IGT 6/16/15 - Jays @ Mets

[Frayed Knot]

I'm on a Roll!!! (Hey, with my history and IGTs, 2 in a row counts as a roll)

7:10 Harvey vs Scott Copeland

Copeland is a RH rookie who'll be making his 4th ML appearance and 2nd start tonight. He first start was just last week when he held Miami to 1 run over 6 innings for a win.
Certainly nothing in his background to suggest he's a stud in the making: already 27 y/o, he was a 2010 21st round draft pick by the O's and has a nothing special minor league record. But things seem to have clicked for him starting last year when he finally reached the higher minors (sub-2.00 ERA over 11 starts at AAA Buffalo) and has given up only 1 run in 10 ML innings so he's the guy they're turning to to replace injured starter Aaron Sanchez.

I'm guessing that we're going to be Familia-less tonight but will have ATorres and Gilmartin tanned, rested, and ready - although with the Jays being heavily RH-hitting maybe those two shouldn't be the Terry's first choices. So, Akeel Morris, Com'on Down!!
Or, better still, just throw a CG Harvey.

[MFS62]

Morris' best pitch is the changeup. After seeing Harvey's fast stuff, the change could be very effective against the Jays.
But I'd be happy with a complete game from Harvey, too.

Later

[Edgy MD]

deGrom. I know it's anathema to Back Page Terry, but part of the dynamic and formula with the six-man rotation should be a willingness to use the guy three days away from his next start as a relief option.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: deGrom. I know it's anathema to Back Page Terry, but part of the dynamic and formula with the six-man rotation should be a willingness to use the guy three days away from his next start as a relief option.

we're back to 5 man though.

[Edgy MD]

Not in this cycle, they're not.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Toronto at NY Mets
When: 7:10 PM ET, Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Where: Citi Field, New York City, New York
SportsDirect Inc.

The Toronto Blue Jays just missed out on a franchise-record winning streak and will try to begin another when they wrap up the road portion of a four-game, home-and-home series at the New York Mets on Tuesday. The Blue Jays won 11 in a row before falling in 11 innings in Monday�s series opener.

Toronto took the lead in the top of the 11th and looked like it would earn its franchise-record 12th straight win before Lucas Duda�s bloop single with two outs drove in the tying run and Wilmer Flores� single up the middle won it. New York has won four of its last five games and sits in first place in the National League East as the offense begins to catch up to the pitching. The Blue Jays� three runs on Monday marked their fewest since a 2-0 loss at another NL East team, Washington, on June 2. Jose Bautista was the only member of the formerly scorching Toronto lineup to do much with a pair of solo home runs in the loss.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SNET (Toronto), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Scott Copeland (1-0, 0.90 ERA) vs. Mets RH Matt Harvey (6-4, 3.62)

Copeland is making his second spot start in less than a week as he takes the place of Aaron Sanchez (strained lat). Copeland held Miami to one run and six hits without walking a batter over seven innings to earn a win on Wednesday. The 27-year-old rookie made two relief appearances in May and did not allow a run in three total frames.

Harvey is enduring a bit of a rough patch and was rocked for seven runs on nine hits and a pair of walks in six innings to suffer a loss against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. The Connecticut native is having some trouble keeping the ball in the park and surrendered a total of eight home runs while going 1-3 in his last four turns. Harvey, who is making his first start against Toronto, struck out a season-low two on Wednesday.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Blue Jays LHP Brett Cecil suffered the blown save on Monday and has allowed at least one run in three of his last four appearances.
2. Duda is 6-for-14 with three doubles and three runs scored in his last three games.
3. Toronto is 0-10 all-time at the New York Mets.

[ashie62]

A six man rotation is just an attempt at being a little too clever.

GO HARVEY!!!!!!

[Edgy MD]

A big chance to extend the team's perfect home record against Toronto for perhaps another three years.


Courtesy: http://www.ultimatemets.com

[Ceetar]

Blue Jays are the only team who never won a regular season game at Shea Stadium.

