IGT 5/20/2017: ANA@NYM—Trout Mask Replica

[Edgy MD]

Zack Wheeler, coming off his best start in over two years, matches up with former-Nationals first-rounder Alex Meyer. The Nats traded Meyer to the Twins for Denard Span. He never found traction in the Twin system and now he's an Angel. Shutout-happy Mets were able to mask the effectiveness of Mike Trout, and hope to have a replica in this game.

Keep in mind that we have yet to see a Neil Ramirez appearance. Maybe he's here as mascot, or simply an example of what a player who hasn't been torn to bits by Mike Barwis looks like.

[TransMonk]

Great thread title!

[Guest d'Kong76]

LA Angels at NY Mets
When: 7:15 PM ET, Saturday, May 20, 2017
Where: Citi Field, New York City, New York
By Gracenote

The New York Mets are capable of looking like a World Series contender one week and a last-place team the next but are trying to find some consistency in a positive direction. The Mets will try to make it two straight wins following a seven-game slide when they host the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday for the middle contest of their three-game interleague series.

New York allowed at least five runs in each of those seven losses but looked like a different team with Jacob deGrom on the mound in Friday's 3-0 triumph. The Mets have been criticized recently for how they’ve handled injuries to their entire roster, and in particular the pitching staff, and deGrom is one of the few reliable arms in the rotation at the moment. Zack Wheeler, who still is making his way back after missing the previous two seasons following Tommy John surgery, will try to make it two reliable starters and give New York some length on Saturday while going up against Alex Meyer. Los Angeles had its four-game winning streak come to an end Friday and will try to get back the offense that produced a total of 28 runs in those four contests.

TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Alex Meyer (2-1, 5.59 ERA) vs. Mets RH Zack Wheeler (2-2, 3.76)

Meyer is coming off back-to-back wins and posted his first quality start last time out, when he held Detroit to one run and three hits in 6 1/3 innings. The 6-9 Kentucky product runs into trouble with his control from time to time, as he has issued a total of 14 walks in 19 1/3 innings this season. Meyer is 1-1 while allowing nine runs on 12 hits and eight walks in 9 1/3 frames on the road this year.

Wheeler is increasing his pitch count with every outing and was strong in the last two turns, allowing a total of two runs over 12 innings against San Francisco and Arizona. The Georgia native struck out six at Arizona on Monday while giving up just one run in six frames. Wheeler is just 2-3 with a 6.42 ERA in seven career interleague starts but has not faced an American League opponent since 2014.

WALK-OFFS:
1. The Mets could get some rotation help soon as LHP Steven Matz (elbow) and RHP Seth Lugo (elbow) both began rehab assignments this week.
2. The Angels reportedly reached a deal with free-agent RHP Doug Fister.
3. Los Angeles DH Albert Pujols (hamstring) could return this weekend.

[seawolf17]

We'll be in section 537 tonight.

[ashie62]

Zack Attack. LGM

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

seawolf17 wrote: We'll be in section 537 tonight.

Dabidrye action figger night!

[G-Fafif]

The nine who'll make it two in a row, perhaps...

Conforto LF
Reyes SS
Bruce RF
Walker 2B
Granderson CF
T. Rivera 3B
Duda 1B
R. Rivera C
Wheeler P

[G-Fafif]

These bleeping guys...

Maybin LF
Calhoun RF
Some Guy CF
Valbuena 3B
Simmons SS
Marte 1B
Pennington 2B
Graterol C
Meyer P

[ashie62]

"I've Got a Feeling we're in for Something Good."

LGM

[metirish]

I must say I like ALex Rodriguez doing the game ,very insightful , maybe I am feeling this way as he's not a "true yankee"

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I thought that was him. Just tuned in.

Bases loaded, no out, one run. Figures, don't it?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Leadoff runners, pitchers allowed on base, living behind in the count... Wheeler is not giving himself any wiggle room here.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Alex Rodriguez and Joe Buck reliving the Scoscia home run in '88 in vivid detail as Wheeler puts the bottom of the order on base and runs up his pitch count. All this needs is a milk-and-hot-sauce cocktail and someone shaking my head manually for the perfect nauseating experience.

[metirish]

Yeah Rodriguez is into talking about this Mets fandom , I'll say this for him, he sounds like he has done his research etc, talking about the type of hitter Duda was in the minors. Comparing COnforto to Greg Jeffries eh??

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Not a bad comparison, either. Nice analysis on the iffy throw-- outfielder on his heels not just weakening the throw, but giving it too much loft-- and tag up, as well.

JoseJoseJose getting frisky on the basepaths of late, eh?

[metirish]

Nice to see Jose get his 2000 hit, and yes, def aggressive on the basepaths

[Guest cooby]

metirish wrote: I must say I like ALex Rodriguez doing the game ,very insightful , maybe I am feeling this way as he's not a "true yankee"\\\

Me too, thought the same thing. And relived the fateful HR. Pregnant with my son.

Come on Mets, lets put that at rest

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I just hope failing to score Reyes last inning won't come back to bite us later.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

The Fox booth is so much more tolerable than the crews ESPN trots out for MLB.

[Frayed Knot]

metirish wrote: Yeah Rodriguez is into talking about this Mets fandom , I'll say this for him, he sounds like he has done his research etc, talking about the type of hitter Duda was in the minors. Comparing COnforto to Greg Jeffries eh??

ARod has always been a baseball geek; that sounds redundant but not all players are.
Now, sure, he's done (read: been fed) some research also, but that he'd remember certain traits from certain past players doesn't surprise me and is probably not AS prompted as it would be with
another jock turned mic-jockey.

And, yeah, he's told the Met fan story before. He also told anyone who would listen at the time that he grew up idolizing Atlanta's Dale Murphy (it's why he wore #3) when he thought the Braves
might sign him to a contract. He may well have been a Mets/Keith fan, but it doesn't mean he would have left 100-mil on the table as some NYM fans assumed back during his FA tour. He and Boras
were up front about how they wanted to set new records with his deal. He wasn't going to leave a dollar and 25 cents on the table.

[apmorris]

Rockin' Doc wrote: The Fox booth is so much more tolerable than the crews ESPN trots out for MLB.

Because of broadcast blackout stuff, I had to watch *yesterday* via the Angels broadcast and they we're surprisingly really good.
Lots of dead air, especially for two in the booth.



I can't deal with Buck-Rod today, sound is off.

AND yes, ESPN is the worst.

[Frayed Knot]

Nice of Calhoun to make 3 different outs tonight (1 GiDP, 1 FO) with two runners on each time to end innings so that Trout has yet to bat with any runners on.

Speaking of Calhoun, he's probably too young to have been nicknamed 'Haystacks' ... and that's a shame.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I hope ARod is correct in his belief that Conforto looks like a guy who could hit .300 with 30 home runs for many years.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Bruce pulls one to the hole and Pennington bobbles it for an error and the bases are loaded for Walker with no outs.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Lunchpail is having a sleepover here so I'm missing Arod and his analysis. But dammit these guys better cash in here. Bruce is Bruce again, we can't allow these gifts to go away.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Ok walkie talkie

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Walker with a well placed flare to right for a single.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

TJ Rivera does what Granderson couldn't, lifts a sac fly to plate a run. Would be great to see Duda to put a charge into one here.

[Frayed Knot]

Our RBIs tonight haven't exactly been works of art, but at least we're getting them even if only one at a time.
Could have broken this game open about five different times already though.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Yeah, the Mets are getting some runs in, but they are still stranding a lot of runners.