Game 83: Mets vs. Braves Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Curtis Granderson-RF
2. Ruben Tejada-SS
3. Daniel Murphy-2B
4. Eric Campbell-3B
5. Lucas Duda-1B
6. Chris Young-LF
7. Juan Lagares-CF
8. Travis d'Arnaud-C
9. Zack Wheeler-RHP

The pitching matchup is Zack Wheeler ( 3-8, 4.45 ERA) vs. LHP Alex Wood ( 6-6, 3.07 ERA)

Game 82: Mets vs. Pirates Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Eric Young Jr-LF
2. Ruben Tejada-2B
3. Daniel Murphy-2B
4. Curtis Granderson-RF
5. Lucas Duda-1B
6. Eric Campbell-3B
7. Juan Lagares-CF
8. Travis d'Arnaud-C
9. Bartolo Colon-RHP

The pitching matchup is Bartolo Colon ( 8-5, 3.67 ERA) vs. RHP Edidison Volquez ( 5-6, 4.35 ERA)

Game 81: Mets vs. Pirates Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Curtis Granderson-RF
2. Ruben Tejada-SS
3. Daniel Murphy-2B
4. Lucas Duda-1B
5. Eric Campbell-3B
6. Kirk Nieuwenhuis-CF
7. Anthony Recker-C
8. Jon Niese-LHP
9. Eric Young Jr-LF

The pitching matchup is Jon Niese ( 4-4, 2.78 ERA) vs. RHP Gerrit Cole ( 6-3, 3.64 ERA)

Game 80: Mets vs. Pirates Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Curtis Granderson-RF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Lucas Duda-1B
5. Chris Young-LF
6. Juan Lagares-CF
7. Ruben Tejada-SS
8. Travis d'Arnaud-C
9. Jacob deGrom-RHP

The pitching matchup is Jacob deGrom ( 1-4, 3.75 ERA) vs. RHP Brandon Cumpton ( 3-7, 4.93 ERA)

Game 79: Mets vs. Pirates Starting Lineup and Piching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Curtis Granderson-RF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Lucas Duda-1B
5. Bobby Abreu-LF
6. Juan Lagares-CF
7. Travis d'Arnaud-C
8. Ruben Tejada-SS
9. Daisuke Matsuzaka-RHP

The pitching matchup is Daisuke Matsuzaka ( 3-1, 2.68 ERA) vs. RHP Vance Worley ( 1-0, 1.98 ERA)

Game 77: Mets vs. A's Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Eric Young Jr-LF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Eric Campbell-1B
5. Curtis Granderson-RF
6. Chris Young-CF
7. Travis d'Arnaud-C
8. Ruben Tejada-SS
9. Bartolo Colon-RHP

The pitching matchup is Bartolo Colon ( 7-5, 3.88 ERA) vs. LHP Scott Kazmir ( 9-2, 2.08 ERA)

Game 76: Mets vs. Marlins Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Curtis Granderson-RF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Lucas Duda-1B
5. Kirk Nieuwenheuis-CF
6. Ruben Tejada-SS
7. Anthony Recker-C
8. Jon Niese-LHP
9. Eric Young Jr-LF

The pitching matchup is Jon Niese ( 3-4, 2.67 ERA) vs. RHP Anthony DeScalferri ( 1-1, 5.60 ERA)

Game 75: Mets vs. Marlins Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Curtis Granderson-RF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Lucas Duda-1B
5. Chris Young-CF
6. Wilmer Flores-SS
7. Taylor Teagarden-C
8. Jacob deGrom-RHP
9. Eric Young Jr-LF

The pitching matchup is Jacob deGrom ( 0-4, 4.39 ERA) vs. RHP Tom Koehler ( 5-5, 3.84 ERA)

Game 73: Mets vs. Marlins Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Eric Young Jr-LF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Eric Campbell-1B
5. Curtis Granderson-RF
6. Chris Young-LF
7. Taylor Teagarden-C
8. Ruben Tejada-SS
9. Zack Wheeler-RHP

The pitching matchup is Zack Wheeler ( 2-7, 4.38 ERA) vs. LHP Andrew Heaney who is making his MLB debut.

