marcus stroman

Morton Shuts Down Mets Offense, Stroman Injured in Braves 3-0 Victory

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New York Yankees, New York Mets, Marcus Stroman

Heading into tonight, the New York Mets offense is on life support, and Atlanta Braves starter Charlie Morton was coming off his best start of the season. It was a combination set for disaster, and an untimely injury to Marcus Stroman led to a 3-0 victory in favor of the Braves.

Stroman got through one inning and threw three pitches in the second inning before leaving with left hip soreness. Judging by the motions on the mound, Stroman could not extend enough to finish his pitches properly. The injury was another one to a team that desperately needs everyone to remain healthy. Yennsy Diaz came in to relieve and worked into and out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam but striking out three in a row.

Diaz’s luck ran out in the following inning when the shift prevented the Mets from turning an inning-ending double play. Jeff McNeil and Francisco Lindor are known for their miscommunication up the middle, and it showed again. McNeil sprawled to get the ball instead of letting Lindor take it, which left second base vacated. It left Diaz to face Dansby Swanson, and he made the Mets pay by drilling a three-run home run. The homer turned out to be all the Braves needed as the Mets bullpen pitched six shutout innings to finish the victory.

Morton The Magician

Morton held a no-hitter for seven innings in his last start and was just as good tonight. Over seven innings, he held the Mets to just one hit while striking out 11. Even the one hit the Mets recorded was a lucky infield single from pinch-hitting pitcher Jerad Eickhoff. James McCann was responsible for the second hit with a ninth-inning double against Braves closer Will Smith.

Overall, the Mets offense looks ugly no matter how you look at the numbers. They have been scoreless in 17 consecutive innings and shut out for the fourth time in the last seven days. Even with the reinforcements coming off the IL, it will take more than one hitter to jumpstart the offense. They will have their chance to get going against Kyle Wright while the Mets have no clue who their starter will be for the final game of the series. The first pitch from Citi Field is another 7:10 p.m. ET start.

Mets Game Preview: (6/22/21) vs. Atlanta Braves (34-37)

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After splitting their doubleheader on Monday, the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves play the third game of their series. Offense was at a premium on Monday as both teams combined for seven runs over the 14 innings they played. If the rain avoids Citi Field, the third game will be a 7:10 p.m. ET start.

The Mets offense has struggled mightily as last night marked their third shutout in the past week. Their offense took even more of a hit when Jonathan Villar left yesterday’s game with a calf injury after legging out a double. Villar walked himself off the field, but the Mets cannot catch a break with their injury problems. Luckily, with Jeff McNeil back in the fold, they will not need Villar to rush himself back.

Austin Riley has -1 defensive runs saved but made plenty of terrific plays to help the Braves take the second game last night. Ronald Acuna Jr. also continued to show why he is such an electric player. After failing to get anything going during game one, he homered and threw a 97 mph strike to third base to gun down a runner.

Pitching Matchup

Marcus Stroman makes his 15th start of the season and has become an innings eater for the Mets rotation. Stroman has completed at least six innings in each of his last nine starts. He has been able to go deep into games by throwing over two-third of his pitches for strikes and allowing just two walks per nine innings. Through 84.1 innings, Stroman has a 2.35 ERA and a 6-5 record.

The 37-year old veteran Charlie Morton takes the hill for the Braves and comes off a fantastic start against the St. Louis Cardinals. Morton pitched a season-high 7.2 innings and threw a season-high 112 pitches to shutout the Cards. Morton has not found his Cy Young caliber form yet but has been solid with a 4.03 ERA over 14 starts this season. In his last start against the Mets, he held them to one run over six innings with eight strikeouts.

Matchups To Lookout For

Charlie Morton vs. Francisco Lindor: 2-for-18 (.111), 2 Doubles, 5 Strikeouts

Marcus Stroman vs. Dansby Swanson: 4-for-8 (.500), Walk, 2 Strikeouts

Marcus Stroman vs. Ozzie Albies: 4-for-9 (.444), Strikeout

Hendricks Shuts Down Mets Offense in Cubs 2-0 Win

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The final game between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs featured a pitcher’s duel between two sinkerballers. Marcus Stroman took the mound for the Mets and Kyle Hendricks was on the mound for the Cubs. Hendricks was the better pitcher as he shut out the Mets and led the Cubs to a 2-0 victory.

