 ERA+. He might not be a terrible reclamation project, although the Mets need more stability in the 2018 rotation.

Bartolo Colon- It looked last season as though the game had passed Bartolo by. He finished with a 6.48 ERA — the worst of his 20-year career. But if there’s anything left in the tank for the 44-year-old, a return to Flushing may be the best place to find it. Colon, however, might latch on with the Texas Rangers before too long as reports say a deal is close.

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An MMO Fan Shot by John Sasso

Editors Note: This Fan Shot was written before the Mets announced they had signed Bartolo Colon. There’s still some value here and I hope you appreciate the work John put into this.

With the recent trade of Jon Niese, the Mets enter the 2016 season needing a fifth starter. With realistic playoff aspirations a cut above the typical minor league free agents should be a priority, while the eventual return of Zack Wheeler should preclude shopping on the higher end of the free agent market. With the escalating costs of mediocre back end starters (Mike Pelfrey, two-years, $16 million?) shopping for bargains has gotten a lot more difficult.

Listed below are the options that are readily available that I arbitrarily decided should get a major league contract at or below $10 million.

Bartolo Colon – The “BIG Sexy”; his signing was widely criticized at the time, yet all he did was provide family fun entertainment while pitching 397 innings. While he ate up some of the leagues weaker lineups he did provide some gems when the team needed those most. What to expect in 2016 is the same lovable yet fallible pitcher we have watched over the last two seasons. Fangraphs has him getting 1 year, $10M

Mat Latos – Had a horrible 2015, but prior to that was an above average pitcher. A career low LOB% and a career high BABIP appear to be outliers, as his K/9, BB/9 and type of contact trended towards his career averages. He has gotten away from using the slider, throwing less than 20% of the time for the first time in his career, in favor of what Fangraphs is classifying a splitter. A solid rebound candidate, who with a season under Dan Warthen could improve his stock going into a much less crowded FA class in 2016. Fangraphs is a bit overly optimistic in my view at 2 years and $22 million, I have him at one year with a $6 million guarantee and incentives that can bring it up to $10M.

Tim Lincecum – The former multi-Cy Young winner has been a shell of his former self since 2011. The last few years have seen him reduced to a back end starter/long man. Recovering from hip surgery, he is expected to hold a showcase next month to demonstrate his progress. It doesn’t sound hopeful that he will be ready by opening day. Fangraphs has him at 1 year, $6M

Cliff Lee – Another former Cy Young winner on the mend, Lee has recently been given the all-clear by doctors that he is healthy enough to pitch in 2016. I haven’t heard of a showcase on schedule, but it would be a safe assumption one will be announced shortly. He reportedly wants to sign with a winning team. Jon Heyman recently tweeted “probably gets more than you’d think” in regards to the salary expectations. Not listed among the Fangraphs top 82, I would expect a $3M base with heavy incentives based on starts and innings pitched.

Henderson Alvarez – Has up to a dozen teams showing interest. He has youth and the recent track record that justify the amount of attention he is garnering at the moment. Though with the expectation that he will miss the start of the 2016 season, and with shoulders being less reliably rebuilt than elbows (ask Johan) Alvarez doesn’t fit what the Mets need. He was due to make around $4M in arbitration before he was non-tendered, a deal in that range should still be enough to bring him in.

Justin Masterson – The enigmatic starter hasn’t touched 200 IP since 2012, and hasn’t performed above league average since 2013. He reportedly has as many as five suitors. Masterson’s stuff can be tantalizing, even if the results are incongruous. I imagine most pitching coaches believe they can fix him, which then leads me to comp him to Zambrano, which is enough to scare me away. Somehow got $9.5 last season, anything more than $5M would be an overpay.

Doug Fister – Another decent pitcher who had a down season in 2015. Fister signing on a one year deal to put himself back on the market next offseason makes a ton of sense. The velocity dip is cause for concern, especially for a pitcher who never threw that hard to begin with. He appears to have a fair amount of teams looking at him to rebound, probably just enough to price him out of a typical rebound contract. I think he signs a 1 year, $10M somewhere, a little too rich for my taste.

