IGT 06/12 - Brewcrew at Metsies

[Guest d'Kong76]

For Keith, Edguardo, and John Lee:
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Milwaukee at NY Mets
When: 7:10 PM ET, Thursday, June 12, 2014
Where: Citi Field, New York City, New York
SportsDirect Inc.

The Milwaukee Brewers can become the second team in the National League to reach 40 wins when they wrap up an eight-game road trip in the finale of a three-game set versus the host New York Mets on Thursday. Milwaukee rode a strong pitching performance from Wily Peralta to knot the series with the Mets at one game apiece and sends out ace Kyle Lohse on Thursday. Catcher Jonathan Lucroy is riding a seven-game hitting streak that lifted his batting average to .341.

After creeping within a game of the .500 mark, New York has regressed with a 1-7 mark in its last eight games while failing to score more than four runs in any of the losses. One reason for the offensive ineptitude is the ongoing struggles of captain David Wright, who is mired in a 1-for-26 rut and doesn't have an RBI or an extra-base hit in the last eight games. Left-hander Jonathon Niese, one of the few constants this season, opposes Lohse in the series finale.

TV:
7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin, SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Brewers RH Kyle Lohse (7-2, 3.27 ERA) vs. Mets LH Jonathon Niese (3-3, 2.68)

Lohse had won a major league-best seven straight decisions, including a three-hit shutout against the Chicago Cubs, prior to a shellacking by Pittsburgh last time out. Lohse has yielded three runs or fewer in 11 of his 13 starts and surrendered one walk or less in his last nine outings. Lohse has struggled against the Mets in his career with a 2-4 record and a 5.40 ERA in 10 starts but hasn't faced them since June 2012.

Niese has pitched better than his record indicates, failing to factor in the decision in his last three starts despite allowing two runs in each of them. Niese has not permitted more than three earned runs in any of his 12 starts and keeps the ball in the park, surrendering five home runs over 77 1/3 innings. He is 2-0 with a 5.68 ERA in five career starts against Milwaukee, including six innings of two-run ball on Sept. 29.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Brewers CF Carlos Gomez owns a nine-game hitting streak and has reached safely in 26 straight games.
2. Wright is 9-for-21 with a pair of homers against Lohse.
3. Lohse has yet to win at Citi Field, posting an 0-2 record with a 6.28 ERA in three starts.

[Vic Sage]

At least when we traded Gomez away, we got a few great years from Johan in return. But Minny gave him away for one partial season of JJ Hardy. Kudos to the Brews for allowing him the time (and drugs) to blossom over the last few years. It's strange to realize that, after so many years in the majors, he's still only 28 and in his prime.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Vic Sage wrote: At least when we traded Gomez away, we got a few great years from Johan in return. But Minny gave him away for one partial season of JJ Hardy. Kudos to the Brews for allowing him the time (and drugs) to blossom over the last few years. It's strange to realize that, after so many years in the majors, he's still only 28 and in his prime.

I got to see his first major-league homer. It was in Detroit during an otherwise disastrous 15-7 pounding at the hands of the Tigers. But it was still fun -- I don't get to see the Mets in person often.

[Edgy MD]

Weird times call for a weird lineup.





I kid you not. That's a real lineup and stuff!

1. Moiphy, 2b
   
2. Abreu, rf
   
3. Wright, 3b
   
4. Duda, 1b
   
5. Young, cf
   
6. Brown, lf
   
7. Flores, ss
   
8. Rex, c
   
9. Kniese, sp

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

That is kinda whacko. What I don't get os why Terry simply cannot try and get C Young going anywhere but in the middle third. It may be too late for redemption but I'd have had him every day batting 7th until he got it or not.