Hendricks allowed a double in each of the first two innings but settled in for six shutout innings and seven strikeouts. He never hit 90 mph on the radar gun, and he did not need to. Hendricks worked hitters inside with his sinker and cutter combination, then had them flailing at his changeup all night. He combined with the bullpen to retired the last 17 Mets who came up to the plate.

Stroman also had a terrific start as he pitched seven innings, striking out eight, but the one blemish was Javier Baez‘s two-run homer. Baez’s home run gave the Cubs all the runs they needed, and it was the only offense of the game for either team. Since the Cubs rested their best relievers in their three losses, they were ready to go to help avoid the sweep. The Cubs also scored all of their runs of the series on home runs, which is why their offense struggled mightily.

The silver lining from the game is Trevor May providing back-to-back strong outings. There are three doubleheaders in the next ten days, and the Mets will need him for a lot of big innings. The Mets head to Washington to face the Nationals for a four-game series which starts on Friday. Joey Lucchesi will start for the Mets against Erick Fedde for a 7:05 p.m. ET start from Nationals Park.

Mets Game Preview: (6/17/21) vs. Chicago Cubs (38-30)

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yankees, New York Mets, Luis Rojas

The New York Mets play their final game against the Chicago Cubs as they attempt to complete a sweep. If the Mets can pull it off, it will be their first four-game sweep of the Cubs since the 2016 season. Just like the first three games, Thursday’s matchup is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET from Citi Field on another beautiful night.

Pitching has carried the Mets to plenty of victories at home, and it has done the same for the first three games. They have allowed just seven runs in the series to drop their home ERA to 3.12, the best mark in baseball. Last night’s victory pushed the Mets to 10 games over .500 for the first time this season and the first time since the final day of the 2019 season. Edwin Diaz has been a big reason for their success and has been lights out since his blown save on June 1. In the following six outings, Diaz has pitched 5.2 innings, allowed two hits, no walks, and struck out nine.

The home team has won all six games of the season series, and the Cubs hope to end the streak. Their offense has become reliant on the home run, which has been responsible for every run they have driven in during the series. Kris Bryant is unlikely to return to the lineup after resting his bruised hand in Wednesday’s game. Even without Bryant, the Cubs have to take advantage of the Mets bullpen after they pitched six innings the previous night.

Pitching Matchup

The electric Marcus Stroman gets the task of trying to complete the sweep for the Mets. Stroman has been terrific this season with a 2.33 ERA in 13 starts, the 13th best in baseball. He also enjoys pitching at Citi Field, where his ERA is 1.88, and he has only allowed one home run. Stroman pitched 6.1 innings in his last start, with one run allowed, and tied a season-high with eight strikeouts against the San Diego Padres.

Kyle Hendricks starts for the Cubs and is beginning to find his way after an ugly first month of his season. He had a 7.54 ERA in April but bounced back to have a 3.12 ERA in his last seven starts. Throughout the season, his problem has been home runs with 19 allowed, which is the highest number in baseball.

Matchup To Lookout For

Kyle Hendricks vs. Jose Peraza: 6-for-19 (.313), Double, Walk, 3 Strikeouts

Mets Blow The Game Twice in 6-5 Loss To The Arizona Diamondbacks

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The New York Mets are known for their ugly June’s, and the trend is continuing in 2021. They wasted a 4-0 and 5-4 lead in extra innings to lose to the lowly Arizona Diamondbacks. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak and was a rare off game from the Mets bullpen.

The 10th inning had as much action as any in the game. James McCann made a cameo as a pinch hitter and gave the Mets the lead with a leadoff RBI double. The Mets could not get the insurance run around to score, and it came back to haunt them. Trevor May was called into action for the save after struggling and throwing 26 pitches the previous night. May did not have his best stuff and ended up allowing a two-run double to Pavin Smith, which capped off a terrific night for him. Smith also had a monstrous 435-foot three-run home run earlier in the game.