Bronson Arroyo – He was always a frequent target during the 2013 and 2014 off-seasons. At the time, the big selling point was his consistent health and durability. All of that changed with TJS in 2014. Traded twice this previous season, he finds himself on the mend and looking for work. I would imagine at his advanced age, playing for a winner would be among his top priorities. He could conceivably replace Colon’s production, just not as entertaining. A major league contract could be enough to bring him into camp Let’s say $1 million with lots of incentives.

Brandon Morrow – A very enticing arm at one time, never really needed “fixing” it’s just he has never been able to stay healthy. He is once again coming back from injury with a timeline to begin throwing shortly, a deal similar to last season’s, leaning heavily on incentives with minimal cash guarantee appears to be his ceiling.

Five years ago one could have built a rotation that would be the envy of the league with this list, but today it doesn’t add up to much. The volatility of a pitcher’s health is all the more reason to have additional arms on hand to start the year. Most teams typically use about 7-8 different starting pitchers in a season. In 2015, the Mets used ten. While we all hope to see all of the Mets’ Big 5 in the rotation at the same time this season, the probability of that happening for a long duration is probably overly optimistic.

Logan Verrett, Rafael Montero, and Sean Gilmartin could all be in the equation. I for one would feel better about the depth if Verrett and Gilmartin are starting at Triple-A Las Vegas in case they are needed at some point while Wheeler mends. I have seen enough Carlos Torres spot starts over the last few years to know I don’t want to deal with him for a few turns through the rotation.

With all that said I am actually in favor of bringing in two of the above pitchers. While a return of Colon appears to be in the bag, I would lean towards Latos at a lower cost and a higher upside, and I like Morrow knowing the very real possibility he likely ends up in the bullpen.

* * * * * * * *

This Fan Shot was contributed by John Sasso. Have something you want to say about the Mets? Share your opinions with over 30,000 Met fans who read this site daily.

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RHP Jacob deGrom makes his spring debut and starts opposite Atlanta Braves right-hander Mike Foltynewicz at 1:10 p.m. at Tradition Field.

Meanwhile in Jupiter, LHP Steven Matz goes up against against Miami Marlins right-hander Henderson Alvarez at 1:05 p.m.

Mets vs Marlins

1. Juan Lagares, CF
2. Curtis Granderson, RF
3. Michael Cuddyer, LF
4. Brandon Allen, 1B
5. Eric Campbell, 3B
6. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, DH
7. Ruben Tejada, 2B
8. Johnny Monell, C
9. Matt Reynolds, SS

Dillon Gee is scheduled to relieve in the road game as the Mets get him prepped for that role.

Mets vs Braves

1. Matt den Dekker, CF
2. Dilson Herrera, 2B
3. David Wright, 3B
4. John Mayberry Jr., 1B
5. Travis d’Arnaud, DH
6. Wilmer Flores, SS
7. Michael Conforto, LF
8. Kevin Plawecki, C
9. Cesar Puello, RF

2014 first-round pick Michael Conforto makes his Grapefruit League debut. Tune in to WPIX11 and MLB Network at 1:05 ET for split-squad game against the Braves at Tradition Field.

The post Split Squad Game Thread: Mets at Marlins, Mets vs Braves appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Second baseman Dilson Herrera had a big day at the plate on Monday against the Miami Marlins. Herrera blasted a solo home run, his first, against Henderson Alvarez in the third. Then he lined a two-run triple against Sam Dyson in the sixth.

Herrera, 20, did commit two errors, giving him three in four games.

It would be an understatement for me to sit here and say there were tons of things to look forward to at this point in the Mets season. Although on Thursday night, when I learned that Herrera was being promoted, I was as excited as I’d ever been all season.

Herrera as everyone around in the Mets community knows by now, was having tremendous success in the minor leagues this season.  Playing the first part of the season in St. Lucie, Herrera was hitting .307 before being promoted to Double-A Binghamton.  There was no slowing down at the higher level, in fact he was enjoying more success, and power, which earned him the opportunity to skip Las Vegas and slip into the Mets lineup.

I was elated when the starting lineup was posted on Friday, and I saw Herrera was penciled into the number seven spot.

It is hard for any of us to imagine what it would be like as a 20-year old, to make your major league debut at home.  Herrera’s first career at-bat showed a little bit of how he was feeling as he offered on the first pitch he saw, grounding into an inning-ending double play.  From there you could tell he might be settling in a bit.  Although he ended the night 0-for-3, the best thing about baseball is you get to go out and do it all again tomorrow.