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: That is kinda whacko. What I don't get os why Terry simply cannot try and get C Young going anywhere but in the middle third. It may be too late for redemption but I'd have had him every day batting 7th until he got it or not.

agreed. In general he sticks too much to a righty-lefty alternating plan and too little to making sure the best hitters are the ones getting the most AB.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I wonder, if Lagares and/or Eric Young were healthy, would they have bailed on Chris Young by now? And when one or both of them come back, will that be the end of Chris? I'd like to think it will. This is shaping up as another nowhere season, so let's give at bats to Nieuwenhuis or den Dekker instead of to someone who has no future with the team.

[ashie62]

If Nieuwenhuis and Den Dekker are part of the Mets future we are in worse shape than I thought..

[Edgy MD]

Ashie quits on two more.

[Zvon]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I wonder, if Lagares and/or Eric Young were healthy, would they have bailed on Chris Young by now? And when one or both of them come back, will that be the end of Chris? I'd like to think it will. This is shaping up as another nowhere season, so let's give at bats to Nieuwenhuis or den Dekker instead of to someone who has no future with the team.

They guaranteed him some at-bats. He got them. He's not cutting it. Yea, sit him. And in the same light I feel that way about Abreu being out there. And it's not that he's not cutting it but he's not part of the teams future. He's not gonna make any difference in the long run. Off the bench, fine, that's what he's there for. A start here and there, fine. But he's been out there way too much.

Him batting lead off is crazy talk (re: that other thread). Not because he wouldn't be good or bad, but because we have to find who that lead-off hitter is gonna be for us, and it ain't gonna be him.

[Zvon]

Ramirez with a solo shot in the 2nd for the Brewers.

[Edgy MD]

Boo, shift!!

[Guest d'Kong76]

I watched most of the game thus far without sound
and was wondering why so many player yap yap in-
terviews or something and they just said tonight is
a limited commercial interruption brought to us from
Verizon Fios.

How's that for a run on?

[ashie62]

Edgy MD wrote: Ashie quits on two more.

They are played out ex-prospect career minor leaguers now

Stop accepting mediocrity..

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Just like all the others.

d'Kong76 wrote: I watched most of the game thus far without sound and was wondering why so many player yap yap in- terviews or something and they just said tonight is a limited commercial interruption brought to us from Verizon Fios. How's that for a run on?

Limited punctuation interruption brought to us by Budweiser?

I missed the Metly run, and the box score confuses. What happened to get Murph 'round the bags, 'zactly?

[Frayed Knot]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: I missed the Metly run, and the box score confuses. What happened to get Murph 'round the bags, 'zactly?

Hard liner to CF which Gomez tried to shoestring but fanned on. Was lucky at that point to hold him to only a triple (single + 2B E to be precise)
Abreu then hit a Sac Fly to LF on the next pitch.

[Zvon]

6th inning? Very fast game...so far.

[Frayed Knot]

1-1 games are supposed to be fast.
We've just be conditioned lately to think anything under 3:00 is unusual.

[Guest themetfairy]

KB joins the grounds crew and helps drag the infield after the sixth inning - too funny!

[ashie62]

Wright is trying soooo hard.

Someway the Mets need to get a big slugging guy to take the heat off David and let him be a tremendous complementary player not expected to carry the team.....

Kevin is kinda cute....

[Zvon]

1-1 games are supposed to be fast. We've just be conditioned lately to think anything under 3:00 is unusual.

I bet it'll go 22 innings. 22 fast innings.

[Edgy MD]

Key to staying in games for Mets: Trade away talented young players, but not before bribing or hypnotizing them to one day, down the road, making a big, dumb, multi-base error.

[Edgy MD]

Duda hits into the shift. I HATES that.

[Frayed Knot]

14 hits over 25 innings for the Mets this series.

[Guest themetfairy]

Terry is a moron.

[Edgy MD]

Don't like that double switch, huh?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I think he has, like, a mid-inning-replacement tic. I'm not even kidding.

[Zvon]

I don't like this. Might be the right move, but I don't like it. 97 pitches, 2 out in the 8th.

The Gomez single is a bump but I'd give Niese the 8th.

[Edgy MD]

The guy has reached all three trips, though.

[Zvon]

Even if it works, I don't like it.