Overuse?

Rojas had Trevor May, Drew Smith, and Seth Lugo to choose from for the 10th inning. Smith seemed like the option if the game remained tied or the Mets extended the lead. Lugo seemed like an afterthought due to Rojas hoping to open his season in a low leverage situation. May is in the middle of a pitching slump and has allowed runs in four of his last six outings. Despite getting five days off before Monday’s outing, it is clear that he has not been at his best as of late.

Either way, the loss should not have come down to extra innings. Marcus Stroman pitched five stellar innings before his confrontation with Josh Rojas after the fifth inning. Both benches and bullpens cleared, but no further conflict resulted from the gathering. Stroman struggled in the sixth inning by allowing Smith’s homer, moving the score to 4-3, and giving them new life.

Staying Alive

Rojas ended up getting his revenge against Edwin Diaz in the ninth. Nick Ahmed‘s single and error from Billy McKinney allowed him to get to second base to set the table for Rojas. With two-outs, Rojas found the hole between the first and second baseman to tie the game and give Diaz his first blown save of the season. Diaz gave up three hits in the inning, but none were hit particularly hard. The blown save was a case of Diaz getting unlucky with the defensive alignments behind him.

On Monday, Dominic Smith and Francisco Lindor showed signs of their power returning and did it once again tonight. Smith recorded a two-run homer and was robbed of a three-run homer, which resulted in a sacrifice fly. In the ninth, he walked and stole second base, the second of his career. Lindor had just one hit, but it turned out to be an RBI triple that ricocheted off the center-field fence. His average sits at .199 and has risen 16 points in the last five games.

The Mets cannot win every game, but this one is inexcusable to lose. They let the D’Backs hang around, gave them life after the bench-clearing issue, and failed to put the game away numerous times. Luckily the loss does not affect their division lead, which remains at 3.5 after the Atlanta Braves lost. At a 3:40 start on Wednesday, two lefties square off to finish the series. David Peterson takes the mound against veteran Madison Bumgarner.

Mets Game Preview: (6/1/21) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (19-36)

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The New York Mets hope to continue their May momentum as they flip the calendar to June for the second game of their three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both teams come off two polar opposite months of May. Despite many injures, the Mets were 17-9 while the D’Backs went 9-21. Game two of the series is another 9:40 p.m. ET start from Chase Field.

The Mets come off a very convincing win in game one, which featured the return of Pete Alonso and Kevin Pillar. Alonso homered and recorded four RBIs, while Pillar recorded a hit in his only at-bat. Francisco Lindor is showing signs of his bat returning to full strength. Lindor is 5-for-13 (.385) over the last three games and is driving the ball to all fields. Dominic Smith had gone half a month without a double, but two to the opposite field also showed that his power stroke might be returning as well.

Seth Lugo did not pitch in Monday’s game, but we should expect to see him today. Trevor May, Jeuyrs Familia, and Miguel Castro all pitched in the win, leaving the door open for Edwin Diaz and Lugo tonight. Lugo cannot pitch in back-to-back days, and using him tonight allows the Mets to have him for multiple days against the San Diego Padres.

Pitching Matchup

Marcus Stroman makes his 11th start of the season after a terrific start against the Colorado Rockies. He pitched six shutout innings, allowing three hits and recording 11 groundball outs. Stroman has been great all year and comes into tonight’s start with a 2.47 ERA.

Caleb Smith comes out of the bullpen to make just his second start of the year. His first outing of the season was his only start, where he allowed four runs (three earned) in only three innings. Smith has faired very well in his long relief role with a 2.70 ERA and a .214 average against. He can lose the strike zone occasionally, which could run up his pitch count early in his start.

Matchups To Lookout For

Marcus Stroman vs. Eduardo Escobar: 2-for-12 (.167), 2 Doubles, Walk, Strikeout

Caleb Smith vs. Pete Alonso: 1-for-9 (.111), 2 Walks, 5 Strikeouts

Stroman and Diaz Win Pitchers Duel To Give Mets 1-0 Game 1 Win

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The New York Mets and Colorado Rockies continued to put out tremendous pitching performances in game one of their doubleheader. Marcus Stroman outdueled German Marquez to get the Mets a 1-0 victory in a speedy seven-inning game.