Saturday, Herrera looked a bit more comfortable at the plate.  Making decent contact in his first at-bat, then drawing a walk in his second, we certainly baby steps to what was to come.  Dilson picked up his first major league hit in the bottom of the seventh inning, splitting the left side of the infield making its way to left.  At first I thought that the Mets, who were down 6-0 at the time, would scratch their first run across, then I saw it was Lucas Duda running.  Dilson’s first career RBI would have to wait.  The proverbial monkey was off his back.

In the series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, Herrera made his final at-bat of the game count.  It wouldn’t be until the top of the ninth that we found out just how important it was.  With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Dilson, who already scored his first major league run earlier in the day, took a pitch from Phillies reliever Justin De Fratus and hit it up the middle scoring Kirk Nieuwenhuis from third.  At the time the Mets were up 5-4, so Herrera’s first major league RBI gave them a enormous insurance run that they ending up needing.  Our beloved Mets escaped with a 6-5 win.

Monday’s 2-for-4 performance speaks for itself.  His first career home run off Henderson Alvarez, and his first career triple have left me eager with anticipation about what more there is to come from this exciting young player.

For those of you that missed it, or if you just want to admire it again, here’s a video of Herrera’s home run. Enjoy.

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The Mets open a three game series against the Marlins beginning with a Labor Day matchup in Miami at 1:10 PM. Zack Wheeler  (9-9, 3.44) starts for the Mets, while Henderson Alvarez (10-6, 2.75) pitches for the Marlins.

Bobby Parnell says he won’t throw off a mound until after Christmas. He will remain in Florida through the Winter rehabbing and tossing flat-ground sessions until then. The Mets closer says he’s feeling great.

Terry Collins confirms that rookie righthander Rafael Montero will make at least one major league start later this month.

Starting Lineup

1. Juan Lagares – CF
2. Curtis Granderson – RF
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Lucas Duda – 1B
5. Travis d’Arnaud – C
6. Matt den Dekker – LF
7. Dilson Herrera – 2B
8. Wilmer Flores – SS
9. Zack Wheeler – RHP

Fresh off of a series win against the Phillies, the Mets look to end the season with their first game in the last month against Miami. Today, Wheeler takes the mound. On the season he is 9-9 over 27 starts and 159.2 innings with a 3.44 ERA. He has three starts in a row where he has allowed exactly 2 earned runs (although multiple more total runs due to defense behind him) totaling to a 2.79 ERA over 19.1 innings with 20 K’s. On the year he has made four starts against the Marlins he is 2-0 with a 0.65 ERA over 27.2 innings and 31 strikeouts. The Marlins have the following numbers against Wheeler:

• Stanton 1-12
• Hechavarria 2-14, 2B
• Jones 1-12
• McGehee 4-9, 2B
• Yelich 1-10
• Ozuna 1-11, 5 K
• Salty 1-8, 6 K

Henderson Alvarez is 10-6 with a 2.75 ERA over 25 starts and 157.0 innings. Overall on the season he has been fantastic, which earned him a start in the All-Star game. However in his last two starts he has allowed 9 ER over 12.1 innings. He is last poor start before that was back on July 11th where he allowed 6 ER over 8 hits and 5.0 innings against the Mets who have the following numbers against him:

• Granderson 4-25, 2B, 7 K
• Wright 9-19, 2 2B, HR
• Duda 3-18, HR
• E Young 2-13, 2B
• d’Arnaud 4-12
• Lagares 2-7, 2 2B
• den Dekker 2-3, 2B

Lets Go Mets!

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The Mets (42-50) open a three-game series against the Miami Marlins (44-47) at Citi Field on Friday at 7:10 PM. Zack Wheeler (4-8, 4.07 ERA) gets the start for the Mets and will be opposed by Henderson Alvarez (6-3, 2.27 ERA) for Miami.

In his last start, Wheeler earned the win in the Mets’ 8-4 victory over the Rangers on July 6 at Citi Field. He pitched 6.1 innings, allowed six hits, one earned run, and two walks while striking out four. It was his first win at home since August 20, 2013 against the Braves. Wheeler has gone 6.1 innings and allowed one run in each of his last two starts

David Wright is hitting .344 (21-61) with a hit in 15 of his last 16 games. He has 11 RBI in his last 16 games, including three home runs. Over his last 14 starts, the Mets are 9-5.

