Series Thread: Atlanta Braves @ New York Mets 4/18-4/20

[Johnnydollaz89]

Jonathan Niese vs Aaron Harang to open the series at 7:05 tonight!

Chris Young is back tonight and either Captain Kirk or Andrew Brown will be demoted to make room on the roster.

Grandy is also back tonight as well!

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

They ought to keep both Brown & Capt. Kirk and send Satin to Vegas...(do we need three first basemen?)
Satin will probably stay because he has the bonus of also being able to play 3B.
I'm pretty sure all 3 of them are getting low on their up/down options though...
AB & Kirk are both high energy players..... and we need lots of that... but whoever goes down will be back up soon enough anyhow.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Morning Briefing: Home sweet home? - Mets Blog - ESPN New York

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

They ought to keep both Brown & Capt. Kirk and send Satin to Vegas...(do we need three first basemen?)
Satin will probably stay because he has the bonus of also being able to play 3B.
I'm pretty sure all 3 of them are getting low on their up/down options though...
AB & Kirk are both high energy players..... and we need lots of that... but whoever goes down will be back up soon enough anyhow.

Agreed

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

SERIES PREVIEW:

Associated Press/USA TODAY Sports.....Identical to the series at Turner Field, the Mets face Aaron Harang, Ervin Santana and David Hale this weekend in Queens.

METS (8-7, third place/NL East) vs. ATLANTA BRAVES (10-5, first place/NL East)

Friday: LHP Jonathon Niese (0-1, 3.46) vs. RHP Aaron Harang (2-1, 0.96), 7:10 p.m. ET

Saturday: RHP Bartolo Colon (1-2, 6.00) vs. RHP Ervin Santana (1-0, 0.64), 7:10 p.m. ET

Sunday: RHP Zack Wheeler (1-2, 4.76) vs. RHP David Hale (0-0, 2.89), 1:10 p.m. ET

Braves short hops

• Jason Heyward faces Jonathon Niese for the first time since the Mets southpaw drilled the right fielder and fractured his jaw with a 90 mph fastball last Aug. 21 at Citi Field. Heyward now wears a protective flap attached to his helmet.

Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports..Jason Heyward's last visit to Citi Field resulted in a broken jaw via an errant fastball from Jon Niese.




This season, Heyward is only 1-for-18 against left-handed pitching. The hit came on April 13 with a double against Washington’s Gio Gonzalez.

Heyward remains in the leadoff spot despite hitting .136 overall after an 0-for-4 performance Thursday at Philadelphia that included a pair of line-drive outs. Three of his eight hits on the season came against Zack Wheeler on April 9.

• Closer Craig Kimbrel experienced shoulder soreness during an appearance Saturday and has not appeared in a game since. He threw a 15-pitch bullpen session Wednesday and “felt great,” manager Fredi Gonzalez told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Right-hander David Carpenter converted Monday’s save in Philadelphia. Carpenter had a 1.78 ERA in 2013.

• Shortstop Andrelton Simmons struck out for the first time this season Thursday. The strikeout, against Philadelphia’s A.J. Burnett, came in Simmons’ 48th plate appearance this season. With Simmons no longer K-less, St. Louis’ Shane Robinson has the most plate appearances this season of any MLB player with no strikeouts -- a measly 10.

• Evan Gattis is hitting .588 (10-for-17) with three homers, six RBIs and a 1.765 OPS in his past four games. With Brian McCann’s defection to the Yankees, Gattis exclusively has caught this season. Gattis started 47 games in left field and four games at first base in 2013.

• Left fielder Justin Upton is the reigning NL Player of the Week. He had four homers during that period, including a two-homer game against Jenrry Mejia.

• Braves starting pitchers have an MLB-best 1.58 ERA this season. Oakland starters rank second at 2.48.

• Ervin Santana threw 20 straight strikes to open his Braves debut, against the Mets at Turner Field. He then limited the Phillies to one run on four hits while matching a career high with 11 strikeouts on Monday. Santana’s 0.64 ERA ranks second in the National League.

