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METS: 1. Amed Rosario ® SS 2. Jeff McNeil (L) 2B 3. Michael Conforto (L) LF 4. Todd Frazier ® 3B 5. Brandon Nimmo (L) RF 6. Dominic Smith (L) 1B 7. Austin Jackson ® CF 8. Kevin Plawecki ® C 9. Jacob deGrom (L) P Marlins: 1. Rafael Ortega (L) RF 2. Starlin Castro ® 2B 3. J.T. Realmuto ® C 4. Brian Anderson ® 3B 5. Derek Dietrich (L) 1B 6. Lewis Brinson ® CF 7. Miguel Rojas ® SS 8. Austin Dean ® LF 9. Jose Urena ® P I referenced a stat above showing that Bruce does well against Urena but Mickey must not read the Crane Pool Forum.

Happy Jacob deGrom Day (again)! The Marlins send assassin Jose Urena (5-12, 4.41, 1.205) to the mound. Urena has had two very good outings in his last 3 appearances: 1 ER, 7 IP v PHI and a complete game at WSH, 9 IP, 1 ER, 2 H. He pitched against the Mets on 8/10 (5 1/3 ER, 4 H) and 4/9 (5 IP, 3 ER). Facing Urena, Jay Bruce is 5 for 15 with 2 HR, Conforto is 5 for 13, Wilmer and Nimmo have 1 HR each. Jacob pitched against MIA on 6/30, giving up an unfathomable 3 ER in 6 IP (a 6-3 loss), on 5/23, giving up a fathomable 0 ER in 7 IP (a 2-1 loss), and 4/10, giving up an unfathomable 4 ER in 6 IP (a 8-6 win). Against Jake, Brian Anderson has 1 HR (3 for 7), Starlin Castro is 7 for 18 and Derek Dietrick has struck out 12 times in 23 ABs. (I wrote this on Sunday and it's still applicable on Tuesday.) 538 gives the Mets a 68% chance of winning this game: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2018-mlb-predictions/games/ While I'm here, if you want to make a fantasy trade, don't say "I'm just trying to help you out." No you're not, you're trying to help yourself and possibly me. The best deals are when both sides are happy but don't act like you're only being altruistic. I'm in the hunt and a team that is way out of it offered me many things for deGrom. I considered it (although it would be painful) but couldn't find enough coming to me to make up for losing the best pitcher in baseball. The other guy said to me yesterday "I just wanted to help you win." Thanks but that's not why you're making the trade.

Happy Rosh Hashanah everyone! Besides being the first day of 5779, it's Jacob deGrom Day! The Marlins bring Jeff Bringham, RHP (0-1, 9.00 ERA) to Citi Field. Per the Marlins website: "[a] September callup, Bringham makes his second big league start. The right-hander debuted... in a loss to Toronto, giving up three runs in three innings. Bringham impressed in 95 1/3 Minor League Innings, posting a 2.36 ERA in 17 starts." Jacob pitched against MIA on 6/30, giving up an unfathomable 3 ER in 6 IP (a 6-3 loss), on 5/23, giving up a fathomable 0 ER in 7 IP (a 2-1 loss), and 4/10, giving up an unfathomable 4 ER in 6 IP (a 8-6 win). Against Jake, Brian Anderson has 1 HR (3 for 7), Starlin Castro is 7 for 18 and Derek Dietrick has struck out 12 times in 23 ABs. Per Josh Lewin on the "Daily Mets Podcast" (which has a great theme song): the Mets are 21-14 in their last 35 games; since July 4, the Mets have the best record in the NL East (so if there is a retroactive strike on that date and the season is divided in half, playoffs!).

Suck it, Philadelphia. Enjoying the long SEPTA ride home.

It's hard to understand why "DF"A. Jackson was released by two teams this season.

Edgy MD wrote: Chase Velasquez early, man. It's Chase Utley.

Are they just going to stand around while the Phillies use Todd Frazier like a dartboard? Time for Hoskins to eat some dirt.

Edgy MD wrote: I'm trying to think which is the more puzzling way to deploy Santana — playing him at third or batting him leadoff. Have they bunted on him yet (those that learned how to bunt)? Last night was only his 2d start at 3B all season. EDIT: Jay Bruce has.

Congrats to the Phillies. Go get 'em, Corey.

METS: 1. Amed Rosario ® SS 2. Jeff McNeil (L) 2B 3. Michael Conforto (L) LF 4. Jay Bruce (L) 1B 5. Todd Frazier ® 3B 6. Brandon Nimmo (L) RF 7. Austin Jackson ® CF 8. Kevin Plawecki ® C 9. Corey Oswalt ® P Phillies: 1. Carlos Santana (S) 3B 2. Justin Bour (L) 1B 3. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS 4. Rhys Hoskins ® LF 5. Jose Bautista ® RF 6. Cesar Hernandez (S) 2B 7. Odubel Herrera (L) CF 8. Jorge Alfaro ® C 9. Vince Velasquez ® P

X-Rays: Negative! (Prognosis: Positive.)

