IGT 7/5/15 NYM @ LAD: It's Adam and Steve

[G-Fafif]

Adam Rubin will report for ESPN New York. Steven Matz will pitch for the Mets. Presiding for the Dodgers will be Mike Bolsinger.

Rubber game. Be sure to take one.

[Guest d'Kong76]

NY Mets at LA Dodgers
When: 4:10 PM ET, Sunday, July 5, 2015
Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California
SportsDirect Inc.

The New York Mets attempt to win their first road series in nearly two months as they visit the Los Angeles Dodgers for the rubber match of their three-game set on Sunday. After posting a 2-1 triumph in the opener, the Mets had what could be considered - for them - an offensive outburst on Saturday but came away on the wrong end of a 4-3 decision.

It marked only the third time in 16 games New York scored more than two runs, a span during which it has posted a 5-11 record. Wilmer Flores went 3-for-4 with an RBI as the Mets, who haven't won a road series since taking two of three at Philadelphia from May 8-10, scored two runs in the eighth inning and one in the ninth before their rally fell short. Adrian Gonzalez belted a solo homer while Alberto Callaspo recorded two hits and drove in a pair of runs as Los Angeles won for the third time in four games. The Dodgers stranded 11 baserunners but managed to improve to 1-1 on their 10-game homestand.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Steven Matz (1-0, 2.35 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Mike Bolsinger (4-2, 2.76)

Matz will be making his second career start after a splendid major-league debut last Sunday. The 24-year-old native of Stony Brook, N.Y. picked up the victory against Cincinnati after allowing two solo home runs among five hits in 7 2/3 innings. Matz was even better at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double and four RBIs in the 7-2 triumph.

Bolsinger is winless in his last four outings despite allowing fewer than three runs on three occasions. The 27-year-old scattered three hits over four scoreless frames at Arizona on Monday before exiting due to food poisoning. Bolsinger made his major-league debut against New York last year while with the Arizona Diamondbacks, surrendering two runs on six hits and two walks in three innings of relief on April 14, 2014.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Dodgers RHP Carlos Frias may miss his scheduled start against Philadelphia on Monday due to a lower back injury.
2. New York is 0-6-1 in its last seven road series.
3. Los Angeles C Yasmani Grandal went 2-for-3 on Saturday, marking the third time in four games he notched two hits.

[ashie62]

The Mets tortured Bolginger with Arizona last season.

[Edgy MD]

[*:2rpeuhs9]Granderson, rf[/*:m:2rpeuhs9]
[*:2rpeuhs9]Murphy, 3b[/*:m:2rpeuhs9]
[*:2rpeuhs9]Duda, 1b[/*:m:2rpeuhs9]
[*:2rpeuhs9]Flores,2b[/*:m:2rpeuhs9]
[*:2rpeuhs9]Cuddyer, lf[/*:m:2rpeuhs9]
[*:2rpeuhs9]Monell, c[/*:m:2rpeuhs9]
[*:2rpeuhs9]Tejada SS[/*:m:2rpeuhs9]
[*:2rpeuhs9]Matz, p[/*:m:2rpeuhs9]
[*:2rpeuhs9]Lagares, cf[/*:m:2rpeuhs9][/list:o:2rpeuhs9]

[Lefty Specialist]

First inning runs are good if that's not all you do, Mets. Just sayin'.

[Edgy MD]

Nice to have enough modestly productive hitters to stack up top. Nice to make a run out of it.

Let's make a bunch more.

[Edgy MD]

Eight games without a first-inning run, sez Vin Scully.

Vin now sharing his 1962 memories.

[Edgy MD]

Duda couldn't have done much with that strike-three pitch.

[Lefty Specialist]

Cuddyer's in LA, but he left his bat somewhere else.

[Edgy MD]

Matz is now the undisputed RBI leader among major league pitchers.

[Edgy MD]

A big inning!

-ish!

And now they're walking a guy to load 'em up in front of Lucas. Mercy.

[nymr83]

Plawecki leads the league in pitches outside the strike zone framed for a strike and hasn't plaayed the whole year. Hidden value there.

Mets getting some dinks in here, a whole weeks worth of scoring this inning!

[Edgy MD]

Scully making a lot of unforced errors these last few days. Flores is "the eighth-place hitter."

And the Mets get their first three-run inning in what must be a month.

[Edgy MD]

That's three straight balls outside the strike zone you (weakly) chased after there, Ruben.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: Scully making a lot of unforced errors these last few days.

Vin has been increasingly error-prone in recent years.
Not enough necessarily to get the hook out and pull him off the stage yet and I suspect he'll be able to recognize when enough is enough. But in case he isn't, I hope there's someone around him who is both willing and able to tell him when it's time to hang 'em up.
As of now he's taking things year to year but I'm sure no one in Dodger town wants to be the one to tell when the option to return is no longer going to be his choice.

[Zvon]

The Dodgers Hernandez tries to distract Matz by showing some cleavage.

[Edgy MD]

Duda is on a strikeout tear of Kingmanian proportions.

[Frayed Knot]

This is one of those games that's starting to worry me in that it feels like it should be more than a 4 run lead and the Dodgers still have four innings left vs a starter with a high pitch count who's probably done after this inning.

[ashie62]

Matz does look good.

[Edgy MD]

Indeed. Doesn't have a big arsenal, but he's got it all working well.

Dodgers are going to go ahead with the Juan Uribe Bobblehead giveaway after dealing him off.

[ashie62]

Flores en fuego

[Edgy MD]

Leadoff double for Flores.

Let's go for that five-run game!

[nymr83]

Flores out of the long slump?

[Edgy MD]

Cuddyer pursuing Duda's strikeout pace.

Not to be exploitative, but they maybe should have seen his injury as an opportunity.

[Zvon]

At this point I think Duda should lay off ANYTHING off speed. Flores is on fire. Someone must have given him a hotfoot. Cadaver belongs in a meat freezer because he's starting to decay.

[Zvon]

Nymr83 wrote: Flores out of the long slump?

I should say so.

[Edgy MD]

Five-zip.

This is a feeling. I remember it.

[Zvon]

Matz done at--101 pitches?

[Zvon]

Guess who sucks?

PUIG

[Edgy MD]

PUIG'S TRADE VALUE PLUMMETING!!