Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.
Teams: Mets vs. Pirates
Date: Thursday, September 27, 2012 • 1:10 p.m
Location: Citi Field • Flushing, NY
Starters: RHP Kevin Correia (11-10, 4.11) vs. RHP R.A. Dickey (19-6, 2.66)
TV/Radio: SNY • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #156 • Home Game #81
Lineup
Ruben Tejada – SS
Daniel Murphy – 2B
David Wright – 3B
Ike Davis – 1B
Scott Hairston – LF
Mike Baxter – RF
Josh Thole – C
Andres Torres – CF
R.A. Dickey – RHP
METS AT A GLANCE: The Mets have won five of their last six games...The team is 5-5 in its last 10 games...Today is the final home game of the 2012 season.
AT HOME: The Mets are 5-4 on their current 10-game homestand and 5-10 in their last 15 home games...New York is 35-45 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.
SHUTOUTS: The Mets posted their 13th shutout of the year last night and their eighth at home.
ONE RUN OR LESS: Last night was the 35th time the Mets have allowed one run or less this season, the third-most in the majors… Atlanta is first (39) and Oakland is second (36).
HISTORY: David Wright became the team’s all-time hits leader with his 1,419th career hit with his third-inning infield single off the Pirates’ Jeff Locke last night…Wright later singled in the fourth inning and finished the night with 1,420 hits…Wright passed Ed Kranepool who finished his career with 1,418 hits while playing in 1,853 games from 1962-1979 …Last night was Wright’s 1,256th game.
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.
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.
ELITE COMPANY: Only three active players lead their current club’s all-time hit list…The Yankees’ Derek Jeter (3,296), Colorado’s Todd Helton (2,420) and Texas’ Michael Young (2,223).
WRIGHT RANKINGS: David Wright is eighth in the majors with a .392 on-base percentage, tied for ninth with 40 doubles and is sixth in the National League with a .307 batting average...He is fourth in the NL with 79 walks.
DAY LIGHT: Daniel Murphy (.345) ranks second in the majors in batting average during day games and David Wright (.312) is 10th in the NL ...Justin Turner is hitting .393 (22-56) during day games but does not have enough plate appearances to qualify...New York is 31-25 in day games this season, including 17-12 at home...The 31 victories are tied for the sixth-most in the majors.
DICKEY DURING THE DAY: R.A. Dickey is 12-1 during the day this year...Dickey’s 12 day victories are tied for the most in the majors, with Cincinnati’s Johnny Cueto (12-2)...The only Mets pitcher in team history with as many day victories in a single season is Tom Seaver, who went 12-5 in 1975.
THURSDAY: The Mets are 12-4 on Thursdays this year, including 5-3 at home...The 12 victories on Thursday are tied for the most in the majors with Washington (12-6).
SECOND HALF HOME RUNS: Ike Davis has 18 home runs since the All-Star break, the sixth-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 is tied for third in the National League with a home run every 16.5 at-bats.
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, two behind Clayton Kershaw...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 fourth in the majors with a 1.04 WHIP and fourth in the NL with a .223 batting average against. WINS: R.A. Dickey has 19 wins, the most by a Mets pitcher since 1990, when Frank Viola won 20 and Dwight Gooden finished with 19.
AT CITI FIELD: Dickey is 9-3 with a 2.53 ERA (33 earned runs/117.1 innings) at home this year...He ranks sixth in the National League in home ERA and opponents this year are hitting .207 against him at home, the seventh-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..At age 37, 324 days, he became the fourth pitcher since 1900 to record his first 200-strikeout season after his 37th birthday...The others are: Charlie Hough in 1987 (age 39 years, 254 days when he registered his 200th strikeout), Phil Niekro in 1977 (38, 144) and Cy Young in 1904 (37, 193)...Research courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau.
STRONG STARTS: Dickey has pitched 7.0 innings or more and allowed one or fewer runs 15 times this season...Dwight Gooden holds the franchise record with 18 such starts in 1985...Dickey’s total is the most in the National League this year and two behind Seattle’s Felix Hernandez for the major league lead.
RUBEN TEJADA: Tied his career-high with four hits last night…It was his fourth career four-hit game and first since June 29 at Los Angeles (NL) ...Tejada also extended his hitting streak to eight games…He’s hitting .438 (14-32) during that stretch which dates back to September 17.
DANIEL MURPHY: Went 2-4 last night and is hitting .338 (26-77) with five doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI this month.
KEITH HERNANDEZ: Will shave off his legendary mustache at 11:45 a.m. outside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda...Schick Hydro will provide the barber and donate $5,000 to the Jacquelyn Hernandez Adult Day Health Center in Brooklyn, which helps Alzheimer's patients, elderly and disabled people and is named for Hernandez's mother...The American Mustache Institute in 2007 crowned Hernandez's mustache the best in sports history.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Jon Rauch turns 34 today.
