Series Thread: NY Mets @ AZ Dbacks (8/15-17)

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

• Morning Briefing: Now get some payback!


NEW YORK -- Now that’s more like it.

For the first time since July 6-7, the New York Mets have won consecutive games.

They now try to get some revenge against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a three-game series at Chase Field. The D-backs swept the Mets at Citi Field last week.

Bartolo Colon (10-6, 3.35 ERA) opposes left-hander Robbie Ray (5-11, 4.57) in Monday’s 9:40 p.m. ET opener in Phoenix.

Arizona was routed 16-2 on Sunday at Fenway Park and was swept in a three-game series in Boston after departing Queens.

The Mets are embarking on a three-city, 10-game trip. After a three-game series in Phoenix, the Mets make stops in San Francisco and St. Louis.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

• Mets-Diamondbacks preview


The Mets and Diamondbacks will begin a three-game series Monday at Arizona, a quick turnaround after the Tuesday-Thursday series in Citi Field last week.

Collins challenged the Mets' effort after they were outscored 17-5 in the series. Arizona trailed in only one of the 27 innings, that's when the Mets scored in the first inning of the series opener.

"I know one thing -- there's got to be a passion to come and play," Collins told reporters after the Diamondbacks finished the sweep in a 9-0 shutout Thursday behind rookie right-hander Braden Shipley.

"You owe a responsibility to our fan base, the organization and yourself to respect this game to come out and grind it out. ... You're going to get beat and you're going to get beat bad sometimes. But you need to pick yourselves up and move on. ... Starting (Monday), we're going to get after it. And those who don't want to get after it, I will find somebody else who does, because in Las Vegas there's a whole clubhouse filled with guys who want to sit in this room."

Arizona left-hander Robbie Ray will face right-hander Bartolo Colon in the first game of the series Monday, a rematch of Arizona's 3-2, 12-inning victory last Wednesday and the next start for each. Ray gave up three hits with no walks in seven scoreless innings in that one. He did not walk a batter, a career first in games he had pitched into the seventh.

Colon gave up only one run, that coming after Jean Segura stole second base in the third inning, took third on a throwing error by the catcher and scored on Paul Goldschmidt's single.

Colon is attempting to become the 18th pitcher in major league history and the third this season to beat all 30 teams. The D-backs are the only team he has not beaten in a career that began in 1997. Cubs right-handerJohn Lackey and Nationals right-handed Max Scherzer did it this season. Colon is 0-1 with a 3.20 ERA in three career starts against the Diamondbacks.

Arizona stole 13 bases in 15 attempts in the series, tied for the third-most in the majors in a three-gamer series since the Diamondbacks began play in 1998. Only Miami (17, 2000) and Texas (14, 2010) had more.

The Diamondbacks got three quality starts in the Mets' series, the first time that had happened since they had four quality starts in a four-game sweep at Philadelphia from June 17-20.

Arizona starters gave up 23 runs (17 earned) in 8 2/3 innings against Boston, and left-hander Patrick Corbin was moved to the bullpen after giving up eight runs (four earned) Friday. Corbin (4-12) leads the majors in losses and earned runs (82) in his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery that cost him the 2014 season.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Bartolo Colon has beaten every team except the Diamondbacks during his major league career. If he earns the win on Monday night at Chase Field, he will become the 18th pitcher in MLB history to defeat all 30 clubs. Colon opposes left-hander Robbie Ray at 9:40 p.m. ET

Terry Collins said he is going to leave Yoenis Cespedes in left field when he is activated from the disabled list, which is expected to occur Friday in San Francisco. Cespedes began a rehab assignment as the DH on Monday night with Class A St. Lucie. The plan is to have him play the next two games in left field for the Florida State League club. Cespedes then is due to fly across the country and meet the Mets in California on Thursday, a day ahead of his activation. After trying to play through a right quadriceps strain for a month, Cespedes landed on the DL on Aug. 4.

Asdrubal Cabrera's rehab assignment is due to begin on Tuesday with Class A St. Lucie. He will serve as the designated hitter with the Florida State League club that day, then resume playing shortstop. Cabrera is actually eligible to return from the disabled list on Tuesday, but the hope is that he may be activated from a knee injury during the weekend series in San Francisco. "He's basically a day behind [Yoenis] Cespedes," assistant GM John Ricco said.

Although GM Sandy Alderson said he plans to engage Neil Walker's representatives in talks about an extension before season's end, those discussions apparently have not started. "To my knowledge no conversations have happened," assistant GM John Ricco said Monday. Walker, who may leave the Mets this week for a one- to three-day paternity leave, is hitting .444 (32-for-72) with five homers and 13 RBIs in his last 18 games. His wife Niki is due with the couple's first child on Tuesday in Pittsburgh.