Stroman did not have his best stuff early in the game but settled in for another excellent outing. He pitched six shutout innings, allowing just three hits and recording another ten groundball outs. Marquez was just as brilliant, pitching six innings (complete game), allowing just three hits and one run while striking out six. Jose Peraza was responsible for the lone run when he blasted a solo home run in the third inning.

Edwin Diaz was the only reliever to enter the game for both teams. He converted his ninth save in the same amount of opportunities to give the Mets their second straight victory. The game was completed in one hour and 54 minutes and was another example of the type of game the Mets have been winning. The Mets offensive provided just enough to win, and the pitching completed the rest. Both teams had three hits each, and the Mets never took an at-bat with a runner in scoring position.

Joey Lucchesi faces off against Antonio Senzatela in game two of the doubleheader, starting in about a half-hour from Citi Field.

Mets Game(s) Preview: (5/27/21) vs. Colorado Rockies (19-30)

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After some ugly weather on Thursday, the New York Mets and Colorado Rockies link up for a doubleheader to complete their four-game series. The Rockies took game one, and the Mets took game two, with each win featuring a stellar pitching performance. Game one of the DH starts at 12:10 p.m. ET and game two starts shortly after.

Both teams are searching for offense as all the winners in the first two games needed were three runs. The Rockies are notoriously known for their horrible home/road splits, but they took it to a whole never level this year. They are hitting .203 with 12 home runs and a .303 slugging percentage, all the worst road numbers in MLB. Tuesday’s Mets lineup only had two people hitting over .250, and one of them was Jacob deGrom. Billy McKinney makes his Mets debut and is thrust into the four spot in the order.

Pitching Matchups 

Game 1

Marcus Stroman takes the mound for the Mets and looks to put together back-to-back good starts for the second time all year. Stroman’s first three starts gave him a terrific 0.90 ERA. He has a 3.90 ERA in his last six starts with some up and down outings. His best start of the season came against the Rockies at Coors Field, where he held them to one run in eight innings.

German Marquez makes his second start against the Mets in 2021, with his first also coming during a doubleheader. He pitched all seven innings and held the Mets to just two runs. The month of May has not brought the same success he had earlier in the season. Marquez has a 5.95 ERA and an uncharacteristic 11 in 19.2 May innings.

Game 2

Joey Lucchesi gets his fifth start of the season and hopes to replicate the success from his last outing. Lucchesi struck out eight in four innings but was yanked after just 43 pitches. If he is in another groove, the Mets may be inclined to let his pitch count elevate. The Rockies gave Lucchesi trouble at Coors Field when he allowed three runs in the same amount of innings.

Antonio Senzatela will pitch for the Rockies, and his season has been filled with inconsistency. He has been better over his last two starts allowing one run against the Reds and two against the Diamondbacks. Senzatela was great when he faced the Mets earlier this season, pitching six innings, allowing two runs (one earned), and striking out four in a loss.

Matchups To Lookout For

German Marquez vs. Jonathan Villar: 4-for-10 (.400), 2 Doubles, Strikeout

German Marquez vs. Brandon Drury: 3-for-16 (.188), 2 Doubles, Home Run, 2 Strikeouts

Marcus Stroman vs. Trevor Story: 3-for-9 (.333), Double

Antonio Senzatela vs. Francisco Lindor: 1-for-9 (.111), Home Run, 2 Strikeouts

Joey Lucchesi vs. Garrett Hampson: 5-for-15 (.333), Double, Home Run, 3 Strikeouts

Mets Game Preview: (5/26/21) vs. Colorado Rockies (19-30)

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New York Yankees, New York Mets, Marcus Stroman

The New York Mets look to make it two in a row over the Colorado Rockies in the third game of the four-game set. It features a terrific pitching matchup which should once again feature a game with very limited scoring. The first pitch is set for 7:10 p.m., but there could be some rain throughout the night.

