IGT, 7/21, OAK@NYM, Blackburn@Matz

[Edgy MD]

Celebrate the rekindling of the Spirit of '73! Welcome Billy Beane back to the house he never really played in! Watch the two first basemen duel in a classic game of Who Wants to Be a Yankee?! Celebrate the return of Josh Smoker! Root for the return of Neil Walker!

All of these sparkling subplots and more are on display at Citi Field this Friday Night, the first in a weekend series here in beautiful Flushing!

[Guest d'Kong76]

Oakland at NY Mets
When: 7:10 PM ET, Friday, July 21, 2017
Where: Citi Field, New York City, New York
By Gracenote

Left-hander Steven Matz is hoping to turn the corner from a disastrous stretch, and the same can be said for the New York Mets. The 26-year-old aims to rebound from the worst start of his career on Friday as the Mets open a three-game interleague series against the Oakland Athletics at Citi Field.

Matz answered back-to-back seven-inning scoreless outings with a pair of brutal results, yielding five runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings in a 6-0 loss to St. Louis on July 9 before getting scorched on Sunday for a career high-tying seven runs on nine hits in one-plus frame versus Colorado. The latter contest began a three-game losing skid for the Mets, who responded with back-to-back victories over St. Louis to salvage a split of the four-game set. Rajai Davis recorded his second consecutive 2-for-4 performance with a run scored on Wednesday as Oakland posted its eighth win in 12 outings with a 7-2 romp over visiting Tampa Bay. The Athletics, however, took a cross-country flight and will start a seven-game trek looking to stop their woes on the road, where they have won a majors-worst 15 games.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, NBCSN California (Oakland), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Paul Blackburn (1-0, 1.83 ERA) vs. Mets LH Steven Matz (2-3, 4.58)

Blackburn received his second no-decision in three starts last Saturday since being recalled from Triple-A Nashville on July 1. The 23-year-old notched his third straight quality start after allowing three runs on five hits in six innings against Cleveland. Blackburn permitted four walks to drive up his pitch count after issuing just one in each of his previous two outings.

Matz surrendered four runs in the first inning against the Rockies and allowed all four batters he faced in the second to reach before getting the hook. "I feel like I wasn't really sharp. I was leaving balls right over the middle of the plate and they were hitting it," Matz said of his shortest appearance in 35 big-league starts. Matz owns a 2-1 mark with a 2.92 ERA in four career interleague starts, but he'll face the Athletics for the first time.

WALK-OFFS:
1. New York 1B Lucas Duda has eight hits - including three homers - in his last seven games.
2. Oakland C Bruce Maxwell is hitless in his last three contests and is 2-for-14 in his last seven outings.
3. Mets INF Neil Walker (partial tear of left hamstring) is expected to begin a rehab assignment on Friday with Triple-A Las Vegas and could be activated on Monday in San Diego.

[Edgy MD]

Free shirts!

[ashie62]

Keep it goin Duda!

[G-Fafif]

Conforto CF
Cabrera 2B
Bruce RF
Cespedes LF
Duda B
T. Rivera 3B
Reyes SS
d'Arnaud C
Matz P

[G-Fafif]

R. Davis CF
Semien SS
Healy 1B
K. Davis LF
Chapman 3B
Joyce RF
Rosales 2B
Phegley C
Blackburn P

[Edgy MD]

Does eyeblack help with glare when it's kelly green?

[Edgy MD]

Early-assed exit for Matz?

[ashie62]

Matz pissed somebody off. Wow, out after 84 pitches.

[ashie62]

Why is Jose Reyes taking up starting roster space.

[Edgy MD]

What's "starting roster space"?

[Edgy MD]

Squeeze it, man!

[ashie62]

Edgy MD wrote: What's "starting roster space"?

Guys with more of a future with the Mets, Rosario, Flores, T.J. IMHO

[Edgy MD]

I don't get how that's "starting roster space." There's no "starting roster." Unless you mean, he's on the roster and he's starting.

He's starting presumably because he's the best guy to help them win in the manager's opinion. He got the walk-off hit yesterday, so I'm not sure what he's done to sink himself in your view since then.

[ashie62]

Edgy MD wrote: I don't get how that's "starting roster space." There's no "starting roster." Unless you mean, he's on the roster and he's starting. He's starting presumably because he's the best guy to help them win in the manager's opinion. He got the walk-off hit yesterday, so I'm not sure what he's done to sink himself in your view since then.

I'm not expressing myself well and nothing against Reyes. I believe this Mets team is toast so why would you keep starting a guy who will not likely be around next year?

Beyond that I do not believe Reyes "gives us a better chance to win."

Can we beat THE BOTTOM DWELLING A'S?

[Edgy MD]

Keith just said "Céspedes is in a slump with a capital S" and then "Céspedes is red hot" in the span of two pitches.

[ashie62]

I would not want to be the first reporter to ask Terry about Matz.

[Edgy MD]

.377 / .382 / .660 // 1.042

That's José Reyes in July. I'm not sure what more can be asked of him. He's also generously positioned himself as Rosario's mentor, and so the team has strong motivation to keep him around after Rosario is promoted. This also makes it conceivable that he may indeed be re-signed.

[ashie62]

Doo--Dah!

[Frayed Knot]

Ashie62 wrote: Why is Jose Reyes taking up starting roster space.

26 for 70 w/13 XBH (.371/.387/.657) over the last month perhaps?


oe: cross-posted w/Edgy

[ashie62]

To each his own, I'm going to restring my guitar.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: Early-assed exit for Matz?

I was surprised just like the boys in the booth were, particularly since Matz needs a PH less than most pitchers in the league.
On the other hand, at 86 pitches thru five (essentially six innings worth of work) he had probably only one more inning in him at best.
And if he doesn't like it (and he clearly doesn't) maybe he'd be better off not giving up three consecutive hits twice in a five inning span.

Edited July 22, 2017 by Guest

[Guest d'Kong76]

Bizzaro baseball, but I'll take it!!!

[Edgy MD]

The old three-run single!

[Edgy MD]

"I don't care about defense." — Hollywood Billy Beane

[Frayed Knot]

Ashie62 wrote: To each his own, I'm going to restring my guitar.

It's not gently weeping, is it?

[Guest d'Kong76]

Ashie62 wrote: To each his own, I'm going to restring my guitar.

Careful, they say you could go blind!

[Edgy MD]

Hey, Paul Sewald! Remember your last outing?

Strikes!

[Edgy MD]

Strikes it is.

Now it's for to see if the team has enough pitching, or can tack on some insurance runzzz.

[Edgy MD]

#BatConfortoThird!