IGT 5/19/2017: ANA@NYM—Trout-Fishing in America

[Edgy MD]

The nine-games-out New York Mets put their seven-game losing streak on the line against the fakest team in America, who happen to employ the best player in the world. Except for maybe that two-way Japanese guy.

Ricky Nolasco, who we saw about a million times back when he with the Marlins, is scheduled to oppose Jacob deGrom. The Mets get a travel day on Thursday, so you'll have 48 hours to THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU DID, MISTER. What will happen in the meantime is anyone's guess, but I see Reynolds swapped out for Cheech and Montero exiled in favor of ... Smoker? Baldonado? Tebow?

[MFS62]

I found my old glove and have started to long toss.
I may be able to pitch off a mound in a few weeks.
Hold the fort, guys.
Help is on its way!

Later

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

[youtube:1idffo2x]xnuetbfDLpE[/youtube:1idffo2x]

[Lefty Specialist]

MFS62 wrote: I found my old glove and have started to long toss. I may be able to pitch off a mound in a few weeks. Hold the fort, guys. Help is on its way! Later

You'll get there before Steven Matz will.

[ashie62]

Mets blow, Angels blow. Looking for a competitive fun series.

We have to be able to hit Ricky Nolasco.

[Methead]

Trout isn't on the team plane, he's just trampling cities as he makes his way across the country.

[Frayed Knot]

Angels KTE:

C - some guy
1B - who cares?
2B - I dunno
SS - probably suxx
3B - not TJ Rivera, that's for sure
RF - Bet he's a stiff
CF - probably can run but that's about it
LF - TROUT


Even Pujols will probably only play one game of the three because he's pretty much a full-time DH now (2 games this season at 1B)
Trout's 13 HRs are almmost triple anyone else's on the team and nearly 1/3 of the team total of 45
He's hitting .341, one other starter is within 90 points of that. His .450 OBA is 100 points clear of all his teammates, and his 755 SLGA tops the others by more than 350 clicks
He's also first in walks, has as many intentional walks as the rest put together, and is second in team steals (by one) and HBP (by one)

In short, he's a regular one of these guys
[fimg=400:ziqyl52y]https://www.timeshighereducation.com/sites/default/files/styles/the_breaking_news_image_style/public/one-man-band-playing-instruments-lancaster-pennsylvania.jpg?itok=oBxcxRhz[/fimg:ziqyl52y]

[seawolf17]

Nolasco career vs Mets: 6-8, 5.03 in 24 starts and two bullpen appearances, 4.20 ERA in 8 Citi Field starts. Which means he'll throw a shutout tomorrow night.

[Benjamin Grimm]

It doesn't matter. He can give up 15 runs and then the Mets bullpen will give up 16.

[Frayed Knot]

Nats lost on Thursday afternoon. Also the Phils lost, Braves lost, Yanx lost, and we DIDN'T lose.
Best day of baseball we've had in over a week!!

[Guest cooby]

Let's get it on

[Guest cooby]

Dang, Yankees on tonight again

[ashie62]

Mike Trout was ranked by Steve Politi of the SL as the third best player to ever come out of New Jersey behind Jeter and Yogi being #1.

Lakewood, NJ by Monmouth shore. Exit 92 lol.

[Edgy MD]

Yogi Berra ranked by me as a guy who didn't come out of New Jersey at all, but out of Missouri.

I'll give Derek Jeter a pass for spending the first four years of his life in New Jersey, but I imagine that didn't represent a lot of baseball development.

[Guest d'Kong76]

LA Angels at NY Mets
When: 7:10 PM ET, Friday, May 19, 2017
Where: Citi Field, New York City, New York
By Gracenote

The New York Mets are about to face the worst thing a struggling pitching staff can see: a red-hot Mike Trout. The Mets, who are losers of seven in a row, will try to find some way to slow the reigning American League MVP when they open a three-game interleague series against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.

New York's staff is allowing an average of 7.4 runs during its slide and it fell 5-4 at Arizona in 11 innings on Wednesday to finish up a winless six-game road trip. "We didn't play too good as a team," Mets third baseman Jose Reyes told the team's website. "It's not one thing. There's a lot of other stuff happening right now. It's hard to describe. We're going to get better. We're not going to stay the whole season playing like this. At some point, this has to turn around. Hopefully, it's sooner than later." The Angels are averaging seven runs during a four-game winning streak and Trout homered five times in the last six contests. Trout does not have much of a track record against any New York pitchers and will be seeing Jacob deGrom for the first time on Friday while Los Angeles counters with veteran Ricky Nolasco.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Ricky Nolasco (2-2, 4.34 ERA) vs. Mets RH Jacob deGrom (2-1, 4.07)

Nolasco enjoyed back-to-back quality starts in his last two outings but was held out of the decision in each turn. The 34-year-old allowed three runs on five hits and four walks against Detroit on Saturday while surrendering a pair of home runs - the third straight start in which he yielded two home runs. Nolasco spent the first eight seasons of his career in the National League and is 6-8 with a 5.03 ERA in 26 career games - 24 starts - against New York.