Thursday's Headlines: d'Arnaud, Wright, first-round pick, and more.

This past week, the Mets (32-40) dropped two out of three to the Cardinals (39-33) Bartolo Colon and the Mets salvaged the final game of the series on Wednesday afternoon. Colon not only pitched a gem, but contributed with his first career extra base hit in the sixth inning. Here are the headlines heading into Thursday's game day:

• An organizational source told ESPN that Catcher Travis d'Arnaud may be back with the Mets next week when the Mets play the A's at Citi Field. Travis is tearing the cover off the ball at Triple-A Las Vegas hitting .395 with 5 HR and 10 RBI. Manager Terry Collins recently spoke to reports, essentially saying not to buy into the numbers at the Triple-A level. The Mets hope a few weeks away from the big league team did enough to clear his head and get him back on track. 
• David Wright hit his first road home run, only his 5th of the season, on Tuesday night in a loss to the Cardinals. David also contributed a double in that game, and a bloop RBI single in yesterday's win. David's struggles have been well documented this season. Through 32 at-bats, this stands to be Wright's worst season of his career by a wide margin. “If I start worrying about who is hitting behind me then I overthink my at bat,” Wright told MetsBlog. “If I think a pitcher is going to ‘pitch around me,’ then I won’t be ready for a mistake that the pitcher makes.”
• The Mets have agreed to terms with their first round draft pick, outfielder Michael Conforto. At just 21 years old, Conforto was viewed as one of the best hitters int he draft. Conforto is expected to begin his Mets career in Short-Season A-ball with the Brooklyn Cyclones. 

Next up, the Mets begin a four game set with the Miami Marlins, beginning Thursday night at 7:10 PM. The game can be heard on 710 WOR and seen on SNY. Giancarlo Stanton will not be available for the Marlins tonight. Zack Wheeler gets the nod for the Mets. 

Joel Sherman: Who is tradeable? Who is not?

In a column for today's paper, Joel Sherman of the NY post said it's time the Mets give up on veteran starters Bartolo Colon, Jon Neise, and Dillon Gee. To add, Sherman suggests the Mets trade second baseman Daniel Murphy, as well.

Joel Sherman essentially suggests that in order for the Mets escape a Groundhog's Day or repeated failure, they have to trade pitching to get an influx of impact hitters. To quote, Sherman says the Mets need players "who will help no later than next year."

Game 71: Mets vs. Cardinals Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Curtis Granderson-CF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Bobby Abreu-RF
5. Lucas Duda-1B
6. Anthony Recker-C
7. Ruben Tejada-SS
8. Jon Niese-LHP
9. Eric Young Jr-LF

The pitching matchup is Jon Niese ( 3-3, 2.54 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Wacha (4-5, 2.85 ERA)

Game 70: Mets vs. Cardinals Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup1. Curtis Granderson-CF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Bobby Abreu-RF
5. Lucas Duda-1B
6. Taylor Teagarden-C
7. Ruben Tejada-SS
8. Jacob deGrom-RHP
9. Eric Young Jr-LF

The pitching matchup is Jacob deGrom ( 0-3, 3.44 ERA) vs. RHP Carlos Martinez ( 0-3, 4.07 ERA)

Game 69: Mets vs. Padres Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Curtis Granderson-CF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Bobby Abreu-RF
5. Andrew Brown-LF
6. Lucas Duda-1B
7. Wilmer Flores-SS
8. Anthony Recker-C
9. Daisuke Matsuzaka-RHP

The pitching matchup is Daisuke Matsuzaka ( 3-0, 2.95 ERA) vs. RHP Ian Kennedy ( 5-7, 3.63 ERA)

Game 68: Mets vs. Padres Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Ruben Tejada-SS
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Bobby Abreu-RF
5. Lucas Duda-1B
6. Chris Young-LF
7. Taylor Teagarden-C
8. Matt den Dekker-CF
9. Zack Wheeler-RHP