The Mets have shown no interest in trading for Carlos Gomez during the designated for assignment process. It's unlikely their posture will change assuming Gomez ultimately becomes a free agent, unless some unexpected event at the major league level with the Mets creates a need. The Mets may get righty-hitting center fielder Justin Ruggiano back from the DL later this week. Ruggiano begins a rehab assignment later on Monday with Las Vegas.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

NY Mets lineup for Monday's 9:40 p.m. ET opener against left-hander Robbie Ray and the Diamondbacks at Chase Field:

Reyes, SS
Granderson, CF
Walker, 2B
Bruce, RF
Flores, 1B
TJ Rivera, 3B
Kelly, LF
D'Arnaud,
C Colon, RHP

 

[mrwallace2ku]

Hi I'm Bob...1 hr of sobriety.

Quick Q...Will Bartelo be able to keep his junk down low enough tonight?

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

"Real nice" way to start the road trip.....YUCK!!!

Seems our old buddy Chip Hale sure has TC's/Mets number....

Castillo's 4 hits lead D-backs over Mets 10-6



Wonder if Collins gets the Wilie Randolph "treatment" while the team is out here on the west coast?

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

• Morning Briefing: Back to .500

PHOENIX -- The New York Mets again are a .500 club.

Now, Noah Syndergaard (9-7, 2.75 ERA) opposes Arizona Diamondbacksright-hander Braden Shipley (2-1, 2.96) on Tuesday at 9:40 p.m. ET.

Syndergaard is 0-4 with a 3.78 ERA in his last six starts. He has averaged 18.5 pitches per inning during that span.

• With baby girl due today, Neil Walker on fire for Mets

PHOENIX -- The hottest hitter with the New York Mets expects to be absent from the lineup soon. He happily will be excused.

Second baseman Neil Walker's wife Niki is expecting the couple's first child, a baby girl, on Tuesday. So when Walker gets the call, he plans to fly home to his native Pittsburgh, ideally in time to be present for the birth.

"I wish that we were in a place a little bit closer, but it's the hand we're dealt right now, and we're going to deal with it," Walker said Monday, as the Mets opened a series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Mets lineup for Tuesday's 9:40 p.m. ET game against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field:

Reyes, SS
Granderson, LF
Walker, 2B
Bruce, RF
Loney, 1B
Johnson, 3B
De Aza, CF
R Rivera, C
Syndergaard, RHP

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Here is the updated Mets lineup with Neil Walker scratched with a recurrence of lower-back stiffness.




Reyes, SS
Granderson, LF
Bruce, RF
Loney, 1B
Johnson, 2B
TJ Rivera, 3B
De Aza, CF
R Rivera, C
Syndergaard, RHP

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Here's what Yoenis Cespedes said through a team official after playing seven innings in left field for Class A St. Lucie on Tuesday: "I feel perfect. I'm going to play nine innings in left field tomorrow for St. Lucie and then hopefully join the team in San Francisco."

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Asdrubal Cabrera went 1-for-3 with a double and run scored and logged four innings at shortstop on Tuesday with Class A St. Lucie in his first rehab game. Terry Collins has expressed hope Cabrera will rejoin the Mets this weekend in San Francisco.

After playing four innings at shortstop for Class A St. Lucie in his first rehab game since suffering a strained patellar tendon in his left knee, Asdrubal Cabrera said through a team official: "I felt really good. I felt comfortable running the bases and in the field. I plan on playing seven innings at short tomorrow."

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

THOR!!!

•Syndergaard homers, gets win as Mets beat Arizona 7-5

•Noah Syndergaard swings his way into Mets record book

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Terry Collins on dropping slumping Curtis Granderson to No. 6 in the order on Wednesday: "I'm just trying to take a little off Curtis' plate right now. ... He's playing out of position." Granderson recently has been asked to man center field.

Neil Walker remains with the Mets on Wednesday, so no baby news yet. His absence for a second straight game is related to his lower-back issue.

Yoenis Cespedes and Asdrubal Cabrera both logged six innings for Class A St. Lucie on Wednesday. Cespedes went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored. Cabrera went 1-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored. Cespedes' rehab assignment should now be complete. He is expected to fly to San Francisco on Thursday and be activated on Friday. Cabrera a day or 2 after that.

• Mets shut down Wheeler for 2 weeks after setback

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Mets lineup for Wednesday's 9:40 p.m. rubber game against the Diamondbacks.
Curtis Granderson drops to sixth. Neil Walker ( back) remains out of the lineup.

Reyes, SS
Johnson, 3B
Bruce, RF
Loney, 1B
T.J. Rivera, 2B
Granderson, LF
D'Arnaud, C
De Aza, CF
Niese, LHP

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

I don't understand how or why Collins, Warthen & Long are still allowed to keep their jobs with this team...
..Is Sandy just staying complacent and saying fuck it all right now because it doesn't matter?...Or is he in denial and latching on to that same old tired lame injury excuse again???

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Disgusting!

And it'll only get worse in SF & St.Louis....

Tomas, Weeks lead D-backs over Mets

Reinforcements on way as Mets drop rubber game to lowly D-backs

 

[The Derski]

Dbacks look awesome against the Mets and terrible against everyone else.