IGT 8/23/14 NYM @ LAD: Hair He Comes to Save the Day!

[G-Fafif]

Following a brief stint on the dL, deGrom takes on the doDodgers. An hour earlier tonight. Channel 11 in the NY Metropolitan Area. Also, Greinke on the hill made famous by Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, lest their names not come up in the course of the game.

[Guest d'Kong76]

NY Mets at LA Dodgers
When: 9:10 PM ET, Saturday, August 23, 2014
Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California
SportsDirect Inc.

The Los Angeles Dodgers look to continue their dominance against the New York Mets on Saturday when the teams continue a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. New York has lost five straight in Los Angeles and 12 of its last 14 games overall against the Dodgers, who stand 3 1/2 games ahead of San Francisco in the National League West following back-to-back wins. Former Met Justin Turner has been a valuable cog for the Dodgers while batting .380 in 18 games this month.

The Mets have been out-homered 118-94 this season, and general manager Sandy Alderson said it's a big reason why his team has fallen 14 games behind Washington in the NL East. �We need to hit more than the opposition,� Alderson told Newsday. �Right now, that�s not happening. That�s in part because we're not hitting enough, and in part because we're giving up too many.� The Dodgers have four players in double figures in home runs, including outfielder Yasiel Puig, who saw his homerless drought reach 77 at-bats in Friday's 6-2 victory.

TV:
9:10 p.m. ET, PIX11 (New York), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Mets RH Jacob deGrom (6-5, 2.87 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Zack Greinke (12-8, 2.75)

deGrom is set to make his first start since being placed on the disabled list Aug. 8 with right shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis. The 26-year-old has been a pleasant surprise for the Mets while leading all National League rookies with 94 strikeouts. deGrom, who is 6-1 with a 1.82 ERA over his last nine starts, allowed three runs over six innings in a loss to the Dodgers on May 21.

Greinke is pitching on two extra days of rest due to a sore elbow that could be a concern for the rest of the season. �It�s something that comes and goes,� Greinke told the Los Angeles Times. �I can�t guarantee it will be good from here on out, but I don�t plan on having issues with it.� The 30-year-old, who is 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in three career starts against New York, owns a 2.48 ERA in 11 starts this season at Dodger Stadium.

WALK-OFFS:
1. The Mets optioned RHP Rafael Montero to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room for deGrom.
2. Los Angeles OF Matt Kemp has hit safely in 21 of 24 games against the Mets since 2010.
3. New York RHP Vic Black has stranded 23 straight inherited runners.

[G-Fafif]

All dem little d's, lined up in one place...

Granderson-9
Murphy-4
Wright-5
Duda-3
d'Arnaud-2
Lagares-8
den Dekker-7
Flores-6
deGrom-1

[Frayed Knot]

Sandy Alderson wrote: �We need to hit more [Home Runs] than the opposition. Right now, that�s not happening. That�s in part because we're not hitting enough, and in part because we're giving up too many.�

Can't argue with that logic.

[G-Fafif]

Others...

Gordon 2B
Crawford LF
Gonzalez 1B
Kemp RF
Ethier CF
Arruebarrena SS
Butera C
Rojas 3B
Greinke P

[Benjamin Grimm]

G-Fafif wrote: All dem little d's, lined up in one place... Granderson-9 Murphy-4 Wright-5 Duda-3 d'Arnaud-2 Lagares-8 den Dekker-7 Flores-6 deGrom-1

Maybe Olivia de Havilland can drop by!

[Fman99]

Listening via iPhone/XM/Howie and Josh so I'm likely a batter or two behind.

[Fman99]

KABOOMAGE for Lagares!

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, but now two thirds of that lead be lost.

[Edgy MD]

Wright is getting pretty reliable with regards to the GiDP.

[Fman99]

Wow the Captain is scuffling these days.

[Guest themetfairy]

ShitFuck!

[ashie62]

deHair lost the lead...

[Edgy MD]

Duda likes that curve these days.

[Guest themetfairy]

Gotta like deGrom's bounceback inning - the kid is composed.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Kind of ironic how Keith Hernandez comments on how much of a shell of his former self Brian Wilson is ... just as David Wright is about to take an at bat.

[Frayed Knot]

Giving it away ... again!

[Edgy MD]

Listening to Vin Scully at my end.

Bad hometown scoring giving a hit on that one-hopper to Murphy.

[Edgy MD]

Josh Edgin: fielding disaster.

[Frayed Knot]

If you told me at this point that this inning would END at 10-4 I'd sign up for it.
I'm fearing it could be considerably worse.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

SHaMs looking tired and sloppy.

I think David & Molly need to have a Marriage Encounter or something.

[Frayed Knot]

Fman99 wrote: Wow the Captain is scuffling these days.

Scuffling? He'd have to improve ten-fold just to get to scuffling.

[Edgy MD]

Here's to our bats encountering the ball against Wilson.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Ballsy play by denDekker. I don't recall seeing him having hit safely ever before.

[Edgy MD]

That's a little bit o' encountering right there.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: Here's to our bats encountering the ball against Wilson.

Sometimes he feels very sad.
Sometimes he feels very sad.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Frayed Knot wrote: Fman99 wrote: Wow the Captain is scuffling these days. Scuffling? He'd have to improve ten-fold just to get to scuffling.

That's about right. Not only is he having, by far, the worst season of his career, he's also one of the worst third baseman in all of baseball by almost every rate measure among those (31 of those) with enough PA's to qualify for the batting title. Even the canard that David Wright, at 80%, is still better than most third baseman -still repeated frequently- is happy horseshit in 2014.

[Frayed Knot]

The bouncer to 3rd has become our team's go-to move with runners on.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Kirk. Better than den Dekker.

[Gwreck]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Not only is he having, by far, the worst season of his career

Baseball-reference says David had a WAR of 2.8 in 2010; and 2.5 so far this year. (He also had 2.0 in 2011, but only played 100 games that year).