Mets at Bucs 5/22 IGT THOR SMASH

[Fman99]

A 7:05 first pitch, Syndergaard against Gerrit Cole.

[Guest d'Kong76]

NY Mets at Pittsburgh
When: 7:05 PM ET, Friday, May 22, 2015
Where: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
SportsDirect Inc.

The New York Mets rode a brilliant pitching performance by Jacob deGrom to salvage a four-game split against National League-best St. Louis and now hope for better luck away from home when they kick off a three-game set at the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. The Mets' last road trip culminated in a four-game sweep by the Chicago Cubs that dropped them to 7-12 away from Citi Field.

Lucas Duda slammed 30 home runs last year but hit only three this season until going deep twice and knocking in a season-high four runs in Thursday's 5-0 victory over the Cardinals. The Pirates lost the first two games of their eight-game homestand to Minnesota to drop a season-worst four games below .500. Losers of six of seven, Pittsburgh will turn to former No. 1 overall draft pick Gerrit Cole to end the slide. Cole will be opposed by highly touted right-hander Noah Syndergaard, who is set to make his third career start.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), ROOT (Pittsburgh)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Noah Syndergaard (1-1, 3.18 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Gerrit Cole (5-2, 2.40)

Syndergaard earned his first major-league victory last time out, limiting Milwaukee to one run and three hits over six innings. The 22-year-old Texan has pitched five scoreless frames in each of his first two outings before running into trouble in the sixth inning both times. Syndergaard has been much tougher on left-handed hitters in his brief tenure, yielding only three hits in 21 at-bats.

Cole was a hard-luck loser last time out at the Chicago Cubs after giving up two runs on seven hits and matching his season high with eight strikeouts in six innings. It was the sixth quality start in the last seven outings for Cole, who has received a total of one run of support in both his losses. Cole has lost both starts versus the Mets, including a career-short four innings last year in which he was tagged for five runs.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Mets LF Michael Cuddyer, batting .327 lifetime against Pittsburgh, enters the series coming off a three-hit performance.
2. Pirates RF Josh Harrison is 18-for-35 during an eight-game hitting streak.
3. Pittsburgh has won nine of the past 13 meetings.

[Edgy MD]

Syndie is auditioning to stay on the roster here, as Gee aced his rehab start.

Gaard pitches well and he stays, with Gee going to the pen. Not so well and Gee returns to the rotation and the big guy to Las Vegas for a bit. I think.

[Guest d'Kong76]

There once named a pitcher named Noah
Boy could that kid stand and throw-ah
Strick two and strick three
Looks not good for Gee
It's to the bullpen you go-ah

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Not bad.

Niese prolly has too much equity and the Mets too much invested in him to lose a rotation spot to a stiff like Gee outright but it wouldn't surprise me if he came down with a bad shoulder or something.

[ashie62]

I don't see 'gaard getting pulled for Gee.

If anything I might see Niese go packing.

Super pitching matchup with a Pirates team that appears vulnerable.

[TransMonk]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: ...it wouldn't surprise me if [Niese] came down with a bad shoulder or something.

Yup. After a couple of yucky starts in a row, it's not hard to believe that he could be playing hurt.

[dgwphotography]

Edgy MD wrote: Syndie is auditioning to stay on the roster here, as Gee aced his rehab start. Gaard pitches well and he stays, with Gee going to the pen. Not so well and Gee returns to the rotation and the big guy to Las Vegas for a bit. I think.

Anything less than a no-hitter, and Syndergaard is sent down. 3 more weeks in the minors = another year before arbitration kicks in. The accountants dictate the baseball moves with this team.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I hadn't thought about service and stuff, but you may be
dourly right on the mark.

[TransMonk]

dgwphotography wrote: Anything less than a no-hitter, and Syndergaard is sent down. 3 more weeks in the minors = another year before arbitration kicks in. The accountants dictate the baseball moves with this team.

This scenario would not be surprising, but it would be disappointing. At some point, this team has to decide it is going to genuinely roll the dice and compete for something.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Harrison 3B
Walker 2B
McCutchen CF
Marte LF
Kang SS
Alvarez 1B
Polanco RF
Stewart C
Cole P

[Guest d'Kong76]

Granderson, RF
Campbell, 3B
Duda, 1B
Cuddyer, LF
Murphy, 2B
Flores, SS
Lagares, CF
Plawecki, C
Syndergaard, P

[Edgy MD]

Ruben ain't rolled out for a staring assignment in about a week.

[nymr83]

Nothing like striking out the side in the 1st!

[Frayed Knot]

So on what count will Lagares be thrown out stealing?

[ashie62]

Down 2-0 Mets threatening.

[Edgy MD]

Noah better join the offensive attack.

[Edgy MD]

Still got good organ playing in Pittsburgh.

[Frayed Knot]

So between Thursday's game (8 times up) and the first 5 innings of today's the Mets have come to bat 13 times, or 13 x 3 = 39 outs.
But between the DPs (4) and caught stealing (3) opposing pitchers have only had to retire 32 hitters to get those 39 outs.

We don't get enough baserunners to play like that.

[Edgy MD]

We tailor them double plays like a high-end haberdashery, do we not?

[Frayed Knot]

And now the last 42 outs have required retiring only 34 NYM batters.

[Edgy MD]

McCutcheon is hurting. That double should have been a standup trip.

[Frayed Knot]

Hell, with Granderson throwing it back he probably could have made it home.

[Edgy MD]

Can we actually challenge a baserunner?

[Guest d'Kong76]

Cuddyer's gun from short left shoots like a pistol.

[Edgy MD]

Bad swings everywhere tonight.

[ashie62]

Down three, not undoable.

[Centerfield]

Have you seen this offense? Three runs will take a week.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Centerfield wrote: Three runs will take a week.

If things bounce right!

[Edgy MD]

Cole coming out for the ninth, with the pitcher's spot due up.

If the pattern holds, Wally Backman should get the pinch-hit assignment and try to reach on a bunt.