Curtis Granderson has four home runs and seven RBI over his last nine games. He was hitting .116 after the game on April 22 but since that time, Granderson is batting .266 with a .378 OBP. He is tied for third in the National League with 53 walks.

Ruben Tejada is hitting .289 (37-128) with a .397 on-base percentage since May 25. He has reached base safely in 32 of his last 38 games, and has 38 walks, this third-most by a major league shortstop.

Starting Lineup

1. Curtis Granderson – RF
2. Daniel Murphy – 2B
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Lucas Duda – 1B
5. Travis d’Arnaud – C
6. Kirk Nieuwenhuis – LF
7. Juan Lagares – CF
8. Ruben Tejada – SS
9. Zack Wheeler – RHP

The Marlins come to town tonight. The Mets are coming off a series win against the Rangers and a series win against the Braves. They look to keep the winning ways going with the Marlins with Wheeler on the mound. Wheeler is 4-8 on the season over 18 games and 101.2 innings with a 4.07 ERA. In his last two starts he has pitched 12.2 innings allowing 2 ER, 7 BB and 8 K’s. This season he has made three starts against the Marlins allowing only one earned run over 21.0 innings while striking out 25. The Marlins have the following numbers against Wheeler:

• Stanton 1-10
• Hechavarria 0-11
• Jones 1-9
• McGehee 3-6
• Yelich 0-7
• Ozuna 1-8
• Mathis 0-4

Henderson Alvarez makes the start for the Marlins. On the season he is 6-3 over 18 starts and 115.0 innings with a 2.27 ERA. He also leads the league in complete games and complete game shutouts at 3. He has been on a tear of late pitching 9 games over 60.1 innings with 35 strikeouts and only 7 ER, a 1.04 ERA. He is 2-0 against the Mets this year with a 0.84 ERA allowing only 2 ER over 21.1 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Alvarez:

• Granderson 4-22, 2B
• Murphy 6-19, 3 2B
• Wright 6-16, 2 2B
• Duda 2-15
• E Young 2-13, 3B
• d’Arnaud 4-9

Lets Go Mets!

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The Mets will try to even up the series when they on the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night at 7:10 PM at Marlins Park. Bartolo Colon (2-4, 5.65 ERA) takes the mound for the Mets and will be opposed by Henderson Alvarez (1-2, 3.28 ERA) for the Fish.

Colon tossed 4.2 innings and allowed 10 hits and seven earned runs against the Rockies in his last start. The veteran righthander has allowed 48 hits and 23 earned runs over his first six starts as a Met. He has never allowed more earned runs over his first six starts of a season in his 17 year career.

Juan Lagares had his career-high 13-game hitting streak snapped last night when he came in as a late defensive replacement and then popped out in his only at-bat. The streak was the longest by a Mets player in his first or second  season in the majors since David Wright had a 15-game  hitting streak in July 2005. Lagares hit .339 (19-56) during the streak.

The Mets bullpen is 5-5 with a 4.27 ERA which ranks 13th in the National League. The pen has allowed 10 earned runs in its last 12.1 innings (7.30 ERA). They now have seven blown saves in 13 save opportunities, the 28th worst save percentage in the majors.

Starting Lineup

1. Juan Lagares – CF
2. Daniel Murphy – 2B
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Curtis Granderson – RF
5. Chris Young – LF
6. Lucas Duda – 1B
7. Travis d’Arnaud – C
8. Ruben Tejada – SS
9. Bartolo Colon – RHP

Game Preview

The Mets had a frustrating night in Miami yesterday. They went up 3-0 early but saw the 3-0 lead slip to 3-3 in the bottom of the 8th. One bad inning from the pen, which for the most part has been quite good this year, erased Niese’s night. To some degree, it was amazing in the 8th the Mets only allowed 3 runs. Sadly the Mets couldn’t keep the door open in the 9th as the Marlins walked off with the W. Colon will get the start for the Mets today as he faces off against Henderson Alvarez.

