IGT 6/7 Mets @ Bucs "Let's Play Two" Gm 2

[Guest d'Kong76]

NY Mets at Pittsburgh
When: 7:05ish PM ET, Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Where: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
SportsDirect Inc.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets both are sitting in second place in their respective National League divisions and looking to move up, though neither team appears to be at the top of its game of late. Both clubs got an unscheduled day off with Monday�s rainout and the Pirates will be looking to bounce back from a stretch in which they have lost five of six when they host the Mets in a doubleheader on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh was on the verge of a series win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday before squandering a three-run lead and absorbing a 5-4 loss. The Mets are coming off their own one-run loss � 1-0 at Miami � and are losers of five of their last eight to fall two games behind Washington in the NL East. New York�s problem is on offense, as the team is averaging just 2.6 runs in its last eight contests while totaling eight in five losses over that span. The Pirates aren�t exactly lighting up the scoreboard but did show some signs of breaking out with a total of 12 runs in their last two games, while Jung Ho Kang added two more hits on Sunday and is 6-for-16 with two home runs, three doubles and four RBIs in four contests this month to lead Pittsburgh's attack.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN2, SNY (New York), ROOT (Pittsburgh)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Jacob deGrom (3-1, 2.62 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Juan Nicasio (4-4, 4.75)

DeGrom failed to record the win in any of his last six starts despite allowing three earned runs or fewer in five of those outings. The Stetson product allowed a total of two runs and eight hits while striking out 17 in 14 innings over his last two turns � both no-decisions. DeGrom�s career record against the Pirates tells a similar story, with no decisions despite a total of two runs surrendered over 13 2/3 frames.

Nicasio has a pair of top prospects � right-handers Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon � breathing down his neck for the No. 5 spot in the rotation and is just 1-2 with a 6.23 ERA over his last five turns. The 29-year-old Dominican turned in the lone quality start in that span last time out, when he held Miami to three runs in six innings. Nicasio has done his best work this season at PNC Park and owns a 4-1 record with a 3.49 ERA in front of the home fans.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Walker is batting .279 with 13 home runs for the Mets and is operating out of the cleanup spot in the order with 1B Lucas Duda and 3B David Wright on the disabled list.
2. Pirates LF Starling Marte is 7-for-12 in his last three games.
3. New York OF Yoenis Cespedes (hip) was limited to pinch-hitting duty on Sunday and is day-to-day.

[Frayed Knot]

If anyone in blue and orange would like to make hard contact sometime today -- or, y'know, contact -- it would be greatly appreciated.

[Frayed Knot]

Well, Game 2 out of reach.
Hopefully Syndergaard pitches well tomorrow and we don't get blitzed by an ML debut.

[Edgy MD]

Nice to see good hard contact from Flores, but ... finding leather.

[Edgy MD]

Three perfect ... for Nicasio.

I know everybody's down on Niese, but Hawk is twice the pitcher Nicasio is.

[Edgy MD]

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[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: know everybody's down on Niese, but Hawk is twice the pitcher Nicasio is.

Which means we'll get half as many hits.

[Edgy MD]

Six strikeouts in the first 10 batters.

Let's see if Tom Walker can hit.

[Edgy MD]

Sebben.

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, he has 51 Ks on the season, but here he gets 7 of the first 11 batters he faces.

That Cespedes then broke things up with a first-pitch weak-ass fly out to left may actually be looked at as a good thing.

[Frayed Knot]

Well, if nothing else, this loss is going to be very quick.
Not painless, but quick.

[Guest d'Kong76]

The road greys will prevail, got 'em right where we want 'em.

[Edgy MD]

Strike this gorgon out.

[Frayed Knot]

If we get out of this inning no worse than 6-1 I'll call it a victory.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Do the Mets lead the the league in hitting into DP's?

[Frayed Knot]

d'Kong76 wrote: Do the Mets lead the the league in hitting into DP's?

They're actually close to the bottom (last time I looked) but for a team that never gets on base and rarely makes contact, they hit into onefuckofalotof double plays!!



oe: 4th from the bottom in NL -- might be a few slots higher before the night's out though

[Frayed Knot]

By contrast the Mets are near the bottom of the league at turning DPs

[Guest Carnac the Metnificent]

A: Teams from the NHL and Copa America









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Q: Who thinks that the Mets really suck at scoring?

[Guest d'Kong76]

The Kang stealing third but on the starting side of a DP isn't
something you see much. Baseball.

[Fman99]

Damn. Whole lotta not so much tonight.

[Frayed Knot]

d'Kong76 wrote: The Kang stealing third but on the starting side of a DP isn't something you see much. Baseball.

I think that was the first time a Pirate actually hit a ball AT a Met today.
Not that we're not playing like shit, but we're also getting a bunch of shit luck in the process.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

I'm having flashbacks to last season, and I don't mean the good parts.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Flores flashin' the lucky leather... let's score some runs!

[Guest d'Kong76]

[Zvon]

Gah! Lost 2 to the Bucs and Niese goes 7 shutout innings? WTF? Awful. I did see Pirate outfielders chasing down like everything hit out there but still, we gotta hit more, or at least in a more timely manner.

I'm afraid this team will not jell until they drop the home run or die mentality.

[Benjamin Grimm]