The Mets go for another series win today at 1:10 against the Phillies on Chip Bowl Day which means that if your first name is Chip or you have a chipped tooth or are wearing a Bowler Hat you get in free. Hold on, the control room is whispering in my ear ("what? you're kidding? who goes to a ballgame and wants that?")... I've been told that a Chip Bowl is an actual giveaway item. It's Jacob deGrom against Vince Velasquez (9-10, 4.10, 1.25) VV hasn't gone more than 5 innings in his last 5 starts so we'll see a lot more of Gabe Kapler's machinations. He faced the Mets on July 11 and pitched 6 shutouts innings while deGrom pitched 8 shutout innings--neither was around in the 10th when Nimmo hit a walk-off 3 run HR. 3 Mets have homered off VV: Conforto (2); Bruce; and, Flores. deGrom has pitched 18 shutout innings against PHI over 3 starts (one being the 45 pitch, 1 IP on May 13). Against Jake, Justin Bour is 8 for 22 with 2 HR while Wilson Ramos has 1 HR. Here's the excellent Jeff Passan: The Mets’ flux – they’re still GM-less with the offseason less than two months away – is perpetual. The only constant is deGrom and his excellence. Every fifth day, he takes the ball, and in 2018, he has done it better than anyone in the world. And provided he does it for the rest of September as he has his previous 28 starts, deGrom doesn’t need any speeches or arguments in his favor. The campaign ad will write itself. Jacob deGrom for Cy Young: Because the poor bastard deserves to win something. https://sports.yahoo.com/vote-jacob-degrom-cy-young-deserves-win-something-042205811.html

The Mets OF private handshake ritual is wonderful. That game was only 3:12?

Should have listened to me. No point in sending him out for the 7th up 7. Mickey can be an idiot. And now he might be hurt in an inning when he was sent out up 7 runs, then was struggling and over a 100 pitches. With about 10 guys in the bullpen.

MFS62 wrote: Four walks and three strikeouts through five innings, but only 67 pitches for Noah. Interesting to see how long he can go. Later Six might be it.

2 days in a row that a Mets been hit but that's a matter for the top of the 1st tomorrow. Finish 'em off tonight.

When does Callaway call for a Phillie to get drilled or does he not have the stones?

7:10 PM and it's Winter Hat Night at Citi Field. Jose Lobaton is back (Wahl to the 60-day DL), a RF is at 1B and a 1B is in LF. Against the Mets, Zach F. Lin gave up 4 ER in 6 2/3 IP on 8/16 and 3 ER in 5 IP on 7/9. Conforto is the only Met who has homered against F. Lin and Rosario is 3 for 6. Noah gave up 4 ER in 5 2/3 and a zillion SBs on 8/17. Here's a picture of me from that game with the horrible Phillies mascot taking a fake dump on my head (fun for the whole family!) METS: 1. Amed Rosario ® SS 2. Jeff McNeil (L) 2B 3. Michael Conforto (L) RF 4. Jay Bruce (L) 1B 5. Todd Frazier ® 3B 6. Brandon Nimmo (L) CF 7. Dominic Smith (L) LF 8. Tomas Nido ® C 9. Noah Syndergaard (L) P Phillies: 1. Carlos Santana (S) 3B 2. Justin Bour (L) 1B 3. Wilson Ramos ® C 4. Rhys Hoskins ® LF 5. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS 6. Nick Williams (L) RF 7. Cesar Hernandez (S) 2B 8. Odubel Herrera (L) CF 9. Zach Eflin ® P

Thank you for the information, RealityChuck. I wonder how much cash was involved given the fact that the Mets would lose him anyway and hadn't called him up for September. $50,000? $1? I have no idea but as long as the Wilpons made a few bucks it's good for everyone. #teamsterlingequities

Kivlehan goes from "it's so boring at home" to the majors: [tweet:2scf1zip] [/tweet:2scf1zip]

It's always good when the Wilpons get some money. That's what this is all about, right? [tweet:3p10kosf]https://twitter.com/MLBRosterMoves/status/1037818507050844160[/tweet:3p10kosf]

That's Burt Sugarman with a "Midnight Special" of a nap.

Either the Mets and MFYs couldn't work out a financial agreement, the MFYs are still pissed about not making the Jay Bruce trade, or it was just logistics, but the MFYs are in the area March 20 at HOU and March 21 at STL. Maybe they didn't want to spoil the magic of interleague play.

Edgy: if Meso is indeed out for the year, who is the next catcher up? (assuming that they don't want to go with 2 catchers the rest of the season)? There is no one else on the 40-man.

It's good to see that they are taking advantage of the last month of the season to see unproven commodity Wilmer Flores almost every damn day while sitting veteran Dom Smith.