Colon struggled in his last start with his record falling to 2-4 with a 5.65 ERA over 6 starts pitching 36.2 innings with 23 earned runs. However when his last start (7 ER, 4.2 innings) and the start are removed, he has allowed only 7 ER over 28 innings, so when he was bad, he’s bad, when he’s good, he’s good. In his career he is 2-1 against the Marlins over 19.0 innings with a 4.26 ERA. The Marlins have the following numbers against Colon:

• R Johnsons 4-14
• Salty 4-15, 2B, HR
• Jones 0-2
• Mathis 0-3

Henderson Alvarez is 1-2 over 6 starts and 35.2 innings this year with a 3.28 ERA. In his last two starts he has allowed 6 ER over 12.0 innings of work including 2 ER over 6.0 innings against the Mets back on 4/25. The Mets have the following numbers against the Henderson:

• Granderson 3-15, 2B
• Murphy 2-12, 2B
• E Young 2-9, 3B
• L Duda 1-9
• Wright 4-9, 2B
• d’Arnaud 3-6

Lets Go Mets!

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The Mets, fresh off taking three of four from the defending National League champion St. Louis Cardinals, take on their division rival Miami Marlins beginning tonight at Citi Field.

Zack Wheeler (1-2, 4.63 ERA) opposes right-hander Henderson Alvarez (1-2, 2.66) in the 7:10 PM series opener.

Wheeler is throwing a first pitch strike 59.4% of the time in 2014, compared to 52.0% of the time in 2013. He is looking to earn his first home victory of the season against the Marlins tonight. He is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two previous home starts this season.

After pitching 6.0 or more innings just twice in his first six major league starts, Zack Wheeler has tossed 6.0 or more innings in 11 of his last 15 starts. This year he has pitched 6.0 or more frames in three of his first four starts.

Second baseman Daniel Murphy has hit safely in nine of his past 10 games, batting .326 (14-for-43) with eight runs scored and just five strikeouts during the stretch. He ranks second on the Mets with a .291 batting average, 11 runs scored, three stolen bases, 25 hits and four doubles.

Eric Young Jr. has stolen 10 bases in 11 tries so far this season. Entering 2014, he had swiped just nine bags in 129 career plate appearances in April.

Mets starters have allowed three runs or fewer in 10 straight games and have a 1.84 ERA over 63.2 innings pitched in that span.

Starting Lineup

1. Eric Young Jr., lf
2. Curtis Granderson, rf
3. David Wright, 3b
4. Daniel Murphy, 2b
5. Chris Young, cf
6. Lucas Duda, 1b
7. Travis d’Arnaud, c
8. Ruben Tejada, ss
9. Zack Wheeler, rhp

Game Preview

Only three games left on the 10 game homestand! The Mets played well and took 3 of 4 games from the Cardinals this week to go into the weekend two games above .500 and now the Marlins come to town. There are a few notable similarities between the two teams. First, as of late, the Mets and Marlins have been playing well. Second, the Mets struggle at home. The Marlins struggle on the road. Zack Wheeler looks to keep the streak going against the Marlins as he squares up against Henderson Alvarez.

Wheeler is 1-2 over 4 starts this season with a 4.63 ERA over 23.1 innings walking 8 and striking out 21 batters. In his last two starts here has tossed 12.1 innings with a 3.65 ERA, 6 walks and 9 strikeouts. Last year he faced the Marlins once where he pitched a no decision allowing 2 runs, 3 hits over 7.0 innings while walking 3 and striking out 5. The Marlins have the following numbers against Wheeler:

• Hechavarria 0-3
• Johnson 1-3, 2B
• Mathis 0-3
• Solano 1-3
• Stanton 0-2
• Yelich 0-3

Henderson Alvarez is 1-2 over 4 starts with 2.66 ERA and 23.2 innings of work while walking 7 and striking out 14. Alvarez is coming off of a gem complete game shutout where he walked no one, allowed 2 hits and walked 4. He was also great against the Mets where he was 2-0 over 1.26 ERA pitching 14.1 innings allowing 10 hits, 2 ER, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Granderson 3-12, 2B
• Murphy 1-9
• E Young 1-6, 3B
• Duda 1-6
• Wright 2-6, 2B
• Abreu 1-3
• d’Arnaud 1-3

Lets Go Mets!

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The Mets clinched their fifth consecutive losing season after they were beaten by the Marlins 3-0 this afternoon at Citi Field. It was the third shutout loss for the Mets in this homestand.

