IGT 6/17/15 -- Mets @ Blue Jays

[Frayed Knot]

Series shifts north of the border where they normally pay more attention to hockey but also where the Maple Leafs haven't been in the playoffs for like several decades.

Niese vs Drew Hutchinson. 7:07 first pitch
Hutchinson is by some measures their best starter (5-1) but with pretty lousy peripherals [5.75 ERA, 1.46 WHiP] you get the idea that he's benefitting more from his offense than the average pitcher.
Many of his really bad outings were from back in April so he has been somewhat better lately. But he also got his ass kicked by Boston in his last start [8 runs in 2.1 IP] which made it the 5th time in 13 starts that he failed to complete the 5th inning of a start. Overall he's thrown in a lot more clunkers than gems.

As mentioned during tonight's telecast, the soon to be 25 y/o was minor league roomies with d'Arnaud back in A-ball

[Guest d'Kong76]

NY Mets at Toronto
When: 7:07 PM ET, Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
SportsDirect Inc.

The New York Mets ended the Toronto Blue Jays' bid for a franchise-best 12-game winning streak and added a decisive victory the following day to remain perfect in 11 home contests against their interleague adversary. The Mets hope their good fortune carries with them north of the border as they vie for their sixth win in seven outings on Wednesday when the teams play the first of the final two contests of their four-game set.

Wilmer Flores, who had the game-winning single in the 11th inning on Monday and a sacrifice fly the following night, has hit safely in five straight contests while recording as many RBIs in that span. The 3-2 victory on Tuesday wrapped up a successful eight-game homestand (5-3) for the National League East-leading Mets, who begin an eight-game trek having lost 19 of their 29 road contests this season. A change in venue could help return Toronto to its winning ways, as its 20-12 mark is among the best in the American League. Edwin Encarnacion extended his hitting streak to nine games with a double, but he had one of his team's two base-running blunders that ultimately led to its undoing on Tuesday.

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), RSN (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Jonathon Niese (3-6, 4.24 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Drew Hutchison (5-1, 5.75)

Niese yielded four runs on five hits in seven innings in a no-decision against San Francisco on Thursday to remain winless since May 9. The 28-year-old is 0-4 with a gaudy 7.96 ERA in the stretch, with six of the nine homers he's allowed this season coming in that span. Niese was rocked in his lone career meeting with Toronto, permitting four homers and eight runs total on as many hits in three innings to take the loss.

Hutchison yielded a career-high eight runs in his last trip to the mound - and three homers to boot - before exiting after 2 1/3 innings against Boston on Friday. The 24-year-old was fortunate to walk away with a no-decision after Toronto rallied for a 13-10 win, which has also been the case in his road performances. Hutchison owns a 1-0 mark away from home despite posting a sky-high 9.46 ERA and 1.89 WHIP while allowing the opposition to bat .350 against him.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Toronto SS Jose Reyes went 1-for-9 with two strikeouts in the first two games versus his former team.
2. New York CF Darrell Ceciliani is 7-for-16 in his last seven contests.
3. Blue Jays RHP Aaron Sanchez (lat injury) is unlikely to return from the disabled list in time to start Sunday's game against Baltimore, according to manager John Gibbons.

[Edgy MD]

d'Kong76 wrote: The New York Mets ended the Toronto Blue Jays' bid for a franchise-best 12-game winning streak and added a decisive victory the following day to remain perfect in 11 home contests against their interleague adversary.

I'd call that win a lot of lovely things, but "decisive" isn't one of them.

[Guest d'Kong76]

@cgrand3 RF
@juanlagares2 CF
Duda 1B
@mcuddy23 DH
@TdArnaud C
Flores SS
Ceciliani LF
Tejada 3B
@Dilson_H 2B

@kcmets #cpftoocool

[Edgy MD]

Ceciliani is going to get winded.

[Frayed Knot]

Hey he's hitting .400 in June, run that horse until it drops.

[Gwreck]

Also: when your other DH options are Plawecki, Campbell, Mayberry and DeGrom, Ceciliani seems like a pretty good choice.

[Ceetar]

oh, and btw, Ron Darling doing the PbP since [crossout:1cn77bwe]Gary got detained by customs[/crossout:1cn77bwe] [crossout:1cn77bwe]has outstanding warrants in Canada[/crossout:1cn77bwe] getting a well-deserved break.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Reyes SS
Donaldson DH
Bautista RF
Encarnacion 1B
Colabello LF
Martin C
Valencia 3B
Pillar CF
Goins 2B

[Frayed Knot]

And, while we're 'in country', remember what fake Ben Affleck told us, it's Toron'o - you don't pronounce the second 't'

[ashie62]

High scoring game coming.