LAST START: Earned his 19th win of the season in the Mets’ 4-3 victory over the Miami Marlins on September 22...Threw 8.0 innings, extending his league-leading total to 220.0 innings…It’s the most by a Mets pitcher since 2008, when Johan Santana tossed 234.1...Allowed two runs, two earned, six hits, and two walks...Struck out four...Seeking to be the Mets first 20-game winner since Frank Viola won 20 games in 1990...Became the first Mets pitcher with 200 strikeouts since Johan Santana (206) in 2008...Has a streak of seven consecutive quality starts dating to his start on August 20 vs. Colorado...Compiled an ERA of 1.92 (11 earned runs/51.2 innings pitched) over that stretch.
DICKEY IN THE DAY: Won his 12th day game of the season in his last start vs. Miami on September 22, tying Johnny Cueto for the most in the majors...The 12 victories also tie Tom Seaver’s 1975 total for more daytime single-season wins in franchise history.
STRONG STARTS: Dickey has pitched at least 7.0 innings and allowed one run or less 15 times this season...The total is the most in the National League and two behind Felix Hernandez (Sea) for the major league lead with 17...Dickey’s total is tied for third-most in club history with Jerry Koosman (1968) and Frank Viola (1990)...Only Dwight Gooden and Tom Seaver had higher single-season totals...Gooden holds the franchise record with 18 such starts in 1985...Bob Gibson (StL) had 24 such starts in 1968, the most in the majors since 1918.
SHUTOUTS: Dickey’s three shutouts this season are the most in a season by any Mets pitcher since David Cone hurled five shutouts in 1992...Dickey has five career shutouts, four with the Mets...The three shutouts rank tied for second in the majors and first in the NL this season...Felix Hernadez’s (Sea) five shutouts lead the majors.
RANKS: Dickey ranks in the top five in all three NL triple crown categories (W, ERA, K)...Tied for second in the major leagues in wins with 19...Has struck out 209 in 220.0 innings this season, ranking sixth in the majors and second in the NL...Leads the NL and is second in the majors with a 2.66 ERA...David Price (TB) leads the majors with a 2.56 ERA...Tied for first in the the NL with a 1.04 WHIP with Clayton Kershaw (LaD) and Matt Cain (SF)...Also has six double-digit strikeout games this season, second to Yu Darvish (Tex) who has eight...Is first in the NL with 21 starts of pitching at least 7.0 innings...Felix Hernandez (Sea) and David Price (TB) lead the majors with 22 starts of at least 7.0 innings.
MORE RANKS: Has recorded 25 quality starts, tied ofr first in both the majors and NL with Yovani Gallardo (Mil)...His K/BB ratio of 4.02 is for seventh in the majors and fifth in the NL...Has limited opposing right-handed batters to a .216 (94-435) batting average this season, good for sixth in the NL...Dickey has 13 starts in which he has struck out eight or more this season, tying him for third in the majors with Justin Verlander (Det)...Max Scherzer (Det) leads the majors with 17 such starts.
COMPLETE GAMES:Tossed his National League-best fifth complete game of the season on August 31 at Miami…It was Dickey’s second complete-game against the Marlins this season (August 9)...Dickey’s five complete games are the most in a single season by a Mets pitcher since 1993, when Dwight Gooden tossed seven....Only Justin Verlander’s (Det) six complete games this year top Dickey’s five.
DOUBLE-DIGIT STRIKEOUTS: Dickey has six double-digit strikeout games this year, the most by a Mets pitcher since David Cone had eight in 1992...He had just one such start prior to this season...Has recorded back-to-back double-digit strikeout games twice this season.
CAREER-HIGH STRIKEOUTS: Dickey recorded 12 and 13 strikeouts in back-to-back starts at Tampa Bay on June 13 and again vs. Baltimore on June 18, respectively, setting a new career-high each time...He first set his career-high striking out 11 at Pittsburgh on May 22.
ONE-HIT WONDER: On June 18 vs. BAL, Dickey became the 10th pitcher since 1900 to record consecutive one-hitters...Became the first pitcher in modern baseball history (since 1900) to register back-to-back complete game one-hitters with 10 strikeouts or more in both starts.
LAST WIN VS. PITTSBURGH: Won, 3-2, on May 22 of this season at PNC Park...Pitched 7.0 innings, allowing one run, earned, five hits, and zero walks...Struck out 11.
LAST LOSS VS. PITTSBURGH: Lost, 3-2, on June 11, 2011 at PNC Park...Pitched 8.0 innings, allowing three runs, one earned, seven hits, and two walks...Struck out four.
CAREER VS. PITTSBURGH: In six career games, five starts, Dickey is 2-2 with a 2.52 ERA (11 earned runs/39.1 innings pitched) vs. the Pirates.
KEY MATCHUPS:
- Gaby Sanchez - .381 (8-21, 5 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K)
- Garrett Jones - .308 (4-13, 2B, RBI, 3 K)
- Andrew McCutchen - .182 (2-11, RBI, 2 BB, 5 K)