Five straight losing seasons is the fourth-longest streak in franchise history. The only streaks longer: seven from 1962-68 and 1977-83, and six from 1991-96.

Carlos Torres limited the Marlins to two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out a career-high eight in six innings.

Frank Francisco left the game after being struck on the right thumb on a come-backer by Logan Morrison.

We’ll have a full recap of all today’s action after the second game.

Jacob Turner (3-6, 3.43) will oppose Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-3, 8.00) at 7:35 PM.

Game 2 Mets Lineup

1. Eric Young, Jr. – LF
2. Juan Lagares – RF
3. Daniel Murphy – 2B
4. Lucas Duda – 1B
5. Wilmer Flores – 3B
6. Matt den Dekker – CF
7. Anthony Recker – C
8. Ruben Tejada – SS
9. Daisuke Matsuzaka – RHP

Doubleheader Preview

The Mets stopped their slide last night with a 4-3 win against the Marlins and today they try to make it three wins with a doubleheader sweep. Fans that come to the ballpark today will be treated to Carlos Torres followed by Daisuke Matsuzaka as they face off against Henderson Alvarez and Jacob Turner.

Carlos Torres looks to get back on the right track. On the season he is 3-4 with a 3.53 ERA over 66.1 innings. In his last start he allowed 6 ER over 4.0 innings and his previous two starts he allowed 4 ER over 13.0 innings. He has only pitched one inning against the Marlins this year and it was a quiet inning. The Marlins have the following numbers against the Torres:

Hill 0-3
Polanco 0-3
Stanton 0-2
Morrison 0-1
Pierre 1-1

In the first game the Mets will get a look at Henderson Alvarez who is 3-4 with a 4.34 ERA over 13 games and 74.2 innings. In the month of September he has pitched 10.0 innings with 8 ER. In one start against the Mets this year he allowed 2 ER in 7.1 innings of work. The Mets have the following numbers against Alvarez:

Murphy 1-6
Young 1-3, 2B
Baxter 3-3, 2B, 3B
Duda 0-3
Lagares 0-2

In the second game today, the Mets will go with Matsuzaka who finally had a good start his last time out pitching 5.2 innings allowing one run, 3 walks and 6 strikeouts. As a Met he’s 0-3 over 4 starts pitching 18.0 innings with an 8.00 ERA. In his career he has had one start against the Marlins allowing 4 ER in 5.1 innings of work. The Marlins have the following numbers against him:

Polanco 2-9
Mathis 1-11
Dobbs 1-3
Stanton 1-2, HR

In the nightcap, the Mets will try to deal with Jacob Turner who is 3-6 over 18 games with a 3.43 ERA and 107.2 innings. In his last four starts he is 0-2 while allowing 13 ER over 20.1 innings which is a 5.75 ERA. He is 1-0 against the Mets in 13.1 innings with a 2.03 ERA (3 ER). The Mets have the following numbers against Turner:

Murphy 3-10
Duda 2-7
Tejada 1-7, 2B
Lagares 0-3

Lets Go Mets!

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Jonathan Niese was terrific and the Mets found some much-needed power in tonight’s 4-3 victory over the Marlins.

After Niese and Brad Hand traded perfect firsts, the scoring got underway quickly in the second. Giancarlo Stanton led off with an absolute shot to left, but Andrew Brown returned fire in the bottom of the frame with a jack of his own.

The game was quiet again until the fifth, when Donovan Solano brought in Ed Lucas with a double down the line to bring the score to 2-1 Marlins.

The Mets would not go away however, as Lucas Duda hit a three run bomb to put them on top 4-2. It was Duda’s 13^th of the year.

After allowing a lead off home run to Stanton in the seventh (his second of the game), Niese got one more out before allowing the single which would knock him out of the game. Niese was apparently very frustrated, and he walked off the field muttering some not-so-nice words.

Anyway, Niese threw a very solid game: 6.1 IP, 6H, 3ER, 0BB, 7K.

Scott Atchinson relieved Niese, and retired Solano and Koyle Hill to end the frame.

Vic Black and Pedro Feliciano combined for a scoreless eighth and LaTroy Hawkins tossed a perfect ninth to end the Mets’ four-game skid. They now stand at 65-81.

The series continues tomorrow at 4:10 when Henderson Alvarez faces off against Daisuke Matsuzaka.

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