Before the game, the Mets added some much-needed outfield help by trading for Billy McKinney. He is still only 26-years old but is still looking to make an impact with his bat, hitting just .207 in his career. This entire series has featured a lack of offense as the winning team in both games only needed to score three times. The Rockies are known for their struggles outside of Coors Field and only have eight hits along with just two at-bats w/RISP.

Ryan McMahon is the one Rockie who has been able to muster some offense. He only has two hits in the series, but both have been for home runs. Luckily, the Rockies have not been on base often, which resulted in both homers only resulting in one run.

Pitching Matchup

Marcus Stroman takes the mound for the Mets and looks to put together back-to-back good starts for the second time all year. Stroman’s first three starts gave him a terrific 0.90 ERA. He has a 3.90 ERA in his last six starts with some up and down outings. His best start of the season came against the Rockies at Coors Field, where he held them to one run in eight innings.

German Marquez has struggled in May but hopes to replicate his April start against the Mets. Marquez pitched a complete game (7 innings) and held the Mets to two runs while striking out six. In 19.2 innings during May, Marquez has a 5.95 ERA and uncharacteristically walked 11 batters.

Matchups To Lookout For

German Marquez vs. Jonathan Villar: 4-for-10 (.400), 2 Doubles, Strikeout

German Marquez vs. Brandon Drury: 3-for-16 (.188), 2 Doubles, Home Run, Strikeout

Marcus Stroman vs. Ryan McMahon: 0-for-6 (.000), Strikeout

Mazeika Magic Continues As Mets Win 3-2 For Sixth Straight Victory

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New York Yankees, Marcus Stroman

The New York Mets may not be at their best yet this season, but six straight wins say otherwise as they took another W by a score of 3-2 over the Baltimore Orioles. Patrick Mazeika continues to be an unlikely hero for the Mets as his fielder’s choice once again leads to a walk-off victory. Mazeika still does not have a big-league hit yet but has two walk-off wins to his name.

The Mets almost tied it up in the ninth of Orioles’ closer Cesar Valdez, but Kevin Pillar missed the foul by a couple of feet. He combined singles with Jonathan Villar to set the table for a Dominic Smith pinch-hit single to tie the game and allowed Mazeika’s grounder to seal the win.

The walk-off win overshadows the Mets and Orioles pitchers duel on par with the classic Tom Seaver vs. Mike Cuellar duels from the 1969 World Series. John Means made his first start after his no-hitter and was as good as advertised. Means pitched six shutout innings, working around six hits, striking out three, and needing just 74 pitches. Marcus Stroman was once again dominant, holding the Orioles to one run on 6.1 and recording a typical 11 ground outs.

Stroman’s Intensity

Before the ninth, a key moment of the game came in the top of the seventh inning when the Orioles had the bases loaded and one out. Means’ spot in the order was up, and Orioles skipper Brandon Hyde sent up D.J. Stewart to pinch-hit. Mets manager Luis Rojas countered by pulling Stroman and bringing in Aaron Loup for the lefty on lefty matchup. Hyde once again countered with righty, Pat Valaika, and it was checkmate for the Mets. Valaika attacked the first pitch for a sacrifice fly to break the scoreless tie.

When Rojas met Stroman on the mound, both had a lengthy conversation before exiting. It likely had to do with Stroman’s disappointment of leaving a matchup he felt he could have won. Stewart was a slow runner, nursing a hamstring injury, and Stroman’s sinker could have induced the much needed double play.

Injury Concerns

Post-game concerns shift to Jeff McNeil and Albert Almora Jr., who left with injuries. McNeil had a leg cramp but could be available for Wednesday’s game. On the other hand, Almora left the game after crashing into the fence while attempting an incredible catch. He has shoulder pain, and his x-rays came back negative. Almora let fans know he was okay while walking off the field but should be out of commission for a few days.

When teams go on winning streaks of five or more, it takes some tough wins and clutch moments to get it there. They had their tough wins over the weekend with the help of their bullpen, and now they have their clutch win. They will aim for lucky number seven against a familiar face as Matt Harvey makes his first start at Citi Field since leaving the Mets in 2017. Taijuan Walker will start for the Mets at an early 12:10 p.m. ET first pitch.