IGT 6/23/16: NYM@ATL -- Harvey and the Bandit

[G-Fafif]

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Well, the boys are thirsty in Atlanta...thirsty for revenge. Matt Harvey behind the wheel for the visitors, Matt Wisler in the driver's seat for the home team.

One of 'em's gonna be a floor mat before it's all over. Or the bullpens will settle it.

[Edgy MD]

I like to read that in the voice of "Waylon Jennings as the Balladeer."

[Guest d'Kong76]

NY Mets at Atlanta
When: 7:10 PM ET, Thursday, June 23, 2016
Where: Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia
SportsDirect Inc.

The New York Mets have some potentially major injury concerns as they prepare to open a seven-game road trip with the first of four contests against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday. The Mets completed a two-game sweep of Kansas City on Wednesday but saw ace right-hander Noah Syndergaard (elbow) and slugger Yoenis Cespedes (wrist) forced from the game with injuries.

Syndergaard and Cespedes both were sent to the Hospital of Special Surgery in Manhattan to be examined, which could leave a gaping hole in a New York lineup already missing captain David Wright and Lucas Duda. "I'm certainly concerned about it," Mets manager Terry Collins said of Cespedes. "Any time when you're a hitter - and you're a big hitter - and your hands and your wrists have problems, it's a concern." The Braves own the worst record in the National League and are a dreadful 9-27 at home, but they swept a three-game set in New York over the weekend. Atlanta, which is opening an 11-game homestand, had its six-game winning streak halted with a 3-0 loss at Miami on Wednesday.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FSN Southeast (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Matt Harvey (4-9, 4.76 ERA) vs. Braves RH Matt Wisler (3-7, 4.23)

Harvey's nightmarish season continued when he was tagged by Atlanta for four runs and seven hits over six innings to absorb his career-worst ninth defeat. The 27-year-old has lost two of his three decisions versus the Braves this season to drop to 2-4 with a 3.72 ERA in six starts against New York's NL East rival. A.J. Pierzynski is 6-for-9 against Harvey, who will carry a 2-5 road record and 4.70 ERA into Thursday's start.

Wisler halted a four-start losing streak by limiting Cincinnati to two runs over six innings for his first victory since May 20. The 23-year-old turned in awful performances in his previous two turns, lasting only four innings and surrendering three homers in each. His best outing came versus the Mets on May 3, when he tossed eight scoreless innings of one-hit ball to improve to 3-1 with a 1.55 ERA against them.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Cespedes has hit four homers in 14 games versus Atlanta and was 4-for-6 against Kansas City before exiting Wednesday's game.
2. Braves 1B Freddie Freeman is 15-for-31 in his last seven games while 2B Jace Peterson has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 contests.
3. Mets RHP Bartolo Colon, who left Tuesday's start with a thumb injury,will make his scheduled start in the series finale versus Atlanta.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Oh no! Matt Wisler! He's becoming a real b�te noire for the Mets!

[Guest cooby]

God how I hated that whole CB radio culture. But that movie was great

[Frayed Knot]

1. Cespedes has hit four homers in 14 games versus Atlanta and was 4-for-6 against Kansas City before exiting Wednesday's game.

Yeah, but it sounds like he'll be out a couple days with this wrist thing so he may not ever bat the whole weekend.

[G-Fafif]

Granderson RF
Cabrera SS
Loney 1B
Walker 2B
Johnson 3B
Conforto LF
d'Arnaud C
De Aza CF
Harvey P

[G-Fafif]

Peterson 2B
Inciarte CF
Freeman 1B
Markakis RF
Garcia 3B
Pierzynski C
Aybar SS
Bonifacio LF
Wisler P

[Frayed Knot]

These type of hypothetical questions get asked of every team every year: but if you were to be told that the 3-4-5 in a mid-season lineup would be James Loney, Neil Walker, Kelly Johnson, how many dozen games below .500 would you guess they'd be?

[Edgy MD]

I looked at that lineup and wondered when they reactivated HoJo.

[Ceetar]

Matthew Kaminski @bravesorganist
#Braves vs #Mets - 'Alejandro' by Lady Gaga for Alejandro De Aza

#Braves vs #Mets - 'Welcome Back Cotter' for Kelly Johnson

#Braves vs #Mets - 'Batman Theme' for Harvey

#Braves vs #Mets - 'He's Not Heavy, He's My Brother' for d'Arnaud

#Braves vs #Mets - 'Comfortably Numb' for Conforto

#Braves vs #Mets - 'Walking on the Moon' for Neil Walker

#Braves vs #Mets - 'Oscar Meyer Bologna' song for Loney

#Braves vs #Mets - 'Theme from Taxi' for Cabrera

[TransMonk]

Funny. The only one I'm not getting the reference on is "Taxi" for Cabrera. ?

[Benjamin Grimm]

All of the characters on Taxi had the first name "Asdrubal".

[TransMonk]

LOL

[ashie62]

Loney third?

[TransMonk]

Loney as a Met in 76 ABs: .289/.333/.408/.741

Not an ideal #3 hitter, but we've had worse.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Taxi-CABrera

[Edgy MD]

d'Kong76 wrote: Taxi-CABrera

Good job, but that's the organist over-thinking it.

Maybe Matt can give up hits to each of the first three guys and pick 'em all off.

[Edgy MD]

MLB.tv just showed Paul Molitor's 3,000th hit. That wasn't a hit. That was an error.

[Edgy MD]

Harvey has owed any success he has had tonight to the Turner Field wall distances.

[Zvon]

de Aza with a useful catch!

[Edgy MD]

A hit with two out and a runner in scoring position. My word.

[Zvon]

That Wisler has a nice tight little slider. It snaps.

[Zvon]

A hit is always useful Mr. de Aza.

3-1 Mets, mid 6th.

[Zvon]

Matt struggling a bit here in the 6th. Get through it, but surrenders one on a Pierz~ RBI double.

3-2 Mets after 6.

[Fman99]

James Loney is really great at not being Eric Campbell.

[Zvon]

A 2 out walk and single by Loney & Walker run Wisler from the game.
Wilmer PH: pops out. A run there would have been nice.

I was positive Harvey was getting the 7th, & I was okay with that, but he's not. Gilmartin gets the 7th.

[Zvon]

Ohhhhhhhh, shit. Almost a great catch by Conforto, but he couldn't corral it.
Gil walked the lead off guy. Luckily Conforto kept the ball from going past him on the diving effort and we have 1st & 2nd, no out.

[Edgy MD]

A strangely high-leverage situation to be calling on Gilmartin.

[Zvon]

Big purple OMG!
What a throw by Conforto!

OUT AT THE PLATE!!!

I didn't think he had a chance. lil d' hangs in there and blocks the plate.

It will be reviewed.
Im thinkin 50/50