IGT 06/18 - NYM at TOR

[Guest d'Kong76]

NY Mets at Toronto
When: 7:07 PM ET, Thursday, June 18, 2015
Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
SportsDirect Inc.

A pair of pitchers who already have celebrated their 40th birthday take the mound on Thursday as the Toronto Blue Jays look to salvage a split of their four-game home-and-home interleague series with the visiting New York Mets. While New York's Bartolo Colon, 42, attempts to join Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole as the only 10-game winners in the National League, 40-year-old R.A. Dickey faces the team with which he won the 2012 NL Cy Young Award before being sent to Toronto as part of a seven-player deal.

The meeting marks the first between starting pitchers in their 40s since San Diego's Greg Maddux squared off against Philadelphia's Jamie Moyer on Aug. 15, 2008. Dickey certainly could benefit from some offensive support from the Blue Jays, who averaged a staggering eight runs during their franchise high-tying 11-game winning streak (June 2-14) and matched that total in Wednesday's shutout victory over the Mets. Danny Valencia provided the big blow with a three-run blast to improve to 7-for-21 with two homers, eight RBIs and seven runs scored this month. While Toronto has won seven in a row at home to up its mark to 21-12 at Rogers Centre, NL East-leading New York continues to struggle on the road (10-20).

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Bartolo Colon (9-4, 4.41 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (2-6, 5.29)

Colon recorded his third win in four outings on Friday after allowing two runs and six hits in as many innings of a 5-3 victory over Atlanta. The veteran owns a 10-5 career mark with a 4.02 ERA versus Toronto but hasn't faced the club since 2013. Colon has kept Edwin Encarnacion (4-for-16, .250) and the dangerous Jose Bautista (2-for-11, .182) in check during their respective battles at the plate.

Dickey saw his winless span stretch to four starts on Saturday after yielding four runs and six hits in as many frames of a 5-4 victory over Boston. The struggling knuckleballer will face New York for the third time in his career but first since being traded to Toronto. Dickey has acquitted himself well in his career against Curtis Granderson (2-for-15, .133) and John Mayberry Jr. (2-for-13, .154).

WALK-OFFS:
1. Toronto SS Jose Reyes is 1-for-13 with two strikeouts in the first three games versus his former team.
2. New York RHP Akeel Morris allowed five runs while recording only two outs in his major-league debut before being demoted to Double-A Binghamton after the contest.
3. Nelson Doubleday Jr., the former owner of the Mets, died of pneumonia on Wednesday. He was 81.

[Frayed Knot]

And, now, my [crossout:3n01c9pp]watch[/crossout:3n01c9pp] IGT streak has ended.
I think this is the point where you all set me on fire.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: And, now, my [crossout]watch[/crossout] IGT streak has ended. I think this is the point where you all set me on fire.

Only way we're getting to Winter(fell) this year right?

[Guest d'Kong76]

I blame Gary Cohen and his unpaid Canadian traffic tickets.

[MFS62]

And maybe the first time two 40-somethings with last names of body parts have started against each other.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

I dunno. Did Bill Hands ever pitch against Elroy Face?

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: I dunno. Did Bill Hands ever pitch against Elroy Face?

Their careers overlapped, but Face was strictly a reliever by the time Hands came to the majors. So, we're still looking for a pair of body part named pitchers who started against each other.

BTW, even though Face was a star reliever in the majors for many years, MFY announcer Mel Allen always called him Leroy instead of his name, ElRoy. He should have known better.

Later

[Edgy MD]

I'm sure we can find a game where Colon pitched against Rick Ankiel.

Or possibly Ankiel against Toe-Knee Arm-Ass.

[ashie62]

This is old-timers day.

[dinosaur jesus]

Bill Hands pitched against Don Gullett one time, in 1971.

[MFS62]

dinosaur jesus wrote: Bill Hands pitched against Don Gullett one time, in 1971.

Both pitchers started and relieved that year, but a large majority of their appearances were starts, so I guess that's an answer to the question. And it doesn't cause painful convulsions like Edgy's world-class-awful pun did. It was so bad I'll definitely have to remember it, so I can use it some day.

Thanks.

Now, back to the IGT.

Later

[Lefty Specialist]

Colon pitched against Brad Hand of the Marlins earlier this year. Hand didn't start, but came in when the starter, Mr. Phelps, self-destructed early in the game.

[TransMonk]

I'm a little confused by Adam Rubin's "You're Up" question on his ESPN Blog:

Adam Rubin wrote: Are you more grateful for Dickey's contribution to the Mets � or what the Mets got in return for the knuckleballer when he was traded?

How could this ever be posed as an either/or question? The key for me is that the Mets got the best years of Dickey's career (so far?) AND then flipped him for multiple areas of need to rebuild the club. I'm grateful for BOTH and I'm not sure how one would have happened without the other.

[Ceetar]

TransMonk wrote: I'm a little confused by Adam Rubin's "You're Up" question on his ESPN Blog: Adam Rubin wrote: Are you more grateful for Dickey's contribution to the Mets � or what the Mets got in return for the knuckleballer when he was traded? How could this ever be posed as an either/or question? The key for me is that the Mets got the best years of Dickey's career (so far?) AND then flipped him for multiple areas of need to rebuild the club. I'm grateful for BOTH and I'm not sure how one would have happened without the other.

The first could happen without the other, making it the obvious choice I guess. But yeah, dumb question. Clearly was trying to write something that would incite argument and failed this time. Maybe he can find a scout to say Syndergaard is no better than Pelfrey.

[Edgy MD]

R.A. Dickey. There's a guy with a body part for a last name.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Reyes SS
Donaldson 3B
Bautista DH
Smoak 1B
Colabello LF
Martin C
Carrera P
Pillar CF
Goins 2B

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: R.A. Dickey. There's a guy with a body part for a last name.

"That's disgusting" -- Bobby Cox

[MFS62]

Martin catching Dickey?
I hope they regret not giving us our Josh Thole sighting.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

Thole's in the minors right now (AAA Buffalo) as he has been off and on since the trade.

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: Thole's in the minors right now (AAA Buffalo) as he has been off and on since the trade.

Well, bring him up and play him, dammit!
WE WANT JOSH
WE WANT JOSH
WE WANT JOSH
Later

[Zvon]

MFS62 wrote: WE WANT JOSH WE WANT JOSH WE WANT JOSH

WE WANT JOSH

[seawolf17]

MFS62 wrote: And maybe the first time two 40-somethings with last names of body parts have started against each other. Later

That made me laugh out loud in public.

[Frayed Knot]

seawolf17 wrote: MFS62 wrote: And maybe the first time two 40-somethings with last names of body parts have started against each other. Later That made me laugh out loud in public.

Wasn't it one of those guys from Duck Dynasty who suggested that Dickey and Colon should never go against each other?

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

I was bumming to see RA go, but I think we're going to like this trade for a long time.

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: seawolf17 wrote: MFS62 wrote: And maybe the first time two 40-somethings with last names of body parts have started against each other. Later That made me laugh out loud in public. Wasn't it one of those guys from Duck Dynasty who suggested that Dickey and Colon should never go against each other?

I dunno. Ask Daniel Murphy.
Later

[Zvon]

The guyz pay tribute to Thole and make Martin sound like a real dick as far as Dickey goes.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Your heroes have put, like, three balls in play this evening through four innings.

[Edgy MD]

[youtube:1ulrr7vd]xh4ci5-63YI[/youtube:1ulrr7vd]

[MFS62]

This is getting ugly.

Later

[Guest d'Kong76]

OH Canada!