The pitching matchup is Zack Wheeler ( 2-6, 4.19 ERA) vs. RHP Jesse Hahn (0-1, 9.82 ERA)

Game 65: Mets vs. Brewers Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Ruben Tejada-SS
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Curtis Granderson-LF
5. Bobby Abreu-RF
6. Lucas Duda-1B
7. Taylor Teagarden-C
8. Matt den Dekker-CF
9. Jacob deGrom-RHP

The pitching matchup is Jacob deGrom (0-2, 3.19 ERA) vs. RHP Willy Peralta ( 5-5, 3.03 ERA)

Mets need the big bats to come alive, and the mental mistakes to stop.

The Mets have four solid major league hitters in their every day lineup----Daniel Murphy, David Wright, Curtis Granderson, and Lucas Duda. David Wright is a perennial all-star every single season. Curtis Granderson is a former all-star who has hit 40 home runs in back to back seasons. Daniel Murphy leads the National League in hits. Lucas Duda has serious power and is improving offensively in 2014.

Stunningly, the Mets have scored the sixth most runs in the National League with runners in scoring position---a number not many are sure how they have. If you look through the individual numbers, Wright, Duda, and Granderson all have 30 or more RBIs, and Daniel Murphy continuously bats over .300.

Travis d'Arnaud was supposed to be the fifth bat in this Met lineup, expected to lengthen the middle of the order behind Duda. d'Arnaud's struggles--dating back to the second half of last season--continued in 2014, and he now finds himself in Triple-A Las Vegas. Chris Young was signed for $7 million to hit 15 home runs, according to GM Sandy Alderson. Nontheless, the Mets have four capable bats in the middle of their lineup. They need ramp it up even more if the Mets don't want the ship to completely sink under water.

The Mets are coming off an embarrassing end to their road trip which start off magnificently. After winning 6 of 7, the Mets were swept by the game's worst, and best, baseball teams---Cubs and Giants. Thanks to the mediocrity of their division, they only sit 5.5 games out. This team is not by any means a playoff team. Can they be a competitive one? Yes. They've shown flashes of it this season.

The mental mistakes, such as the base running blunder made in game two against San Fransisco this past weekend, need to stop. These are major league baseball players and this is the game they've been playing all their life. Blame it on the coaches, manager, schedule, or whatever you'd like--there's no excuse.

The 2014 Mets are not out of any race at the moment. If the mistakes and untimely hitting continue, they will be. The pitching is fine, and can only get better. The bullpen will round into form. The lineup has legitimate hitters in the middle. Now go out there and HIT, FIELD, and be SMART.

Game 64: Mets vs. Brewers Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Ruben Tejada-SS
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Curtis Granderson-RF
5. Chris Young-LF
6. Lucas Duda-1B
7. Taylor Teagarden-C
8. Matt den Dekker-CF
9. Daisuke Matsuzaka-RHP

The pitching matchup is Daisuke Matsuzaka ( 2-0, 3.21 ERA) vs. RHP Marco Estardra ( 5-2, 4.19 ERA)

Is Neil Kozikowski The Player To Be Named Later for Ike Davis?

There has been a lot of speculation who the player will be named later will be that the Mets received when they traded Ike Davis to the Pirates on April 18th.

Several beat writers have speculated that the PTBL is Neil Kozikowski, an 18 year old RHP from Connecticut. The Mets have to wait until June 21th to sign him since that will be the one year anniversary with the Pirates last season. He possesses a fastball in the mid 80's.

He also mixes in a slider, changeup, and cutter. Last year in his first year of pro ball, he had a 2.63 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in 24 innings.

If it turns out Kozikowski is the PTBL for Ike, I think that he is worth taking a look at. There's always a need for young pitching. He might prove to be an important member of the Mets starting rotation or bullpen in the next few years.

Opinion: It's Sandy, not Terry.

