IGT 05/27 - Buccos at Metsies

[Guest d'Kong76]

Pittsburgh at NY Mets
When: 7:10 PM ET, Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Where: Citi Field, New York City, New York
SportsDirect Inc.

A sputtering offense and a leaky bullpen have combined to put the New York Mets into a freefall but the team made a pair of moves to address each of those issues. The Mets fired batting coach Dave Hudgens and released veteran reliever Jose Valverde following a 5-3 loss to the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. Lamar Johnson will take over as the hitting coach for New York, which carries a dismal 7-17 record in May into Tuesday's matchup with the Pirates.

Mets captain David Wright was among those unhappy with Hudgens' dismissal, saying: "We, as players, are the ones up there not getting the job done." Pittsburgh has experienced many of the same struggles that have plagued New York this season, but the Pirates are in the midst of their best stretch with five victories in the last six games. Pittsburgh kicked off a 10-game road trip by scoring five runs in the final two innings of Monday's win to improve to 7-14 away from home.

TV:
7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), WPIX (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Pirates RH Edinson Volquez (2-4, 4.37 ERA) vs. Mets LH Jonathon Niese (3-3, 2.70)

Volquez is coming off one of his best outings of the season, limiting Washington to one run on three hits over six innings to snap a five-start winless drought. It was a needed bounce-back effort for Volquez, who had yielded 20 runs in his previous four turns after giving up a combined seven runs in his first five appearances. Volquez is 1-5 with a 7.11 ERA in seven career starts against the Mets, including an 0-3 mark at Citi Field.

Niese was tossing a gem last time out before surrendering a two-run homer in the seventh inning, but still earned the win over the Los Angeles Dodgers with three runs and four hits allowed in seven frames. Niese has yet to allow more than three earned runs and has pitched at least six innings in seven of nine outings. Niese has made four starts versus Pittsburgh, posting a 2-1 mark and 4.70 ERA

WALK-OFFS:
1. Volquez has labored away from home, logging an 0-2 mark and surrendering seven homers in only 18 1/3 innings.
2. The Mets recalled RHP Vic Black from Triple-A Las Vegas to take Valverde's place.
3. The Pirates lead the majors with 16 pinch-hit RBIs after collecting a pair in the series opener.

[Guest sharpie]

Them:
1. Josh Harrison ® 3B
2. Jose Tabata ® RF
3. Andrew McCutchen ® CF
4. Gaby Sanchez ® 1B
5. Russell Martin ® C
6. Starling Marte ® LF
7. Neil Walker (S) 2B
8. Clint Barmes ® SS
9. Edinson Volquez ® P

Us:
1. Juan Lagares ® CF
2. Daniel Murphy (L) 2B
3. David Wright ® 3B
4. Curtis Granderson (L) LF
5. Bobby Abreu (L) RF
6. Lucas Duda (L) 1B
7. Anthony Recker ® C
8. Ruben Tejada ® SS
9. Jon Niese (L) P

[Frayed Knot]

First PH up: Jacob deGrom

[Benjamin Grimm]

If deGrom keeps hitting, will there be an outcry to have him start four of five games at shortstop?

[Edgy MD]

That's a lot o' lefties, 2-thru-6.

Looks like Chris Young has fallen into a platoonio situation with Abreu.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: That's a lot o' lefties, 2-thru-6. Looks like Chris Young has fallen into a platoonio situation with Abreu.

Tejada Flores too somewhat.

I'd rather den Dekker get some looks.

[Edgy MD]

He will, I'm sure. Once the team starts getting some hits to drop in.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: He will, I'm sure. Once the team starts getting some hits to drop in.

He can help keep the other guys' hits from dropping in.

[Edgy MD]

I'm sure he can, and will.

[Edgy MD]

Bad storms strafing up the east coast.

[Zvon]

Lagares is sooooooooooooooooooooooo smooth.

[Edgy MD]

He's already earned his start. Anything over 0-4 is gravy here.

Anywutz, we usually tag Edison Volquez. Let's do it again.

[Zvon]

McCutchen might be smooth. But Marte surely is not and makes them both look bad.

[Edgy MD]

Could McCutcheon have been more demonstrative in calling for that?

Still, the ball got away from him before the collision. Not that I wouldn't have dropped it with the leftfielder bearing down on me like that.

[Zvon]

Edgy MD wrote: Could McCutcheon have been more demonstrative in calling for that? Still, the ball got away from him before the collision. Not that I wouldn't have dropped it with the leftfielder bearing down on me like that.

Booth says they don't think Marte could hear him. The crowd does sound a little louder tonight. Lil bit.

Great DP as Grandy grabs the hard liner (runner on 1st was off and running) and hurls the ball to first from left. Very nice.

[Edgy MD]

Grandy steals a couple of outs.

You really shouldn't get doubled up if that play is front of you.

[Zvon]

Edgy MD wrote: Grandy steals a couple of outs. You really shouldn't get doubled up if that play is front of you.

Shhh. When the other team does it, its okay.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

"Take that, Johnny."

-McCutchen

Lamar's certainly selling the company line re: focusing on "your pitch."

[Edgy MD]

That catch McCutcheon made makes Yasuil Puig look silly.

This is a fun game. The centerfielders are like Bernard King and Isaiah Thomas answering and answering back.

[Edgy MD]

The game seems to just be happening slower for Abreu.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

That, ladies and gents, is a professional f*cking hitter.

[Zvon]

I was afk for the catch. Just saw the replay on MLB.TV (have it on TV, WPIX too, time diff is about a full minute!) and it was a great catch. Both he and Puig can cover some ground.

Hey! We scored!

[Frayed Knot]

Pirates are already several mound conferences over my newly imposed limit of one per inning.
When I'm king, the remote laser gun comes out when this happens and somebody's gettin tased.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Fifty Cent is doing a pretty decent job of charming his way through the echoes of a terrible first pitch.

[Zvon]

Albums still "drop"?

Bucs have runners on the corners. 2 out. DO NOT let them answer back Niese!

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Grooved fastball to Sanchez, and... well, another night, FormerlyHawky... another night.

[Zvon]

I may have to go TV- Rangers / PC-ballgame. Montreal scored, 1-0, 1st.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

HEYHEYHEY. Some of us are DVRing, fella.

[Zvon]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: HEYHEYHEY. Some of us are DVRing, fella.

Oh shit, sorry. Mums the word from here out.

[Zvon]

Laggy! Big RBI double!

2-0