IGT 9/11 Mets vs Braves and Matt vs Matz

[Fman99]

Steven Matz vs Matt Wisler who is, if you believe his stats, not good at pitching.

[Guest d'Kong76]

GAME: New York Mets (79-61) at Atlanta Braves (56-85)
DATE/TIME: Friday, September 11 - 7:35 PM EST
WHERE: Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
Covers Media Group Ltd.

Yoenis Cespedes has played all of 37 games with the New York Mets, but his impact has been so significant he could factor into the National League MVP race. Cespedes has belted six homers through nine September games entering Friday night�s contest at the Atlanta Braves, and the outfielder�s offense is a huge reason the Mets enjoy a 7�-game advantage in the NL East.

Destined to be one of the top free-agent targets this offseason, Cespedes is hitting .304 with 14 homers and 36 RBIs as a Met after being held hitless for the first time this month in Thursday�s series-opening 7-2 victory. New York is tied with Seattle and Toronto for the most homers since the All-Star break (77) and aims for its fifth victory in a row against an Atlanta team looking to end a nine-game home losing streak. The Braves, enduring their worst season since 1990, have won just three times in their past 24 games. Veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski brings an eight-game hitting streak into Friday, and the 38-year-old is hitting .339 in his past 45 games.

TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FSN South (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Steven Matz (2-0, 1.89 ERA) vs. Braves RH Matt Wisler (5-6, 5.81)

Matz pitched well in his return from a partial tear of his left lat muscle Sunday, giving up two runs on four hits with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision at Miami. He won his first two major-league starts before the injury, striking out 14 in 13 2/3 innings with two runs allowed in defeating the Reds and Dodgers. Matz, picked by the Mets in the second round of the 2009 draft, left Sunday�s outing with a blister on his left middle finger but experienced no issues in a Wednesday bullpen session.

Wisler has struggled mightily in the home stretch of his first major-league season, but the Braves are hoping a two-inning bullpen appearance Sunday will get him back on track. Wisler, who turns 23 Saturday, is 0-5 with a 9.49 ERA and eight homers allowed in 30 1/3 innings in his past seven starts since Aug. 1, but did not allow a hit in two innings Sunday against Washington. Wisler went 5-1 with a 3.43 ERA in his first seven starts through the end of July, allowing one run on six hits in eight innings to beat the Mets in his big-league debut June 19.

WALK-OFFS:
1. The Braves are last in the majors in homers (86). Atlanta has not failed to hit 100 homers in a season since 1988.
2. The Mets hope OF Michael Cuddyer, who has not played since Sept. 2 with right wrist tendinitis, will be available Friday.
3. Atlanta 3B Hector Olivera, who started his major-league career 1-for-11, is 8-for-21 since during his current five-game hitting streak.

[Edgy MD]

Brace yourself for stupid hats.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Brace yourself for stupid hats.

and bogus outrage about it!

[Guest d'Kong76]

What are we 'bogusly' outraged about now?

[Ceetar]

d'Kong76 wrote: What are we 'bogusly' outraged about now?

the 9/11 cap discussion is always good for some outrage.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Wasn't even thinking that, I thought maybe it was some
Atlanta thing that I wasn't aware of.

[Ceetar]

d'Kong76 wrote: Wasn't even thinking that, I thought maybe it was some Atlanta thing that I wasn't aware of.

nah, I think Atlanta's basically checked out.

[Benjamin Grimm]

d'Kong76 wrote: Wasn't even thinking that, I thought maybe it was some Atlanta thing that I wasn't aware of.

Me too. I thought that everyone in the stands would be wearing Whistler's Mother hats.

[Guest d'Kong76]

That would be a fashion statement!

[Edgy MD]

Ceetar wrote: d'Kong76 wrote: What are we 'bogusly' outraged about now? the 9/11 cap discussion is always good for some outrage.

Or reasonable objection. There's that too.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Ceetar wrote: d'Kong76 wrote: What are we 'bogusly' outraged about now? the 9/11 cap discussion is always good for some outrage. Or reasonable objection. There's that too.

you know there's no place for that on the internet.

[Edgy MD]

There is in this forum.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

I think the caps have a small and simple flag on the side. That will get the Unitwatch guys all upset, but I don't mind them.

[ashie62]

I am not into baseball fashion.

LETS GO METS!

[Guest d'Kong76]

Markakis, RF
Castro, 2B
Freeman, 1B
Garcia, 3B
Swisher, LF
Simmons, SS
Bethancourt, C
Bourn, CF
Wisler, P

[ashie62]

The Braves are horrible.

[Frayed Knot]

Markakis, RF Castro, 2B Freeman, 1B Garcia, 3B Swisher, LF Simmons, SS Bethancourt, C Bourn, CF Wisler, P

Changes from last night:
- Regular 2B Jace Peterson sits because he's obviously fraidy-scared of LHPs. Daniel Castro is a 22 y/o rookie out of Mexico w/43 ML ABs to date.
- Adonis Garcia PH'd last night after most of us were no longer paying close attention. He's a 30 y/o Cuban who was signed by the Yanx 3 years ago then released this April before ever reaching the bigs. The Braves picked up off the scrap heap then called him up in mid-season. Looks to have decent power but there are home-bound fat people you read about every once in a while who walk more than he does.
- Bethancourt in for Piersynzky. Supposedly better defensively but they've been disappointed with him all around this year.

[Guest d'Kong76]

@cgrand3 RF
@ynscspds CF
Murphy 2B
#DavidWright 3B
Duda 1B
d�Arnaud C
@mconforto8 LF
Tejada SS
@Smatz88 P

@kcmets #cpftoocool

[Centerfield]

Ceetar wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Brace yourself for stupid hats. and bogus outrage about it!

I think they should wear the first responder hats during the game. It's not bogus outrage at all. It is actual outrage. I think the Mets (the organization, management, the players, everyone) should tell anyone that tells them not to wear the hats to fuck off. It disappoints me that they don't.

You don't have to agree. It's a matter of opinion. But my thoughts are not bogus, they are not driven by fashion, or even have much to do with baseball.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Muffy hasn't had a hit since coming back I don't think. Maybe he shouldn't be 3rd in the order.

[Lefty Specialist]

Boy, walk FFF and pitch to everybody else. Braves have nothing.

[Frayed Knot]

Even the guys who were once good (Swisher & Bourn) or were briefly good (Simmons) aren't very good right now.
And even Markakis, whose average or OBP are still decent, has gone from 15 HRs/yr to just 2 this season. Part of that is probably missing Camden but part might just be landing on the wrong side of 30.

[Frayed Knot]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Muffy hasn't had a hit since coming back I don't think. Maybe he shouldn't be 3rd in the order.

Oh for his last 14
He'll always go outside the strike zone as we all know, but he's being doing more of it lately particularly on inside stuff that he can't possibly keep fair even when he does catch up to it.

[Edgy MD]

He's also Muffy. And he has a way of hitting prolifically just when I think he's not a good bet to hit prolifically any more.

But yeah, he's as good a pick for eighth as he is for third.

[Zvon]

Couldn't they wear the July 4th caps?

[ashie62]

Game on.

[Ceetar]

stranded a couple in the second.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Braves announcers said there was some controversy in New York when the Mets gave number 32 to Steven Matz. It was apparently too much pressure to put on a left-handed Jewish pitcher.

I have no memory of that. And I knew Matz was left-handed, but I didn't know he was Jewish.

[Guest themetfairy]

He's not Jewish.