Maybe we are delusional, maybe we are not, but when Sandy Alderson spoke at his press conference in early October 2010, he assured the franchise would be headed in the right direction shortly. Knowing he first had salary to dump---Beltran, K-Rod, Bay----Sandy could in turn acquire legitimate prospects, and free up money for major splashes. All the Mets stars from 2006, but one, are gone. Like it or not, the middle of the Met lineup has been traded, ignored, and battered. 

 Matt Harvey, the lone bright spot in Sandy Alderson's tumultuous tenure as GM, went down with Tommy John Surgery right as the Mets wrapped up another abysmal under .500 campaign under Sandy Alderson's regime. The Met lineup he acquired, while expensive but offensively sound, was a shell of its former self as the 2013 campaign winded down. 2014 was promised to be the year of change. 2013 should of been, but many of the Met prospects were ironing out their trade in Triple A---Wheeler, d'Arnaud, Mejia. Terry Collins has pushed every button possible in the now three and 1/3 years on board as skipper. The fact is, the roster has become so depleted since Sandy took over four long years ago, that Collins can only watch, beg, and plead his boss to acquire major league talent.

Curtis Granderson was a sign. Chris Young was a mistake. Bartolo Colon was unnecessary. Free agents from all over baseball signed elsewhere, and the Mets stood pat. The media had the answers though---it's money related. Sandy's hands are tied by the Wilpons. Reverting back to that 2010 press conference, Sandy assured us money would not be an issue. Four years later, he continues the same drawn out speech.

So many questions are being left unanswered as to why a New York franchise was stripped down to skin and bones, and not build back up. Sure, Travis d'Arnuad wasn't projected to hit .150. Chris Young, however, was projected to hit .200. It's mediocrity that is stained in Sandy Alderson's tenure and Mets GM. And the term mediocrity it putting it lightly. The 2014 Mets, barely built up from the tear down that occurred in 2011-2012, are on their way to another 70 win, 90 loss season.

Terry Collins may go, or Terry may stay. Collins has had his good--and bad--moments as Mets manager. Coaching a New York team with as many stars as the Mariners is a problem---Sandy Alderson's problem, not Terry's.

Monday News: Wheeler, Puello, Wright, and more

This past weekend, the Mets (28-35) got swept by the Giants (42-21) stretching their season long losing streak to six games. Here are the headlines as we head into Monday's off day:

Zack Wheeler had possible his worst start of his major league career yesterday as he gave up four runs in only 3 2/3 innings against the Giants. Wheeler is in line to finish he year with a 4.00 ERA and 200 strike outs in 180 innings, which is not too bad. After a couple of good starts, Wheeler digressed on Sunday, once again struggling with command. One scout recently said that with a young pitcher like Zack, a team must expect two good starts for every bad start.

Mets Triple-A OF prospect Cesar Puello won the Eastern League Batting title last season in his breakout season in Double-A. After a 50 game suspension cut his 2013 season short, Puello was promoted to Triple-A only to see a slow start diminish his playing time in the first few months. Puello is currently back in the lineup for Bachman's squad. "I think this is the moment to move onto the next step to prove I can be an everyday player," Puello said.

Mets Captain David Wright had a road trip to forget, capped off by a pinch hitting strikeout in the seventh inning on Sunday with the tying run on base. Collins chose Sunday, which is followed by Monday's off day, to get Wright some addition rest. David's batting average has dropped below .280 for the season, while still being near the top in the NL in hits. A throwing error by Wright in Saturday's contest opened the flood gates for Bartolo Colon and the Mets, aiding the Giants in the sweep. Wright has yet to hit a home run on the road, and his sluggish play is not helping a season hanging on the brink.

Next up, the Mets welcome the Milwaukee Brewers to town for three at Citi Field starting Tuesday night at 7:10 PM. The game can be seen on SNY and heard on WOR 710 AM.

New Hitting Coach, Same Old Mets

     For a Mets Fan it feels like its been the same old problem since 1962, not hitting with runners in scoring position. The Mets have been absolutely terrible at driving in runners for the past few years and are doing nothing to discontinue the trend. The team recently fired Dave Hudgens and brought in Lamar Johnson hoping a change in philosophy and a fresh voice may help calm the struggles. Sadly it has not.