[Guest d'Kong76]

@cgrand3 RF
@juanlagares2 CF
Duda 1B
@TdArnaud C
Flores SS
Ceciliani LF
Tejada 3B
@Dilson_H 2B
Harvey P

@kcmets #cpftoocool

[Benjamin Grimm]

A big chance to extend the team's perfect home record against Toronto for perhaps another three years. Courtesy: http://www.ultimatemets.com

I'm surprised to see that it's been 14 years since the Blue Jays last came to Queens. The gap from 2006 to 2012 with no games between the Mets and Jays is also a little strange. I guess that for some reason that matchup was skipped the last time the AL East played the NL East.

[Edgy MD]

That's surprising. Also surprising is that the model for inter-league play is supposed to be three games home and three games away for each team in a division from the opposing league, alternating every three years. But with the designated rival thing and all sorts of whatnot exceptions, this has never happened with Toronto. And this will be the first time ever that each team will host the other, but we still won't get the three-and-three in.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Reyes SS
Donaldson 3B
Bautista RF
Encarnacion 1B
Colabello LF
Martin C
Carrewra CF
Goins 2B
Copeland P

[Edgy MD]

It's weird. We have the edge in most of these pitching match-ups, but the Jays have a couple of guys who can surprise you. An X-factor.

The Jays have the edge most of the way around the diamond, but the Mets have a couple of guys who can surprise you. An X-factor.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Edgy MD wrote: That's surprising. Also surprising is that the model for inter-league play is supposed to be three games home and three games away for each team in a division from the opposing league, alternating every three years. But with the designated rival thing and all sorts of whatnot exceptions, this has never happened with Toronto. And this will be the first time ever that each team will host the other, but we still won't get the three-and-three in.

That said, these 2-and-2 home-and-homes are pretty good serieses, as far as providing as good an example as we might see of each team's strengths and weaknesses vs. one another at a given midweek.

I'm sure they could get away with a few more of them during the course of the year with Philly, Washington, MFYs all very feasible for us.

[Ceetar]

I've a fan of the home and home series. it's interesting. 4-game series is substantial, get to see both parks, DH and non-DH games, both teams with the same travel schedule.

MLB scheduling is tough. I can't imagine they can't make it work, but they try to balance the intradivisional stuff and playing a 4 game series against all 4 might make it a little messy. Or we could switch to a system that allows non Monday/Thursday day offs. (with the rare Tuesday/OD deal)

[ashie62]

This feels like a big game.

[TransMonk]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: ...these 2-and-2 home-and-homes are pretty good serieses...

I like the 2 and 2 format a lot. I wish they were all back-to-back like with the Jays this week. They f'd up the Orioles by spacing two 2 game series with months in between. And the Rays and BoSox are normal three game sets.

I hate inter-leauge, but if they could get some consistency in how they schedule it, I would hate it less.

[ashie62]

A double for Flores.

[ashie62]

Cecilliani singles, first and third.

[ashie62]

Ruben singles, train kept a rollin

1-0 Mets

[Guest themetfairy]

Here's how you know that Harvey is back - RBI double!

[ashie62]

Some nice bingo there.
2-0 us.

[Frayed Knot]

The one thing you don't want to see now is them acting as if they're trying to sit on this 3-0 lead.
When you're out-hitting them 8-1 it would be nice to have a bigger lead -- 'specially against these guys.

[Edgy MD]

You know... that change-up there... I never say this... but that's unhittable. � Keith Hernandez

[Edgy MD]

They need a guy name Cummins to team with Goins on double-plays.

[Edgy MD]

Tejada playing shortstop from the third base position nicely.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Yeah, that was pretty slick.

[Edgy MD]

Frayed Knot wrote: The one thing you don't want to see now is them acting as if they're trying to sit on this 3-0 lead. When you're out-hitting them 8-1 it would be nice to have a bigger lead -- 'specially against these guys.

Let's hope they gobble up some relievers, if nothing else.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: The one thing you don't want to see now is them acting as if they're trying to sit on this 3-0 lead. When you're out-hitting them 8-1 it would be nice to have a bigger lead -- 'specially against these guys. Let's hope they gobble up some relievers, if nothing else.

Yeah, but Harvey's throwing too many pitches to go as deep as we'd hope tonight, unless he suddenly gets ultra-efficient.