Mets vs. Dodgers Preview: Game #95 — Jonathon Niese vs. Nathan Eovaldi

Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.

Teams: Mets vs. Dodgers
Date: Sunday, July 22, 2012 • 1:10 p.m
Location: Citi Field • Flushing, NY.
Starters: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (1-6, 4.33) vs. LHP Jonathon Niese (7-4, 3.58)
TV/Radio: PIX11 • TBS • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #95 • Home Game #49

Starting Lineup

Ruben Tejada – SS
Jordany Valdespin – LF
David Wright – 3B
Ike Davis – 1B
Daniel Murphy – 2B
Lucas Duda – RF
Kirk Nieuwenhuis – CF
Josh Thole – C
Jonathon Niese – LHP

METS AT A GLANCE: The Mets have lost eight of their last nine games...New York is 2-8 in its last 10 contests...The Mets are 14-33 when the opposition scores first...New York is 4-11 in July. .500: The Mets are .500 for the first time since they were 13-13 after the game on May 4...New York has not been below .500 at any point this year.

ROSTER MOVES: RHP Elvin Ramirez will be recalled from Buffalo (AAA) of the International League prior to today’s game...Ramirez will wear uniform #62 and will be available for today’s game....Ramirez was with the Mets earlier this season from June 1-22, going 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA (seven earned runs/7.0 innings) in five games...Ramirez is 3-1 with two saves and a 1.99 ERA (nine earned runs/40.2 innings) in 29 minor league games this year...He has racked up 43 strikeouts and allowed 26 hits and 21 walks in 40.2 innings...to make room for Ramirez, Miguel Batista has been designated for assignment.

AT HOME: The Mets are 26-23 at home this year...New York has lost four of its last five home games...Daniel Murphy ranks fifth in the National League with a .358 batting average at home.

DAY BASEBALL: The Mets are 22-15 during day games this year...The 22 wins are tied for the fourth-most in the majors...The Reds and Giants are second with 23 wins and the Tigers are first with 27 victories ...New York is 12-7 at home during the day...David Wright is second in the National League with a .357 batting average during the day while Daniel Murphy is third in the NL with a .356 mark in day action.

SERIES NOTES: After dropping the first two games of this series vs. the Dodgers, the Mets have now lost four straight series...New York is 7-7-2 in home series and 13-16-2 overall in series...The last time the Mets were swept by the Dodgers in a three-game series was May 18-20, 2009...The last time Los Angeles swept a three-game series in New York from the Mets was August 16-18, 2002...The Mets have been swept four times this year (at Houston, at Yankees, vs. Cincinnati and at Atlanta).

RUNS: The Mets rank fourth in the National League with 434 runs scored...New York is fifth in the NL with a .261 team batting average.

LAST START: Received a no-decision when the Mets fell to the Nationals, 5-4, at Nationals Park on July 17...Pitched 7.0 innings and allowed one run, earned, three hits, and zero walks...Struck out eight and threw 70 of 89 total pitches.

NORMAL REST: Niese will pitch on regular rest today against the Dodgers...In six starts on four days of rest this season, Niese is 2-3 with a 7.16 ERA (26 earned runs/32.2 innings) ...Conversely, in 12 starts with extra rest this season (five days or more), he is 5-1 with a 2.08 ERA (18 earned runs/78.0 innings pitched).

WALKS: Has not walked a batter in his last 17.0 innings, a career-long streak that dates to the fifth inning on June 3, three starts ago...Has allowed seven walks in his last eight starts, a span of 55.1 innings pitched, dating to June 3...The seven walks tie him for the fifth-fewest in the majors (3rd in NL) since that date...Has walked more than one once in those eight starts...Prior to this stretch, Niese had allowed 18 base-on-balls over a six-start stretch (29.2 innings pitched) from May 1 to May 28.

INNINGS PITCHED: Since June 10, Niese has pitched 49.1 innings, spanning seven starts, good for 10th-most in the NL...Has thrown at least 7.0 innings in six of his last seven starts.

RECENT SUCCESS: In his previous 10 starts dating to May 23, Niese is 5-2 with a 2.78 ERA (21 earned runs/68.0 innings pitched)...Has a 7.94 K/9 mark and seven quality starts over that stretch... Has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 13 of his 18 starts this season...Finished the month of June with a 1.89 ERA (seven earned runs/33.1 innings pitched).

SUCCESS VS. LEFTIES: Niese has held lefthanded hitters to a .230 batting average (17-74) this season, and has allowed one home run and four walks this season...Conversely, Niese has allowed 15 home runs and 28 walks to righthanders...Niese held lefties to a .259 average and .357 slugging percentage during the 2011 season…Allowed only 10 extra-base hits (two home runs and eight doubles) to left-handed batters last season, which was tied for 10th-fewest in the National League.

RISP: Niese is holding the opposition to a .203 (15-74) batting average with runners in scoring position this season, including .171 (6-35) in such situations with two outs...Niese’s mark of .203 with RISP is 15th in the majors and 12th in the NL among active starters.

DAY/NIGHT SPLITS: In nine starts during the day this season, Niese is 4-1 with a 2.73 ERA (18 earned runs/59.1 innings)...In eight night starts, the lefthander is 3-3 with a 4.56 ERA (26 earned runs/51.1 innings)...Niese has allowed four of his 16 home runs this season during the day...For his career, Niese has compiled a 13-9 record with a 3.64 ERA (74 earned runs/183.0 innings pitched) during the day in 31 starts, compared to his 16-18 mark with a 4.56 ERA (151 earned runs/298.1 innings pitched) at night in 51 starts.