The first problem is that the hitters in this lineup are not Major League quality, as half of the starting lineup would not crack the starting lineup with most of the league. Ruben Tejada, Chris Young, Lucas Duda, Curtis Granderson, and d'Arnaud are not cutting it. Travis has been sent down and Recker will test his hand at regular playing time. Asking these guys to hit in clutch situations and drive in big runs may be asking too much of them as they be more suited for AAA.

The second problem is there is no one to hit behind David Wright so teams do not pitch to him and lately he is becoming very impatient and swinging at terrible pitches. Hopefully with a day off in today's game Wright can begin to rebound.

Third problem, the Mets have long been a team to take way too many pitches. When they swing at the first pitch, obviously when a pitcher is throwing strikes, the Mets hit over .300. The major league average is under .100 when in a two strike count. It is great to be patient when looking for your pitch but you can't be too picky as a hitter. A classic baseball saying is "you only get one pitch, and don't miss it".

All of this being said, some blame has to be put on the bullpen for blowing leads in 4 of the last 6 games, and take into account that they played the MLB best Giants. This pitching staff is working hard to throw quality start after quality start and they are not reaping the benefits they deserve.

Going forward the Mets need to seriously look at their offensive approach and really groom hitters throughout the minors to become great all around hitters and they need to start through the draft.

    

Game 63: Mets vs. Giants Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Matt den Dekker-C
2. Ruben Tejada-SS
3. Daniel Murphy-2B
4. Curtis Granderson-RF
5. Chris Young-LF
6. Lucas Duda-1B
7. Eric Campbell-3B
8. Anthony Recker-C
9. Zack Wheeler-RHP

The pitching matchup is Zack Wheeler ( 2-5, 3.89 ERA) vs. RHP Tim Lincecum  ( 4-4, 5.01 ERA)

Game 62: Mets vs. Giants Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Matt den Dekker-CF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Curtis Granderson-RF
5. Chris Young-LF
6. Lucas Duda-1B
7. Ruben Tejada-SS
8. Anthony Recker-C
9. Bartolo Colon-RHP

The pitching matchup is Bartolo Colon ( 5-5, 4.52 ERA) vs. RHP Tim Hudson ( 6-2, 1.75 ERA)

Game 61: Mets vs. Giants Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Matt den Decker-CF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Curtis Granderson-RF
5. Andrew Brown-LF
6. Lucas Duda-1B
7. Ruben Tejada-SS
8. Travis d'Arnaud-C
9. Jon Niese-LHP

The pitching matchup is Jon Niese ( 3-3, 2.69 ERA) vs. RHP Matt Cain ( 1-3, 3.66 ERA)

Opinion: Chris Young, your time is up

The Mets had to come out of the gate this past offseason and make a splash. Within the first few weeks, Sandy Alderson needed to show the fan base he was trying. The primary target would be outfielders, and the list included players like Jacoby Ellsbury, Nelson Cruz, Sin Soo Choo, and Curtis Granderson.

I remember waking up one morning to a text from the ESPN reading "the Mets sign OF Chris Young to a 1 year $7 million dollar contract. I asked myself if this was the same Chris Young who had fallen off the face of the earth when he departed Arizona for Oakland in 2013. Unfortunately, it was.

The Mets couldn't wait to land themselves an outfielder who had been in decline four straight years, and posted a .200 batting average with the Oakland A's the previous season. Knowing the Mets would make an even bigger splash, in the form of Curtis Granderson, I shrugged this signing off and prayed Chris could regain his 30 home run power he displayed with Arizona.

After a strong spring training, Young injured his oblique and missed the first few weeks of the season. Since his return to the lineup, he has proved that he has indeed been a $7 million mistake.

Sandy Alderson recently spoke on the radio, saying he was hoping to get 15 home runs from Young, while serving as an insurance to Juan Lagares in center field. Currently, Young is hitting .197 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. To boot, Young has not played the defense we know he is capable of in center field.

