IGT 6/26/16 - Game #74, Mets @ Braves

[Frayed Knot]

1:35 PM - WPIX or Fox Sports South
Bartolo Colon vs David Stefan 'Bud' Norris [2-7; 4.69; 1.45; 21 Games, 9 Starts]

We didn't see Norris is that ugly series last week but did face him three times in the first 5 weeks of the season.
Met bats smacked him around in a game he started on April 22nd [5 ER in 4 IP] but he fared well in two separate relief outings: 2-1/3 innings each on May 2nd & 4th, one hit + two walks allowed in total.

The lineup is expected to be Nimmo-fied and hopefully he will help us in this war and in all the wars still to come.

[Guest d'Kong76]

NY Mets at Atlanta
When: 1:35 PM ET, Sunday, June 26, 2016
Where: Jane Fonda Field, Atlanta, Georgia
SportsDirect Inc.

The New York Mets are working their way back toward the top of the National League East and can win for the fifth time in six contests when they visit the Atlanta Braves on Sunday for the finale of their four-game series. The Mets crept within two games of first-place Washington with a 1-0 victory on Saturday thanks to former Brave Kelly Johnson�s home run in the 11th inning.

New York continues to search for offense with David Wright and Lucas Duda out long term, and James Loney has stepped up to hit safely in 19 of 23 games since being acquired in late May. More help could be on the way as Jose Reyes returned to the organization by signing a minor-league contract on Saturday and is expected to play third base for Single-A Brooklyn on Sunday. The Braves have dropped two in a row after winning seven of their previous eight contests and will send rejuvenated right-hander Bud Norris to the mound against Mets veteran Bartolo Colon. Atlanta's Nick Markakis has gone 10-for-25 during his six-game hitting streak.

TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), FSN South (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Bartolo Colon (6-3, 3.00 ERA) vs. Braves RH Bud Norris (2-7, 4.69)

Colon is back on the mound after suffering a right thumb injury when he was hit by a line drive in the first inning on June 21 against Kansas City. The 43-year-old Dominican is unbeaten in his last six starts (3-0), including the abbreviated one last time out, and has given up two or fewer runs in each outing. Colon beat Atlanta with eight scoreless innings on May 2 and is 9-2 with a 2.44 ERA lifetime versus the division rival.

Norris has pitched much better since returning to the rotation, permitting seven runs over 22 1/3 innings while going 1-1 in his last four turns. The 31-year-old went 1-4 with an 8.74 ERA in his first five starts of the season � including a loss to the Mets. Curtis Granderson (4-for-7, two homers) and Loney (14-for-24, homer) have caused problems for Norris, who is 1-3 with a 4.47 ERA in nine career games against New York.

WALK-OFFS:
1. New York optioned Michael Conforto, who is batting .119 this month, to Triple-A Las Vegas and recalled fellow OF Brandon Nimmo, the 13th overall pick in the 2011 draft.
2. Atlanta CF Ender Inciarte is 5-for-11 in the series and hitting .341 lifetime against the Mets.
3. Mets RHP Jeurys Familia notched the save on Saturday � his 42nd straight conversion dating back to August.


Johnson LF
Reynolds SS
Cespedes CF
Walker 2B
Loney 1B
Flores 3B
Nimmo RF
Rivera C
Colon P

Peterson 2B
Inciarte CF
Freeman 1B
Markakis RF
Garcia 3B
Pierzynski C
Francoeur LF
d�Arnaud SS
Norris P

[Frayed Knot]

Wasn't expecting Nimmo in RF as his arm is described as nothing special.
On the other hand it's likely a better arm than the one belonging to the incumbent, so why not.

[Gwreck]

Mets RHP Jeurys Familia notched the save on Saturday � his 42nd straight conversion dating back to August.

I know no one here wrote this, so it's not directed at anyone here, but...I have a real disdain for intellectually dishonest statistics.
[end rant]

Let's Go Mets!

[Guest d'Kong76]

I should probably discontinue the Sportsdirect additions to the IGT. It's mostly out
of habit (read: likely igt-ocd) and maybe some silly superstition.

