IGT 9/23/14 - Mets @ Gnats - Game #157

[Frayed Knot]

Rollin' on the (Potomac) River -- aka: I'm on a roll this week so let's keep it rolling.

Mets @ Nats - 7:05 EDT � Colon vs Tanner Roark

Nats �magic number� for clinching the best overall record in the NL is 4 over the Dodgers and 3 over the Cards.
At times this �Overall #1 Seed� thing gets blown out of proportion, but the added advantage of hosting the WC survivor in the 1st round while watching the two other division winners slug it out against each other makes it much more of an edge than just the mere extra home game. In this case especially, the Nats are (rightfully) wary of facing StL who knocked them out in 2012 and against whom they are 2-5 this season, and of the Dodgers (1-2 in 2014) which comes with the prospect of seeing Kershaw (and maybe also Greinke) twice each in a five-game series.

IOW, don�t count on Washington taking their foot off the gas anytime soon simply because they�ve clinched the NL (L)East.
Y�know, just in case you were thinking that this whole lopsided season against us [13-3 record / 84-43 RS/RA / 25-7 in HRs] wasn�t enough of a factor.

[MFS62]

My wife has a cousin who lives in Maryland. Her husband thinks a sport is a biological abnormality. But every time they speak, the husband always tells the cousin to remind us how well the Nats are doing.
If for no other reason, I really want the Mets to knock them out of the #1 seed.

Later

[Guest d'Kong76]

NY Mets at Washington
When: 7:05 PM ET, Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Where: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia
SportsDirect Inc.

With the playoffs on the horizon, the Washington Nationals are hitting their stride at the perfect time. The Nationals seek their ninth win in 10 games Tuesday when they open a three-game home series with the New York Mets. Washington, which leads the Los Angeles Dodgers by three games in the race for the National League's best record, has not allowed more than three runs in any of its last nine contests.

Tanner Roark hopes to continue that trend for the Nationals, who swept a four-game set at Miami over the weekend, allowing a total of seven runs in the series. The Mets also are coming off a sweep, having limited the Atlanta Braves to four runs in a three-game set, capped by Sunday's 10-2 triumph. New York will give the nod to veteran Bartolo Colon in this one as the team eyes its first four-game road winning streak since April.

TV:
7:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), MASN2 (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Mets RH Bartolo Colon (14-12, 4.02 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Tanner Roark (14-10, 2.85)

Colon limited the damage to one run over 7 2/3 innings against Miami his last time out despite yielding a season-high 12 hits in the contest. The former Cy Young Award winner did not walk anyone and struck out seven - one more than his previous three starts combined. This will be Colon's fifth start of the season against the Nationals, who have hit five homers against him in winning three of the first four matchups.

Roark has won all four of his career starts against the Mets, including three this season, posting a lifetime 3.04 ERA against New York. He tossed seven scoreless innings in his last outing - a 3-0 win over Atlanta in which he continued to excel despite not striking out many hitters. Roark punched out four Braves in that contest and has struck out four or fewer in six of his last seven outings.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Mets C Anthony Recker could get the start Tuesday, as he is coming off a 3-for-3 performance with three RBIs on Sunday and is 4-for-6 with a homer in his career against Roark.
2. Washington leads the season series 13-3, outscoring New York by an 84-43 margin on the year.
3. Nationals RP Craig Stammen has gone 10 straight appearances without allowing a run, and he has not issued a home run since July 11.

[G-Fafif]

den Dekker-7
Murphy-5
d�Arnaud-2
Duda-3
Flores-4
Granderson-9
Nieuwenhuis-8
Tejada-6
Colon-1

[Guest d'Kong76]

[u:2sdrubay]WSH[/u:2sdrubay]
Span, CF
Cabrera, 2B
Werth, RF
LaRoche, 1B
Desmond, SS
Harper, LF
Ramos, C
Frandsen, 3B
Roark, P

[Frayed Knot]

Other than Frandsen in for Rendon it's their A lineup.
Although that one change should mean 3 or 4 fewer XBHs for the Nats tonight - at least until Rendon comes off the bench late to smack one in the gap w/runners on.
10 of his 23 hits vs the Mets this year are for XBs and he has 17 of his 81 RBIs (against no one else does he have more than 9)

[ashie62]

Lets win them all one game at a time.

[Zvon]

den Double to start degame.

[Zvon]

den stran'ded

[Zvon]

den almost duped. Way to stick with it kid.

[Edgy MD]

This is a very outstanding-outfield-catch-y game.

[Zvon]

Oh de'amn! Den robs den!

[Zvon]

The other Den removed from the game due to scuffed elbow. Goo-goo-ka-choo.

Wow, great play Murph. Got all his weight behind that throw.

Duda, little more on that stretch please. Stretch those legs.

[Frayed Knot]

Our offense was really humming, right up until the 2nd pitch of the game.


oe: Ooooh, and just now another hit!!

[Zvon]

Frayed Knot wrote: Our offense was really humming, right up until the 2nd pitch of the game. oe: Ooooh, and just now another hit!!

I think we scored a run too! I dozed off. I think the guyz were touching on your favorite subject. This games going fast tho.

A Newy double plated Florfeets.
1-0 Jollyfatguy

[Zvon]

Not so jolly now. Slow to cover first and it costs Colon.

1-1 Mets

[Edgy MD]

Damn. Bartolo. One pitch too many.

[Zvon]

Kinda saw that coming. So did everyone else in the world, including the not so jolly Colon.

4-1 Ex-Expos

[Edgy MD]

Si no cubrir la primera base, no eres tan lindo.

[Zvon]

Edgy MD wrote: Si no cubrir la primera base, no eres tan lindo.

That's easy for you to say...

oShTJ90fC34

[Zvon]

Ugh. Shudda sent him. But Tuef knows better than I. Maybe his concern was the fielders arm. I'm thinkin' it was the lazy feets.

[Zvon]

Pick em up Campy. Free beer for ya here.

[Zvon]

A walk's nice Bobby but I see no beer in your future. Aside from the post game case I imagine you have in your locker, of course.

[Zvon]

den done. Recker hits for denDekker.

[Zvon]

Pops out to first on the first freakin pitch. Ugh.

OE:oh yea, bases were loaded.

[Edgy MD]

Campell-Granderson-Abreu

THAT'S an outfield defensive alignment.

[Zvon]

Ha. Harper sucks! Unfortunately, so do we. Another 'd stranded.

[Zvon]

I see what Ronnies saying.

'd twists his hand for a second right before he brings his arm forward. I think he's on to something there. Unless 'd's arm is just season tired. In any case, no need for that additional movement.

'd has got to improve his throwing if he's to be plan A behind the plate. He'd have to put up Piazza type numbers to overcome that, imo.

[Zvon]

denDekker just tweeted this:


kidding!

[Edgy MD]

Zvon wrote: I see what Ronnies saying. 'd twists his hand for a second right before he brings his arm forward. I think he's on to something there. Unless 'd's arm is just season tired. In any case, no need for that additional movement. 'd has got to improve his throwing if he's to be plan A behind the plate. He'd have to put up Piazza type numbers to overcome that, imo.

I don't know what the numbers are. His arm is fine. His execution, not so much.

Maybe he can just put some of his thinking behind him like he seemingly has with his hitting.