We Hate That Other Guy Too IGT 6/22

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Never even hoid of Ant'ny DiScalfani but I'll bet just based on his name and the fact that I hate the Marlins he's one of those Italians who takes obnoxious pride in calling his mom's spaghetti sauce "gravy" and overpronounces "prociutto" and generally is a big dumb asshole like Tom Koehler, Cody Ross, Luis Castillo, Jeff Conine, Marcel Ozuna, Jeffrey Loria and all others associated with Marlins.

[Guest d'Kong76]

HAH, you beat me by a minute!

[Guest d'Kong76]

NY Mets at Miami
When: 1:10 PM ET, Sunday, June 22, 2014
Where: Marlins Park, Miami, Florida
SportsDirect Inc.

Quality starts are not translating into victories for left-hander Jonathon Niese, who will take the mound Sunday when the New York Mets visit the Miami Marlins in the finale of a four-game series. Niese has won only once since April 29 despite recording quality starts in 11 of his last 13 turns. Niese keeps racking up the no-decisions with six in his last nine outings, including one in Miami on May 5 when he blanked the Marlins on five hits over seven innings.

New York scored more than three runs for the first time in eight games in Saturday's 4-0 victory - the second shutout of the series and only the fifth of the season suffered by the Marlins. Miami owned the best home record in the majors at 19-6 on May 22, but have dropped 11 of the last 17 at Marlins Park. Miami has scored only four runs in its last four games and a loss in Sunday's series finale will drop the team below .500 for the first time since April 30.

TV:
1:10 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), FSN Florida (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Mets LH Jonathon Niese (3-4, 2.67 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Anthony DeSclafani (1-1, 5.60)

Niese was burned by a key error but also didn't help himself by giving up four run-scoring hits with two outs in a loss at St. Louis in his last start. It marked the 18th consecutive start in which Niese has permitted three or fewer earned runs - the longest active streak in the majors - but he is only 5-5 in that stretch. Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton is 7-for-21 with a pair of homers and four RBIs against Niese.

DeSclafani split a pair of decisions last month in his first two major-league starts before he was returned to the minors. He was recalled to face the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday and gave up four runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings - the longest outing of his brief career. The 24-year-old from New Jersey has 14 strikeouts against only three walks over 17 2/3 innings but has surrendered a homer in each of his starts.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Marlins 2B Rafael Furcal is expected to be placed on the 15-day disabled list after hurting his hamstring and calf in Saturday's game.
2. Mets 3B David Wright is 10-for-23 during a six-game hitting streak and has knocked in a run in five straight games.
3. Marlins 3B Casey McGehee has hit safely in 15 of 16 games.

[MFS62]

At least we won't have to see Rafael Fecal. Ever since he came up as a highly touted Braves' prospect, I haven't liked him one bit.
Of course, the guy replacing him will have a big day.

Later

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Nieuwey's been killing it. He's no den Dekker.

Oh and a squeeze bunt executed successfully!

[Zvon]

MUFFiBOOM!

[Zvon]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Oh and a squeeze bunt executed successfully!

That was a pleasant surprise.

[Lefty Specialist]

Stop, guys.

You're wasting runs you might need later this week.

[Zvon]

The Mets hitting like a real
MLB team frightens and confuses me.

[Zvon]

Help! How do I get the Chicken Fat song out of my head?

[MFS62]

Zvon wrote: The Mets hitting like a real MLB team frightens and confuses me.

Think how confused the Fish must be, seeing Tejada batting three spots in the order higher than EYJ.
Sometimes, messing with your opponent's head can work.

Later

[Lefty Specialist]

Zvon wrote: The Mets hitting like a real MLB team frightens and confuses me.

Seems to have frightened and confused Niese as well.

[Zvon]

A team that gets their runs back. How novel!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Yeah that was sweet

[Zvon]

17 hits. Wow.

[TransMonk]

They need to save up some of that O.

The Mets have a 2.83 team ERA over their past 30 games.

I read that line this morning and it just drove home how much the offense has struggled lately.

[Zvon]

Germen for the 9th. I think we're safe. I mean, 11-3, we can't blow this,right?

2 on, 1 out.

[Zvon]

11-5.

[Zvon]

Books.

Very nice win.

[Guest themetfairy]

[Frayed Knot]

Zvon wrote: 17 hits. Wow.

Or, as we usually call it, an above average week.

[Edgy MD]

Seems like, with some sharper defense, this game could have been 11-0.

Doubles in four straight at-bats for Nieuwenhuis. Or... one more than Matt den Dekker has in his 103 at-bats to date.

[Frayed Knot]

Somehow that one Muffy muffy-ed wasn't scored as an error. Niether was the Granderson misjudge but that one's more understandable.
But, yeah, both non-plays extended the inning which in turn extended Niese by at least 20 pitches, fluffed up his ERA, and shortened his day by at least one inning.

[Centerfield]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Never even hoid of Ant'ny DiScalfani...

I swear we had a poster by that name (or something like it) once.