[soupcan]

6th inning, 1-0 Braves.

This Noffense is starting to annoy me.

[Frayed Knot]

And a cool 0-for-7 w/RiSP
Arnold Rothstein wouldn't fix things to be as bad as the Mets have been in those situations this year for fear of giving away the con.

[Edgy MD]

Interesting inning.
[list:lndczzz4][*:lndczzz4]An easy bouncing throw gets by Loney when he's been fielding wonderfully.[/*:m:lndczzz4]
[*:lndczzz4]It goes into the dugout when Rivera fails to back up, despite 80% of the reason he's out there is for defense.[/*:m:lndczzz4]
[*:lndczzz4]Flyout to right center in which Nimmo refuses to yield to a call-off buy C�spedes.[/*:m:lndczzz4]
[*:lndczzz4]Col�n lives a charmed life when he sort of catches the runner off second, but makes an off-target throw, and Walker nonetheless still gets the batter at first.[/*:m:lndczzz4][/list:u:lndczzz4]

Let's go ahead. By a lot would be nice. I mean, Bud Norris.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Time to stretch!
[youtube:2jf5k705]jpKKfeQT7H8[/youtube:2jf5k705]

[Frayed Knot]

Getting skunked by Julio Teheran is one thing (even if it's twice in a row) but when essentially the same results come against the likes of Wisler & Norris it's not so easily dismissed.
4 hits (all singles) and 8 K's on 88 pitches for Norris so far, and most of the rest of the outs haven't left he infield.

[Frayed Knot]

Norris out. Well at least we've hit the Braves bullpen well ... oh wait!

[Edgy MD]

Rivera shouldn't be batting here.

[Edgy MD]

And he goes down hacking at garbage.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: [insert Met here] shouldn't be batting here ... and [insert Met here] goes down hacking at garbage..

Fixed it for you.

[bmfc1]

Well done FK. It's like the same half-inning is being played on a loop.

[Frayed Knot]

This game was moving far too quickly (7-1/2 innings in under 2 hours) so Antonio Bastardo was brought in to remedy that.

[Edgy MD]

Bastardo sleeping on the mound = not good.

[bmfc1]

Bastardo needs to go. Between de Aza and Bastardo, Sandy did not use his limited FA budget wisely last off-season.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Sucking is bad enough, but at least man the mound like you've played pro ball.

[Zvon]

bmfc1 wrote: Bastardo needs to go. Between de Aza and Bastardo, Sandy did not use his limited FA budget wisely last off-season.

Ha. I was here all day? I didn't realize it. Stopped in here for the lineup earlier.
Agreed those two have to go. How could a pitcher forget that you have to throw over?? From now on he's Butt for Brains Bastardo.


Great, Garcia with a 3 run bomb.

ThThThThTat's All Folks!

[Lefty Specialist]

If the Rockies can eat $38 million on Reyes, the Mets can eat the $17 million for Bastardo and De Aza.

And Logan Verrett- not the answer.

[Frayed Knot]

d'Kong76 wrote: Sucking is bad enough, but at least man the mound like you've played pro ball.

But not like that.

If this game goes another 87 innings we might make up the 5 runs (notice that I said 'might')

[Edgy MD]

Well, this isn't the plan.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I've wasted an afternoon on this. The futility is more tiring than the weekend
chores I've blown off. Not how we want to go into Washington.

[TransMonk]

Gah!

[Frayed Knot]

Braves have four runs (and counting seeing as how there still only [crossout:1x3934gp]one[/crossout:1x3934gp], now two, out) off the Mets pen in this inning.
Kelly's HR last night was the Mets 7th off the Braves pen [u:1x3934gp]This Year[/u:1x3934gp].

[Edgy MD]

Well, hey, look, what might have been the go-ahead run is on second.

[Edgy MD]

Loney, you don't swing at the first pitch when the tying run is behind you in the ninth.

Just the most obvious thing ever.

[bmfc1]

Thanks Logan.

[Edgy MD]

Tying run on deck.

Vizcaino on his way in.

GO ZIMMO GO!