Point being, the time is up on Chris Young in my opinion. Play den Decker, Brown, and/or Bobby Abreu until Lagares's return. As far as Young goes, he has been a mistake.

Did the Mets pick the best hitter in the draft?

In last night's MLB draft, the Mets picked 21 outfielder Michael Conforto with the number 10 pick.

The Mets decided to draft for offense once again, considering how pitching rich their farm system seems to be. "He's got some credibility," said one American League scout. The scout went on saying essentially he can see Conforto as a middle-of-the-order type power bat.

ESPN's Chris Crawford agreed with the American League scout, saying "Conforto may be the best pure hitter in the class; a left handed hitting outfielder with plus power and an outstanding approach at the plate.

MLB also ranked Conforto as the best hitter in this year's draft.

Opinion: Mets have waisted a golden opportunity in Chicago.

The Mets left Philadelphia feeling good about themselves. After taking four of five from the Phillies, and six of seven overall, the Mets were faced with the golden opportunity to face the worst team not only in the National League, but in all of baseball.

The bats were live in Philadelphia, in what seems like the first time in months. There was a post on this blog earlier titled The Mets dominated the Phillies, onto Chicago. Now, that seems like a decade ago.

On Tuesday night, the Met offense looked like they needed their batteries recharged from the previous series, when they squandered bases loaded situations in multiple innings against the Cubs. A one run lead didn't feel secure all night, and Josh Edgin mades that become a reality when he served a home run to Chris Coghlan of all people in the 8th inning. The Cubs would eventually win the game in a walk off in the 9th.

Wednesday night, Dice-K Matsuzaka took the hill for the Mets and did not respond well. Dice-K was out after the fifth inning, surrendering 4 earned runs on five walks and four hits after the Mets gave him a 3-0 first inning lead. The Cubs bullpen, their lone strength, stifled the Met offense for the rest of the game, and the Cubs walked away with their second one run victory over the Mets.

Thursday night was the cherry on top. A Cubs team that has not won a series all year swept the Mets following a 7-4 win, in which the Met bullpen blew up again. Jacob deGrom's line wasn't as bad as it appeared to be. The Cubs had a call overturned in their favor when Andrew Brown appeared to have thrown a Cubs base runner out at home. Brown eventually tied the game at 4-4 before Vic Black surrendered a long home run to Anthony Rizzo, giving the Cubs a lead they would not relinquish.

With a real chance to get to .500 after beating up the Phillies, the Mets once again disappointed when the lonely Cubs swept them, sending the Mets 4 games under .500.

Game 60: Mets vs. Cubs Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Chris Young-CF
2. Curtis Granderson-RF
3. David Wright-3B
4. Eric Campbell-1B
5. Andrew Brown-LF
6. Wilmer Flores-2B
7. Ruben Tejada-SS
8. Travis d'Arnaud-C
9. Jacob deGrom-RHP

The pitching matchup is Jacob deGrom (0-2, 2.42 ERA) vs. LHP Travis Wood ( 5-5, 5.15 ERA)

Game 59: Mets vs. Cubs Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Matt den Dekker-CF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Curtis Granderson-LF
5. Bobby Abreu-RF
6. Lucas Duda-1B
7. Anthony Recker-C
8. Ruben Tejada-SS
9. Daisuke Matsuzaka-RHP

The pitching matchup is Daisuke Matsuzaka ( 2-0, 2.45 ERA) vs. RHP Edwin Jackson ( 3-5, 4.81 ERA)

Game 58: Mets vs. Cubs Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Matt den Decker-CF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Curtis Granderson-RF
5. Chris Young-LF
6. Lucas Duda-1B
7. Wilmer Flores-SS
8. Travis d'Arnaud-C
9. Zack Wheeler-RHP

The pitching matchup is Zack Wheeler ( 2-5, 4.31 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Arrieta ( 1-1, 3.20 ERA)

The Mets dominated the Phillies, onto Chicago tonight.

Five games in five nights? That's just what the doctor ordered for the New York Mets, who miraculously have brought their season to respectability, only one game under .500. The Mets did a little of everything in this series, highlighted by even a grand slam from the Mets, something you only see once a decade (it feels like.)