DeGrom is racking up good strikeout numbers but is not finding the win column of late with back-to-back no-decisions. The Stetson product was reached for four runs and eight hits in six innings while striking out seven at Milwaukee on Sunday in a game the Mets went on to lose 11-9. DeGrom is making his first career start against the Angels and is 4-3 with a 2.16 ERA in 10 career interleague starts.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Angels OF Cameron Maybin is 8-for-10 with four runs scored in the last two games.
2. Mets OF Michael Conforto is 1-fo-14 with eight strikeouts in the last three games.
3. Los Angeles DH Albert Pujols left Wednesday's game early with hamstring tightness and is day-to-day.

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, it seems like the writer is trying to play both sides of the street with his 'from New Jersey' qualifications.
Post-retirement and pre-kindergarten are tenuous connections at best.

[Edgy MD]

On the other hand, it's nice to see Steve J. Rogers working for the Star-Ledger.

[ashie62]

It was just a fun read. I will post it.

Jeff Torborg is on it. RU 64 I believe.

The SL NJ 50
http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2017/05/here_are_the_50_greatest_baseball_players_from_new.html#incart_river_index

[ashie62]

Edgy MD wrote: Yogi Berra ranked by me as a guy who didn't come out of New Jersey at all, but out of Missouri. I'll give Derek Jeter a pass for spending the first four years of his life in New Jersey, but I imagine that didn't represent a lot of baseball development.

Their criteria.

First, some ground rules. A player can qualify for this list in three ways:
1. He was born here. Yes, Derek Jeter grew up in Kalamazoo, Mich., but Pequannock always will be on his birth certificate, and if that's good enough for the New Jersey Hall of Fame, it's good enough for us.
2. He grew up here. Willie Wilson was born in Montgomery, Ala., but that hardly matters to the people of Summit, where he learned the game and remains a legend after his great 19-year career in the majors.
3. He is closely identifiable with the state. This one is tricky, because it is highly subjective. Still: The list would be incomplete without the likes of Yogi Berra, who for almost seven decades lived here and became a community treasure in Montclair. But the standard is high -- having an N.J. zip code for a few years is not enough.

[ashie62]

A true warm humid night at Citi.

[ashie62]

Conforto 7
Reyes 6
Bruce 9
Walker 4
Granderson 8
Flores 5
Duda 3
Rivera 2
deGrom 1

[Edgy MD]

1. Cameron Maybin, lf
2. Kole Calhoun, rf
3. Mike Trout, cf
4. Luis Valbuena, 3b
5. Andrelton Simmons, ss
6. C.J. Cron, 1b
7. Martin Maldonado, c
8. Danny Espinosa, 2b
9. Ricky Nolasco, p

>>> "Oh man, tell me we can't beat a team that bats Andrelton Simmons fifth. We've GOTTA win this one."

>>> >>> "I don't know man. Who do we have batting fifth?"

>>> "Shit."

[Frayed Knot]

LAA pitchers on the DL:

Cam Bedrosian - Reliever, son of phormer Phillie Steve, also former 1st round draft pick
Andrew Bailey - Reliever
Andrew Heaney (60 day DL) - former 1st round pick of the Marlins, dealt to LAA in a multi-team deal involving Dee Gordon and others
Mike Morin - Reliever
Garrett Richards (60) - Starter, former 1st rounder, missed much of last year too
Tyler Skaggs - Starter and former 1st round draft pick
Huston Street (60) - Closer with 300+ saves. Hasn't appeared all season
Nick Tropeano (60) - One of them Stonybrook guys via West Islip, L.I.. Also hasn't appeared yet this year

[Edgy MD]

Someday, maybe soon, we're going to realize that we're taking more care of pitchers, but not better care of pitcher

[ashie62]

Curtis!!

[Edgy MD]

Maldonado's beard looks like it was applied by stage makeup.

Coming out of and 0-for-36 slump. Mon dieu.

[Edgy MD]

Cuzzi is squeezing deGrom.

How do the Mets keep getting Phil Cuzzi, anyhow?

[Guest themetfairy]

I'm always amazed when Lucas Duda draws walks, considering how ginormous a strike zone he has.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: Cuzzi is squeezing deGrom. How do the Mets keep getting Phil Cuzzi, anyhow?

I asked MLB. Their answer was "Just cuz".

[Edgy MD]

Seeing deGrom get bunts down and get field his position really puts Matt Harvey in perspective.