IGT 07/19 - NYM @ STL - Beat Ye in St. Louis

[Guest d'Kong76]

A sweep is not an option!

[Guest d'Kong76]

NY Mets at St. Louis
When: 2:15 PM ET, Sunday, July 19, 2015
Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
SportsDirect Inc.

The St. Louis Cardinals traditionally have enjoyed a considerable advantage at Busch Stadium, posting a majors-best 33-11 record this season while winning 16 of their last 21 home meetings against the New York Mets. The Cardinals look to continue their dominance in the Gateway City and complete a three-game series sweep of the Mets when the teams reconvene on Sunday afternoon.

Randal Grichuk belted a pair of homers to highlight his six-RBI performance in St. Louis' 12-2 rout of New York on Saturday. Grichuk is a blistering 9-for-15 in his last four contests and 2-for-3 with two extra-base hits against Sunday starter Jonathon Niese. It is uncertain if Jason Heyward will face Niese after the outfielder reached for his hamstring following his fifth hit on Saturday. While the Cardinals have rebounded from a brief stumble prior to the All-Star break, New York has sputtered out of the blocks to begin their 10-game stretch against all three National League division leaders. Michael Cuddyer homered among his three hits on Saturday to improve to 8-for-18 in his last five outings following an 0-for-11 stretch in his previous five tilts.

TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Jonathon Niese (5-8, 3.61 ERA) vs. Cardinals LH Tim Cooney (0-0, 4.34)

After a disastrous stretch, Niese has made great strides to turn his season around. The 28-year-old, who has recorded a 2.67 ERA over his last eight starts, seized his second straight victory after tossing 6 2/3 solid innings in a 5-3 triumph over Arizona last Sunday. Niese fell to 4-3 in his career versus St. Louis after getting blitzed for eight runs on 11 hits in five innings of a 10-2 setback on May 19.

Cooney will receive his fifth start of the season on Sunday as manager Mike Matheny elects to give his rotation an extra day's rest. The 24-year-old has pitched well in his last three outings, permitting six earned runs in 16 2/3 innings. Cooney, who has yet to face the Mets in his young career, has kept the ball in the park in his each of his last two trips to the mound.

WALK-OFFS:
1. St. Louis SS Jhonny Peralta is 10-for-21 with two homers in his last five games.
2. Mets 2B Wilmer Flores was hitless in four at-bats on Saturday to fall to 3-for-25 versus the Cardinals this season.
3. St. Louis 3B Matt Carpenter is 0-for-13 with four strikeouts in his last three contests.

[G-Fafif]

.254 - CF
.272 - 3B
.249 - LF
.241 - 1B
.246 - 2B
.186 - RF (as .246 rests)
.238 - C
.247 - SS
.194 - LHP

[G-Fafif]

Wong 2B
Grichuk RF
Peralta SS
Reynolds 1B
Molina C
Pham LF
Bourjos CF
Kozma 3B
Cooney P

[MFS62]

That Mets lineup couldn't hit Rosemary Clooney.

Later

[Guest d'Kong76]

G-Fafif wrote: .254 - CF .272 - 3B .249 - LF .241 - 1B .246 - 2B .186 - RF (as .246 rests) .238 - C .247 - SS .194 - LHP

Not exactly the stuff that makes pitchers shake in the cleats!

@juanlagares2 CF
Murphy 3B
@mcuddy23 LF
Duda 1B
Flores 2B
@Jmayberryjr44 RF
@kplawecki26 C
Tejada SS
Niese P

@kcmets #cpftoocool

[Edgy MD]

Clooney, Shmooney. Total offensive breakout happening today.

[ashie62]

I hope Tim Cooney throws as hard as Gerry Cooney.

[Edgy MD]

I hope Tim Cooney throws as hard as Tim Conway.

I hope Tim Conway throws as hard as Conway Twitty.

I hope Conway Twitty throws as hard Tweety Bird.

I hope Tweety Bird throws as hard as Lady Bird Johnson.

The Mets have never had a problem hitting Lady Bird Johnson.

[ashie62]

I heard Grote once hit Lady Bird Johnson.

[Edgy MD]

Oh, boy, they'll be visiting with Kurt Warner throughout the broadcast.

[Edgy MD]

What a terrible at-bat by John Mayberry � fouled off two hanging meatballs and flails at the straight change.

[Lefty Specialist]

And Lagares swings at a ball that bounced. This is really getting old.

[Edgy MD]

So, this is a grind.

[Edgy MD]

Let's spoil this shit, Murphy.

[Edgy MD]

Two hits. And we look at the shift and the wide open single and possible double it gives us, and we say pish-posh.

[Edgy MD]

Two outs, two on, and Mayberry, Jr. up.

Por favor, JMJ.

[Edgy MD]

OK, jammed up... for Plawecki.

Pinch-hit Granderson here?

[Edgy MD]

Well, that was... boo.

[Lefty Specialist]

It's like they all turn into Jan From Toyota at the plate with runners in scoring position. Except that they don't go places.

[Edgy MD]

Swinging at compost, gentlemen.

[Edgy MD]

Lousy strike one call to Duda.

Hey, pinch run Nieuwie for Cuddy if he gets in scoring position.

[Edgy MD]

CBGB Guy behind home plate is a trip.

Duda whiffing: not a trip.

[Lefty Specialist]

These guys are flailing at some of the worst pitches I've ever seen.

And Curtis forgets how to count to four.

[Edgy MD]

Good time for redemption, Plawecki.

Plawecktion.

[Edgy MD]

Ten LoB.

[Guest d'Kong76]

$\/�%�+tion

[Lefty Specialist]

Plasucki.

[Edgy MD]

Lifting one beard for another. Not sure how I feel about this.

[Edgy MD]

OK, let's win in the ninth and get out of Dodge.