Series Thread: LA Dodgers @ NY Mets (7/23-26)

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

The Amazin's play a 4 gamer at home against Fred Wilponzi's favorite team...


NEW YORK METS (49-46, second place/NL East) vs. LOS ANGELES DODGERS (54-42, first place/NL West)

Thursday: RHP Bartolo Colon (9-8, 4.86) vs. LHP Clayton Kershaw (7-6, 2.68), 7:10 p.m. ET

Friday: LHP Jonathon Niese (5-8, 3.36) vs. RHP Zack Greinke (9-2, 1.30), 7:10 p.m. ET

Saturday: RHP Matt Harvey (8-7, 3.19) vs. TBA, 7:10 p.m. ET

Sunday: RHP Jacob deGrom (10-6, 2.18) vs. LHP Brett Anderson (5-5, 3.33), 1:10 p.m. ET


• Series Preview: New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers - Mets Blog - ESPN

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Watch us put up 7 runs against Greinke and then shit the bed the rest of the series.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Watch us put up 7 runs against Greinke and then shit the bed the rest of the series.

Sounds about right. 1-3 on the series. Maybe 2-2 if deGrom gets some run support Sunday.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

New York Mets Morning Briefing: Bring on Kershaw, Greinke! - Mets Blog - ESPN

FIRST PITCH: Following a disheartening trip to open the second half, things do not exactly get easier for the New York Mets at Citi Field.

After losing series against the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals and the NL East-leading Washington Nationals on the road to open, the Mets return home to face the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.

And whom do the Mets face in the opening two games of the series? Let's just say it does not bode well for their anemic offense.

Clayton Kershaw (7-6, 2.68 ERA) opposes Bartolo Colon (9-8, 4.86) in Thursday's 7:10 p.m. series opener. Kershaw is 5-0 with a 1.58 ERA in eight career starts against the Mets.

The Mets then will face Zack Greinke on Friday. Greinke will take a scoreless streak that has reached 43 2/3 innings into the start.

Backup catcher Anthony Recker is due to start the opener as Colon's batterymate. Manager Terry Collins is hoping to get Colon on track after recent struggles by pairing him with the catcher with whom the veteran righty has enjoyed the most success this season.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

• Although Collins expressed hope Michael Cuddyer will be able to re-enter the lineup Thursday to face Kershaw, Cuddyer sounded pessimistic. A DL stint, which could pave the way for prospect Michael Conforto's promotion, will have to be considered soon if Cuddyer remains unable to play because of an ailing left knee. Read more in the Post and at NJ.com.
  
  
• Dom Amore in the Hartford Courant catches up with Conforto during the B-Mets' visit to New Britain this week.
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  • Acquiring Ben Zobrist from the Oakland Athletics has "virtually no chance" of materializing, columnist Bob Klapisch writes in the Record. The Mets are interested in Milwaukee's Gerardo Parra and San Diego's Will Venable, but not fellow Padre Justin Upton, Mike Puma writes in the Post. Columnist Joel Sherman in the Post expects the Mets to attempt to trade second-tier prospects such as Gavin Cecchini and Rafael Montero for the likes of Parra, Ryan Raburn and Juan Uribe. The Mets are uninterested in acquiring Boston's Shane Victorino, WEEI.com's Rob Bradford tweets.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Until the Wilponzi ownership ends their ridiculous austerity philosophy, and Sandy Alderson the GM, along w/ his cohorts are no longer complacent...and TC the "manager" stops making boneheaded decisions during games...this team will remain mired in mediocrity, and will not be able to get to the next level anytime soon.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

To say this current 10 game home stand (4 w/ LAD, 3 w/SD, & 3 w/ Wash) is simply huge, would be doing it an injustice.

It's beyond huge in it's importance.

It's Enormously Crucial...and Absolutely Vital.

We need to go 6-4 or better just to maintain pace in the division, and in the wild card hunt heading into the trade deadline, and the dog days of August.



*This has been a NYM fan's public service announcement.

- Capt. Obvious...over & out.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

NEW YORK (7/23)-- Here are the lineups for Thursday's 7:10 p.m. ET series opener between the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field.



Mets

Curtis Granderson, RF

Ruben Tejada, SS

Wilmer Flores, 2B

John Mayberry Jr., LF

Eric Campbell, 3B

Lucas Duda, 1B

Juan Lagares, CF

Anthony Recker, C

Bartolo Colon, RHP



Dodgers

Joc Pederson, CF

Justin Turner, 3B

Adrian Gonzalez, 1B

Andre Ethier, LF

Yasmani Grandal, C

Yasiel Puig, RF

Kike Hernandez, 2B

Jimmy Rollins, SS

Clayton Kershaw, LHP

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

We need the good version of Colon in this one....not the one who has troubles and seems to always labor right out of the gate in the 1st inning or 2.

Also...if we take an approach against Kershaw like that of the SF Giants....then we can do this.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Rollins solo HR in the top of the 3rd....

1-0, LA.

Probably all Kershaw will need today.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Not meaning to nit pick...but this ump isn't giving Colon the same parts of the strike part that he's giving to Kershaw....

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Flores goes down looking at 3 straight pitches below the knees....

Mets still sans a hit or baserunner through 4.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Kershaw still perfect through 5.
Mets "hitters" not applying the SF Giants way to approach him....

This game is flying by.....

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Mets have absolutely nothing thru 6....18 up/18 down.


I'd sit Soup and bring in Murphy.... and either Lagares or Mayberry jr for Kirk...just to mix things up some....and screw the silly righty vs. the lefty by the book crap...

You almost have to take a nonorthodox stance against someone like Kershaw....

This makes yesterday's collapse even more of a blunder.....ugghhhh

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Already stretch time in Queens....
Still a 1-0 score.
Colon has actually pitched an awesome game...(just the 1 mistake to Rollins in the 3rd)

The training staff should break out the smelling salts to wake the mets batters up....

Jeeeezzzz.....something.....anything.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Hooray......a hit.

Grandy singles to right, leading off the home 7th....

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Wow....Flores 1 out single.....Mets have 2 ducks on the pond...

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Mayberry....who should've been PH for strikes out swinging.

Now it's on Soup w/ 2 outs....


...but he grounds out to end the inning.



Those last 2 AB's belonged to Kirk & Murphy....but I digress.....

onto the 8th...

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Some good news so far from Pittsburgh...

The Pirates are leading 4-1 in the bottom 6th against the Nats.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Kershaw at the plate w/ 2 down in the 8th....
Colon should pluck him hard on the knee or the hands....