[Lefty Specialist]

Niese is maddening when he can't close out an inning.


But stupid Blue Jay baserunning saves the day.

[Zvon]

I missed whatever happened there. It reads like a crazy scene. Was it a straight steal of home? I hope they post a replay.

[Edgy MD]

That was about as far as Tejada can hit it.

Nice to see Granderson split the defense. It seems rare. His hits are either over the outfielder or in front of it, but the defense is typically so bunched, he rarely gets in between.

[Edgy MD]

Come on, Duda. Be Duda.

[Zvon]

This is an extremely boring looking ballpark. Remember when the cutouts were new & different looking. I never liked em. And I didn't know that stuff about the warning track. There oughta be a rule. Using turf there negates the reason for a warning track.

[Lefty Specialist]

Zvon wrote: I missed whatever happened there. It reads like a crazy scene. Was it a straight steal of home? I hope they post a replay.

The runner at first took off, and then the runner on third took off for home. The Mets sniffed it out and got the runner in a rundown, tagging him for the third out.

[Edgy MD]

Ruben: "Who you calling lazy, Jos�?"

[Zvon]

Lefty Specialist wrote: I missed whatever happened there. It reads like a crazy scene. Was it a straight steal of home? I hope they post a replay. The runner at first took off, and then the runner on third took off for home. The Mets sniffed it out and got the runner in a rundown, tagging him for the third out.

TY. Ha. Somebody sucks. Replay just popped up. I'll play it next break.

WOW! Great play by Mr T.

OE: That was past him.

[Gwreck]

Ronnie doing pretty well with play-by-play so far. Except he keeps saying (for the last 3 half innings) that there is no score.

[Zvon]

Zvon wrote: Zvon wrote: I missed whatever happened there. It reads like a crazy scene. Was it a straight steal of home? I hope they post a replay. The runner at first took off, and then the runner on third took off for home. The Mets sniffed it out and got the runner in a rundown, tagging him for the third out. TY. Ha. Somebody sucks. Replay just popped up. I'll play it next break.

It is Valencia who sucks. That read as exciting but witnessing it, it viewed as stupid. Heads up in the infield though.

[Frayed Knot]

We make too many ordinary pitchers look good.

[Edgy MD]

This guy sure seems to have found a hole in Dilson's swing.

[Zvon]

Frayed Knot wrote: We make too many ordinary pitchers look good.

I know I feel this way too but I'd like to think: doesn't every team? If you watch another team as much as we watch the Mets, wouldn't we feel the same way at times watching that team? I have to tell myself yes. Or I think I'd have gone insane long ago.

[Zvon]

HA! Anyone with legs on the Jays sucks!

[Zvon]

Niiice. Cuddy drives one into the gap. That must not be like the old fake turf cause that should'a zipped right thru to the wall.

[Edgy MD]

There seem to be little pellets or what looks like chemical dust kicking up off the turf when the ball hits or a running foot plants. Is it rain or something?

[Zvon]

Edgy MD wrote: There seem to be little pellets or what looks like chemical dust kicking up off the turf when the ball hits or a running foot plants. Is it rain or something?

I saw that. After the closeup they showed of the warning track "turf", I'm mystified. Do they sprinkle it with dirt?

[Frayed Knot]

Zvon wrote: We make too many ordinary pitchers look good. I know I feel this way too but I'd like to think: doesn't every team? If you watch another team as much as we watch the Mets, wouldn't we feel the same way at times watching that team? I have to tell myself yes. Or I think I'd have gone insane long ago.

Yeah, but fans of bad hitting teams say it more often.

[Frayed Knot]

Zvon wrote: Edgy MD wrote: There seem to be little pellets or what looks like chemical dust kicking up off the turf when the ball hits or a running foot plants. Is it rain or something? I saw that. After the closeup they showed of the warning track "turf", I'm mystified. Do they sprinkle it with dirt?

Ground-up rubber tires (and similar stuff).
It's been used on turf fields for years, although lately there have been reports of cancer causing ingredients in those mini-pellets causing concern where it's used in playing fields for schools or parks.