Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.
Teams: Mets vs. Pirates
Date: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 • 7:10 p.m
Location: Citi Field • Flushing, NY
Starters: LHP Jeff Locke (0-2, 5.47) vs. RHP Jeremy Hefner (2-7, 5.79)
TV/Radio: SNY • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #155 • Home Game #80
Lineup
Ruben Tejada – SS
Daniel Murphy – 2B
David Wright – 3B
Scott Hairston – RF
Ike Davis – 1B
Kelly Shoppach – C
Lucas Duda – LF
Andres Torres – CF
Jeremy Hefner – RHP
METS AT A GLANCE: The Mets had their four-game winning streak snapped last night...New York is 4-6 in its last 10 contests.
AT HOME: The Mets are 4-4 on their current 10-game homestand and 4-10 in their last 14 home games...New York is 34-45 at home this year (8-25 in the second half)...The Mets are 2-8 in second half series at home...New York went 34-47 at home in 2011.
KRANE HAS COMPANY: David Wright collected two hits last night to give him 1,418 for his career, tying Ed Kranepool for the most in team history...Wright’s two-run single in the seventh inning off Jared Hughes gave him 1,418 hits...Kranepool played in 1,853 games...Wright has played in 1,255 career contests...Three active players lead their current club’s all-time hit list...The Yankees’ Derek Jeter (3,296 hits), Colorado’s Todd Helton (2,420) and Texas’ Michael Young (2,221).
THE FIRST ONE: David Wright’s first major league hit came on July 22, 2004, in his second major league game...He doubled in the fifth inning off Montreal’s Zach Day at Shea Stadium.
20 HOME RUNS: David Wright belted a two-run home run in the first inning last night, his 20th home run of the year...It marked his sixth season of 20 or more home runs and tied him with Mike Piazza for the second-most seasons of 20 or more home runs in team history...Darryl Strawberry is first with eight campaigns of 20 or more home runs with the Mets.
RECORD BOOKS: Wright already became the franchise leader in RBI, walks and runs scored this year...He also holds the club mark in doubles and extra-base hits.
WRIGHT RANKINGS: David Wright is ninth in the majors with a .391 on-base percentage, tied for ninth with 40 doubles and is seventh in the National League with a .306 batting average...He is tied for third in the NL with 79 walks.
BACK-TO-BACK: Justin Turner and David Wright hit consecutive home runs in the first inning last night off Wandy Rodriguez, the first time this season the team hit back-to-back home runs...The last pair of Mets to hit back-to-back home runs was Lucas Duda and Jose Reyes on July 23, 2011 at Florida (off Leo Nunez).
HOME RUNS AT HOME: New York has hit at least one home run in seven straight games (11 overall) at Citi Field...It’s the team’s second-longest such streak this season...The Mets collected at least one home run in eight straight home games from May 28-June 15 earlier this season...New York is 20-15 (9-8 at home) when they hit two or more home runs in a game this year.
30 HOME RUNS: Davis has put together the 29th season with 30 home runs in franchise history and the first since 2008, when David Wright finished with 33 and Carlos Delgado had 38…Davis also became the 16th Mets player with a 30-home run season on September 24.
SECOND HALF HOME RUNS: Ike Davis has 18 home runs since the All-Star break, tied for the fifth-most in majors and the second-most in the National League...Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera has the most second half home runs (24).
PER AT-BAT: Ike Davis ranks third in the National League with a home run every 16.4 at-bats.
FIRST INNING: The Mets have scored in the first inning in three of their last six games (eight total runs)...Overall, New York has been outscored 83-79 in the first frame.
RUBEN TEJADA: Extended his hitting streak to seven games last night...Tejada is hitting .370 (10-27) during this stretch.
R.A. DICKEY: Leads the National League with a 2.66 ERA (second in the majors) and is tied for second in the majors with 19 wins, one behind Gio Gonzalez...Dickey is second in the NL with 209 strikeouts...Dickey also leads the NL in complete games (five), shutouts (three) and innings pitched (220.0)...He is also tied for the major league lead with 25 quality starts with Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo...Dickey is third in the majors with a 1.04 WHIP and third in the NL with a .223 batting average against.
WINS: R.A. Dickey won his 19th game Sunday, the most by a Mets pitcher since 1990, when Frank Viola won 20 and Dwight Gooden finished with 19.
AT CITI FIELD: Dickey is set to make his final home start tomorrow afternoon vs. Pittsburgh, is 9-3 with a 2.53 ERA (33 earned runs/117.1 innings) at home this year...He ranks seventh in the National League in home ERA and opponents this year are hitting .207 against him at home, the fifth-lowest mark in the NL.