The Mets success in Philadelphia is well documented, after winning their final six in Philly to end the 2013 campaign. A rain-out earlier in the season was added on to an already four game series featuring the Mets and Phillies. As the series began, the Mets were surrounded by a cloud of controversy after firing hitting coach Dave Hudgens due to a severe lack of offense. I said it before the series began and I can now say it with pride: A trip to Philly couldn't have come at a better time.

Zack Wheeler set the pace in game one on Thursday night, providing a strong outing and earning his second victory of the season. In games 2 and 3, the Mets and Phillies battled into the 14th inning, with each ball club splitting the extra innings affairs. In a ballpark where the Mets, and just about every other team, have success driving the ball, Met fans found their team in yet another offensive rut, and another extra inning game. Sunday's game saw the Mets and Phillies play only 11 innings this time. One swing from Lucas Duda in the 11th broke a 2-2 tie, while closer Jenrry Mejia locked down the Phillies in the bottom half of the eleventh and set the Mets on their way to a 27-29 record. Remember, this ball club was 22-28 one week prior.

Bartolo Colon finished the series off strong for the Mets, just as Zack Wheeler and Jon Neise did before him. When the Mets needed to give their bullpen some rest, remember this is an eleven game road trip with NO off day, Colon provided seven solid innings. The Mets offense woke up in a BIG way Monday night, capped off by a grand slam, and six RBI's from Wilmer Flores. Even the slumping Granderson hit one passed a drawn-in-infield to collect two RBI's and extend the Mets lead.

The Mets leave Philadelphia reluctantly, I would guess, after winning four of five and climbing right back to just under .500. Of course, we had to expect this from a Met team that just plays superior baseball on the road. Six more games remain on this trip, three against the abysmal Cubs, where the Mets can re establish themselves as an over .500 baseball team, before flying to San Fransisco and facing the Giants, who own the National League's best record. Maybe this Philly trip was just a mini hot streak, or maybe it's part of something bigger, but Mets fans finally watched all aspects of their team shine---pitching, offense, and defense.

Game 57: Mets vs. Phillies Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Matt den Dekker- CF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Curtis Granderson-LF
5. Bobby Abreu-RF
6. Lucas Duda-1B
7. Wilmer Flores-SS
8. Travis d'Arnaud-C
9. Bartolo Colon-RHP

The pitching matchup is Bartolo Colon ( 4-5, 4.73 ERA) vs. RHP Roberto Hernandez ( 2-3, 3.76 ERA)

Weekly Fantasy Update

This week I'm going to mix it up a little bit and show some guys who may help your team in other ways than stats!

Martin Prado- This guy plays every position in the book, being eligible to play the outfield, first base, and second base. The most valuable position out of those is definitely second base, but if you are adding and dropping players based on matchups and off days, you can slide prado around to multiple empty slots. It also doesn't hurt that he is starting to heat up and so is that Diamondbacks offense.

Josh Willingham- This guy just rips the ball no matter where he plays, who he faces, or what he had for breakfast! In the Yankee series, Willingham hit 2 Home Runs and drove in some key runs. This guy is clutch and will drive in some big runs for the Twins if he can get guys on in front of him like Dozier, Arcia, and Mauer. Pick him up while he's hot and don't hold onto him too long as he tends to hit streaks of multiple strikeout games.

Mike Aviles- Another guy that has eligibility at multiple positions, being third, short and second base. He is starting at the moment with Santana injured and he is producing. The eligibility along with the production goes well when setting him in the middle of a great Indians lineup.

Game 56: Mets vs. Phillies Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Juan Lagares-CF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3B
4. Eric Campbell-1B
5. Chris Young-LF
6. Curtis Granderson-RF
7. Ruben Tejada-SS
8. Travis d'Arnaud-C
9. Jon Niese-LHP


The pitching matchup is Jon Niese ( 3-3, 2.74 ERA) vs. LHP Cole Hamels ( 1-3, 4.43 ERA)