Santana signed for one year, $14.1 million on March 12 after Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy both suffered spring-training elbow injuries and ultimately required Tommy John surgery.

• Aaron Harang, who finished last season with the Mets, has the third-best ERA in the NL, at 0.96. The Braves unexpectedly dumped Freddy Garcia on March 24 and signed the 35-year-old Harang for a rotation spot. Harang took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning in Milwaukee in his Braves debut. Harang had been released by the Cleveland Indians late in spring training.

• Ex-Mets reliever Pedro Beato, claimed off waivers by the Braves on April 2, was demoted to Triple-A Gwinnett six days later, during the series the Mets took two of three at Turner Field.

• Left-hander Mike Minor, on the DL with shoulder tendinitis, should be activated next week, after one more rehab start. Right-hander Gavin Floyd, signed by the Braves in December after spending seven seasons with the Chicago White Sox, also is on a rehab assignment as he nears a return from Tommy John surgery.

• First baseman Freddie Freeman ranks fourth in the NL with a .389 batting average.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Here you go, Jd89.....lol

Matt Harvey, Rangers cheerleader - Mets Blog - ESPN New York

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Mets/Braves friday night lineups 4/18

http://espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?id=340418121

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Breaking News:

The #Mets have acquired RHP Zack Thornton & a player to be named later from the Pirates in exchange for Ike Davis.

 

[bravesfan]

Good thing the series is in New York, because the weather sucks down here

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

from adam rubin's twitter....

There's also a player to be named later, so let's see before judging harshly.

Two potential explanations after hearing Thornton's name: PTBN is solid, or Mets want to free up some money for another maneuver.

Exec with another MLB team labeled Zack Thornton a soft tosser and noted he was passed over by 29 clubs -- including Mets -- in Rule 5 draft

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

both teams go down 1-2-3 in the 1st.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Yikes.... Niese struggles through the 2nd...but only allows 1 run...

 

[obxyankeefan]

Breaking News:

The #Mets have acquired RHP Zack Thornton & a player to be named later from the Pirates in exchange for Ike Davis.

Will Thornton be on the 25 man?

Exec with another MLB team labeled Zack Thornton a soft tosser and noted he was passed over by 29 clubs -- including Mets -- in Rule 5 draft

A rule 5 draft player must be kept on the 25 man all year, problely a lot of the reason the Mets passed on him.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

I like d'Arnaud, but I'd much rather see Recker getting the bulk of starts at this point....

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Will Thornton be on the 25 man?

Exec with another MLB team labeled Zack Thornton a soft tosser and noted he was passed over by 29 clubs -- including Mets -- in Rule 5 draft

A rule 5 draft player must be kept on the 25 man all year, problely a lot of the reason the Mets passed on him.

I can only hope Sandy has another pending move up his sleeve....

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

FFS.....Niese not nice today...1st and 2nd (single, walk) no outs.....Freeman up.

...but somehow induces him to GIDP......runner at 3rd.

....and proceeds to strikeout J Upton.

WOW... too much drama in the early going..

LGM!!!

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

NEW YORK -- The Ike Davis saga is over in New York.


The New York Mets traded the enigmatic first baseman to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, in exchange for right-handed reliever Zack Thornton and a player to be named later.


The deal was announced just a few minutes prior to the Mets' game against the Atlanta Braves.



Davis was made available to reporters outside the Mets clubhouse as the game got underway.
"Honestly, it's a little weird," Davis said. "I've been with the Mets organization for a long time, and made some really good friendships and stuff like that. That's the toughest part, I think."
"I really had a blast in New York. I made my dreams come true, childhood dreams come true, playing in the big leagues here. But it's just a stepping-stone. It happens to a lot of people, getting traded. Now I'll go help my team in Pittsburgh."

Thornton, 25, was pitching for the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis. He will report to the Mets' Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas.
The Mets filled Davis' spot on the 25-man major league roster with outfielder Chris Young, who was on the disabled list.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Niese with a strong 3rd....allows a 1 out hit then ends up K'ing the side.....


LGM....get some base runners and runs....

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Ughhh...... mets still hitless thru 4.