ONE OF FIVE: Dickey became the fifth pitcher in franchise history to win 19 games, throw 220.0 innings and strikeout 200 in a single season …Dickey joins Tom Seaver, who accomplished the feat five times, Dwight Gooden, twice, and Jerry Koosman and David Cone, who each did it once…Gooden was the last do to it in 1990.
STRIKEOUTS: Dickey has 209 strikeouts, the most by a Mets pitcher since David Cone had 214 in 1992.
RISP TALE OF TWO HALVES: The Mets went 2-4 with runners in scoring position last night and are hitting .202 (104-514) with runners in scoring position since the All-Star break…In the first half, the team hit .269 (199-739) with RISP...Overall, the Mets are hitting .241 with RISP on the season, ranking 22nd in the majors...The Mets are hitting .260 with runners in scoring position and two outs, the third-highest average in the majors...The club hit .285 with RISP and two outs in the first half.
AN EVENING OF CHINESE CULTURE: The Mets will host An Evening of Chinese Culture tonight with pre-game performances and in-game entertainment...For the first time ever at a U.S. sports venue, a record nine dragons will be performing the Dragon Dance...The dance will be followed by a Girls Dragon dance and a Dragon Eye Dotting Ceremony ...Sino-America Friendship Extraordinary Contribution Awards will be presented by U.S. and Chinese government leaders...Vivian Fang Liu will sing the National Anthem and Guo Xiang Sun, the Chinese Ambassador to the U.S., will throw out the first pitch.
LAST START: Took the loss when the Mets fell to the Phillies,16-1, on September 20 at Citi Field...Did not record an out, allowing seven runs, earned, six hits, and one walk...The outing was his shortest as a starter...The last Mets starter to fail to record an out was John Maine on May 20, 2010 at Washington...It was the 19th time in club history that the starter failed to record an out...The start raised his ERA from 4.99 to 5.79.
CAREER AS A STARTER: Hefner has made 11 career starts...In those 11 starts, the 26-year old rookie has posted a 2-6 record with a 6.38 ERA (39 earned runs/55.0 innings pitched)...Hefner has struck out 39 while issuing just 11 walks, good for a 3.55 K/BB ratio.
LAST RELIEF OUTING: Last pitched in relief on September 15 at Miller Park...Pitched 1.0 inning, allowing one run, earned, and one hit (home run)...Struck out none, while picking up a no-decision.
2012 RELIEF: Hefner has made 13 relief appearances this season, most recently on September 15 at Milwaukee...In those 13 appearances Hefner is 0-1 and has pitched to a 4.44 ERA (12 earned runs/24.1 innings pitched)...Has walked four and struck out nine in those 23.1 innings...His lone loss in relief was in Toronto when he pitched 5.0 innings on May 19.
INNINGS PITCHED: Hefner set a career-high in innings pitched in his start on August 28 vs. Houston with 8.0 innings pitched...His previous high was 6.0 innings, done four times previously, most recently on August 8 at San Diego, when he earned his second win of the season.
RUNNERS ON: Opponents are hitting .329 (50-152) when runners are on base...Furthermore, opponents are hitting .341 (30-88) with eight doubles, three home runs, and 40 RBI with runners in scoring position, and .256 (10-39) in such situations with two outs...Hitters are batting .287 (52-181) when he pitches with the bases empty.
SINCE ALL-STAR BREAK: Since the All-Star break, Hefner is 1-4 with a 5.99 ERA (32 earned runs/49.0 innings pitched) in 13 games, eight starts...Pitched to a 5.64 ERA (19 earned runs/30.1 innings pitched) in 11 games, three starts before the break...Thirteen of Hefner’s 15 walks this season have come since the All-Star break.
CONTROL: Hefner has walked 15 in 79.1 major league innings this season, including only 11 walks in 11 starts...Has a K/9 of 5.40 and a BB/9 of 1.7.
FIRST HOME RUN AND WIN: According to Stats LLC, Hefner became the first pitcher to hit his first career home run in his first career win since Dennis Tankersley accomplished the feat while with San Diego in 2002.
2012 MINOR LEAGUE STARTS: In nine minor league starts for Buffalo (AAA) of the International League, Hefner was 5-2 with a 2.77 ERA (19 earned runs/61.2 innings pitched)...Pitched at least 7.0 innings in six of those nine starts, and pitched into the eighth in two of them...Had six quality starts while pitching for Buffalo.
MINOR LEAGUE CAREER TOTALS: In 141 career games, 129 starts, Hefner is 51-36 with a 3.75 ERA (313 earned runs/750.1 innings pitched)...Won a career-high 14 games in 2009 while pitching for Lake Elsinore (A+) of the California League and Portland (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League.
MINOR LEAGUE CAREER: With the Mets farm system this season after being claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates on November 18, 2011...Was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 10th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft...Originally drafted by the Mets in the 46th round of 2004 First-Year Player Draft and again in the 48th round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, but did not sign either time...