Mets @ Natz, 6/28 (IGT #76)

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

We'll be at tonight's game, Section 101, Row P if you wanna stop by.

It's Matt Harvey, the NL's losingest pitcher but suddenly the most important guy on the team, against Lucas Gioloto, making his MLB debut.

Gioloto is a 6-foot-6 RHP, 1st round draftee (16th overall) in 2012. Consensus Top 10 prospect, but...

Giving up a lot of baserunners in AAA (34 walks, 67 hits in 72 IP).

Let's win tonight.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Win one for the 'buckets!

NY Mets at Washington
When: 7:05 PM ET, Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Where: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia
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Matt Harvey's place in the starting rotation was placed in jeopardy after a pair of disastrous starts versus the Washington Nationals last month. While the ensuing results haven't been promising, Harvey has pitched significantly better in his last five outings for the New York Mets heading into the second contest of the three-game set versus the host Nationals on Tuesday.

Washington sent an all-too-familiar message to the 27-year-old right-hander by erupting for 17 hits and stealing a season-high six bases in an 11-4 rout on Monday. Daniel Murphy continued to torment his former team by driving in a pair of runs in the series opener and is blistering 12-for-28 with two homers and eight RBIs in seven encounters this season. While the first-place Nationals have won two in a row following a season-high seven-game losing streak, the Mets have dropped three of five to fall four games out in the NL East. Wilmer Flores had a two-run single in the third inning to give New York a 4-0 lead and is 6-for-14 with four RBIs in his last four games after a 3-for-29 stretch in his previous 10.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SNY (New York), MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Matt Harvey (4-9, 4.64 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Lucas Giolito (NA)

Harvey was blitzed for 14 runs on 16 hits - including four homers - in a pair of losses to Washington last month. The right-hander has kept the ball in the park in each of his last five outings and surrendered just eight runs in that span (32 innings), but only has a 1-2 mark to show for it. Harvey has flustered Bryce Harper (1-for-24) in his career, although Anthony Rendon (6-for-17) and Ben Revere (5-for-15) have gotten their licks in against the struggling stud.

An injured Stephen Strasburg's loss is Giolito's gain as the latter is expected to be recalled from Double-A Harrisburg to make his major-league debut. The 21-year-old Giolito, who was the 16th overall pick of the 2012 draft, posted a 5-3 mark with a 3.17 ERA in 14 starts with the Senators. "He's ready for the task," Washington manager Dusty Baker told reporters of Giolito, who has struck out 72 batters in 71 innings this season.

WALK-OFFS:
1. New York general manager Sandy Alderson is scheduled to meet with manager Terry Collins and Steven Matz on Tuesday to discuss the best course of action as the right-hander deals with a bone spur in his elbow.
2. Nationals OF Jayson Werth is 8-for-24 with seven runs scored versus the Mets this season.
3. New York OF Juan Lagares (thumb) is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday.

[Edgy MD]

I like left field at Nats Park. Puts you near the promenade.

Bring hats.

[bmfc1]

I saw Giolito pitch against the Mets in PSL--six up, six down (like that's an accomplishment against the Mets most nights).

[Centerfield]

I declare tonight a BIG GAME.

But for real, show some fucking life Mets. Try not to suck.

[TransMonk]

Yeah, it may be stating the obvious, but how the Mets fare in these two weeks leading up to the AS break could make or break their season.

Treading water is hard enough, but these games could really sink the team if they can't perform better than last night.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think I may need to go back to Peru.

[ashie62]

Harvey days Loney nights

Let the Mets shine through tonight.

[Edgy MD]

1. Granderson, rf
   
2. Cabrera, ss
   
3. Cespedes, cf
   
4. Walker, 2b
   
5. Owner of a Loney Heart, 1b
   
6. Flores, 3b
   
7. Nimmo, lf
   
8. d'Arnaud, c
   
9. Harvey, sp

[Guest d'Kong76]

Revere CF
Werth LF
Harper RF
Murphy 2B
Ramos C
Zimmerman 1B
Rendon 3B
Espinosa SS
Giolito P

[Edgy MD]

The team has sucked since I took the auto-KABOOM! programming out of the back end.

[Guest d'Kong76]

They had the one run (and the Nats lost like 7 in a row) and were
like a game out of first. Seems like just yesterday.

[Frayed Knot]

d'Kong76 wrote: Revere CF Werth LF Harper RF Murphy 2B Ramos C Zimmerman 1B Rendon 3B Espinosa SS Giolito P

Must be nice to be able to write in the same lineup every night.
As far as I can tell, Ben Revere is the only position player they've had to put on the DL this year - basically for the first month of the season.
Other than that, every regular is at or is approaching 300 ABs.

[Centerfield]

health is always a huge factor in pennant races.

[Zvon]

Rain coming down pretty hard there atm. They say no end in sight.

[Frayed Knot]

Centerfield wrote: health is always a huge factor in pennant races.

And it sounds bitchy to whine about it, especially seeing as how the Nats are currently without Strasberg & Papelbon.
But when I see a lineup that stays virtually the same every night, where the only off days are scheduled rest days, and the number of different #3 & #4 hitters thru nearly 1/2 season are 2 & 3 rather than our 6 & 7, I catch myself wondering what that must be like; it's a version of reality with which I am not familiar.




8 o'clock start time is the current estimate

[Frayed Knot]

Hey here's a good idea, let's see if Harvey can get up to 75 pitches by the 3rd inning just like Syndy did last night!!!
We'll do that right after we let the slowest runner in the majors score from 1st on a weak double.

[Frayed Knot]

Looks like that leadoff single by Grandy filled the team's quota for the night.

[Edgy MD]

It shouldn't matter all that much that your first baseman is pretty slow, but it does and ours is.

[Edgy MD]

d'Arnaud is nobody's fool, and he'll be a perfectly capable big league thrower from behind the plate.

And it'll sure help if it's Daniel Murphy doing the running on him.

[Frayed Knot]

And when given the gift of an erased baserunner, Harvey repays his team by putting the next two batters on.

[Guest cooby]

Was supposed to be on XM 182 but sure as heck wasn't.

[Guest cooby]

Zvon wrote: Rain coming down pretty hard there atm. They say no end in sight.

Well holy poop. Maybe that was the problem

[Frayed Knot]

1) I have no faith in this game resuming
2) if it does resume I have no faith in it turning out well

[Guest d'Kong76]

It's a weather delay, they can't stop tinkering with anything.

[Guest themetfairy]

Frayed Knot wrote: 1) I have no faith in this game resuming 2) if it does resume I have no faith in it turning out well

1) You're wrong.

2) I hope you're wrong.

[Edgy MD]

Report from the Other Place: For having the stuff to wait out the rain delay, Lunchpail got himself an autographed pearl from Hansel Robles.

Pays to sit by the bullpen.

[Edgy MD]

Got our LOOGy entering the game early enough to take at-bats.

Not a great recipe for offense.

[Guest cooby]

Report from the Other Place: For having the stuff to wait out the rain delay, Lunchpail got himself an autographed pearl from Hansel Robles. Pays to sit by the bullpen.

pearl?

[Centerfield]

Seems like forever since I had fun watching a Mets game.