It sure was nice during April when the Mets were coming from behind and getting clutch hits every night, but the past two games against the Orioles are probably a better indicator of how the team is going to win for the rest of the year. Step one: Get a solid six or seven innings from the starting pitcher. Step two: string together a couple of hits for a crooked number on the scoreboard. Step three: shut down the opponent with a surprisingly effective bullpen.
Easy, right? Not everything is going to go right for these Mets as they set out on an epic stretch of 20 games in 20 days, but hopefully they can pad their record with some wins over Philadelphia this weekend. The last time the Mets met the Phillies, the expected cellar dwellers didn't exactly roll over, but New York still came away with three wins. We can only hope that things go just as smoothly this time around.
Chase Utley isn't really this bad
To say the perennial All-Star is off to a bad start this season would be putting it lightly. He's batting .103/.182/.207, which is a lot worse than Jeff Francoeur and even Cole Hamels. Fortunately for the Phillies, one of their best ever players is likely to turn things around in short order.
Utley's strikeout and walk rates (seven and 14 percent, respectively) aren't far off from what he was doing in his prime, so the main culprit for his slow start appears to be a .082 BABIP. That sort of figure is nearly unheard of, even with this sample size.
The power is lagging as well (he just has one home run outside of Citi Field), and his line drive rate is down eight percent from last year, but Utley is still a player who is skilled enough to be valuable at the plate. His numbers (and vesting options) might make it hard for the Phillies to trade him, but you can still make a move for Utley in your fantasy league.
The Phillies are also talking to the Giants
Last weekend we talked about how San Francisco general manager Brian Sabean was scouting the Mets due to his team's need for a competent third baseman and/or starting pitcher. It turns out that New York may not be the only National League East team that the Giants are kanoodling with. Whether the Phillies are willing to trade a starting pitcher right now is up for debate, but they also have a young third baseman in Cody Asche who, unlike Daniel Murphy, is not due to hit free agency this winter.
Like Utley, Asche has cooled off considerably since hitting that home run, but he's still a 24-year-old with some pop and only one full year in the majors under his belt. Last year, Asche hit .252/.309/.390 with a 24-percent strikeout rate in 434 plate appearances, which isn't fantastic, but he's still got room to grow. Considering he's young and affordable, San Francisco could be swayed into taking a chance on him. The alternative would be giving Casey McGehee a bunch more at-bats. Yuck.
For the Phils, Asche is expendable because their top prospect, 22-year-old slugger Maikel Franco, also plays third base and is heating up in Triple-A as we speak.
When will we stop being surprised at Aaron Harang?
The marquee pitching matchup this weekend is obviously Matt Harvey versus Cole Hamels on Friday night, but let's talk instead about the guy we all secretly want to see. Harang is off to another great start for another Mets rival, and everyone is shocked all over again than the 36-year-old is locking up opposing lineups.
Sure, the veteran right-hander did tail off after his outstanding beginning to the 2014 campaign, but he still struck out seven batters per nine innings and finished with a 3.57 ERA. That's a back-end starter on a good team. None of the good teams wanted him, though, so the Phillies are enjoying another torrid start from Harang. He's got 29 strikeouts and just eight walks for a 2.35 ERA in 38.1 innings.
Date | Time | Television | Mets Probable Starter | Phillies Probable Starter |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 8, 2015 | 7:05 PM | SNY | Matt Harvey | Cole Hamels |
May 9, 2015 | 7:05 PM | PIX 11 | Jon Niese | Aaron Harang |
May 10, 2015 | 1:35 PM | SNY | Dillon Gee | Chad Billingsley |
Even if Hamels doesn't attract the kind of payload that the Phillies want for him, the team might still have a pitcher worth moving at the trade deadline.
Prediction: Mets win two of three.
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