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Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.
Teams: Mets vs. Diamondbacks
Date: Saturday, July 28, 2012 • 8:10 p.m
Location: Chase Field • Phoenix, AZ
Starters: RHP Chris Young (2-4, 3.91) vs. RHP Ian Kennedy (8-8, 4.20)
TV/Radio: SNY • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #101 • Road Game #49
Lineup
Ruben Tejada - SS
Jordany Valdespin - RF
David Wright - 3B
Ike Davis - 1B
Daniel Murphy - 2B
Jason Bay - LF
Kirk Nieuwenhuis - CF
Josh Thole - C
Chris Young - RHP
METS AT A GLANCE: The Mets lost 11-5 last night...It was New York’s seventh defeat in its last eight games and the club has dropped 13 of its last 15 contests...The Mets are 5-16 in July after posting winning months in April (13-10), May (15-13) and June (15-13)...The Mets are 2-12 since the All-Star break...New York is also 18-29 when they commit an error.
ON THE ROAD: The Mets are 1-1 on their season-high 11-game road trip...After this series, they will play four games in San Francisco and three in San Diego...New York has lost seven of its last nine road games and is 22-26 overall on the road this year...David Wright leads the majors with a .378 road batting average.
ROAD RUNS: The Mets have scored 243 runs on the road, tied for the second-most in the majors with the Yankees...Seattle is first with 258 ...The Mets are averaging 5.06 runs on the road which leads the majors.
SATURDAY: Daniel Murphy owns the second-best batting average (.411, 23-56) in the majors on Saturday (min. 50 at-bats) this year... Atlanta’s Michael Bourn is first (.417, 30-72)...New York is 10-6 on Saturday this year, including 4-3 on the road...The 10 wins are tied for the sixth-most in the majors.
HOME RUN COMBO: Ike Davis hit a solo home run last night and David Wright blasted a three-run shot...It was the third time this year and third time this month the duo has connected for a home run in the same game...Davis and Wright both went deep in a 9-3 win on July 19 at Washington and again on July 23 vs. Washington in an 8-2 loss in 10 innings.
HOME RUNS: New York has hit at least one home run in nine of its last 11 games dating back to July 17...The Mets are tied for fourth in the majors with 14 home runs during that span.
WRIGHT MILESTONES: Last night was David Wright’s 199th career home run...He is one home run shy of becoming the third player in franchise history to reach the 200-home run plateau, joining Darryl Strawberry (252) and Mike Piazza (220)...Wright is also five RBI away from 800 for his career.
PITCHING NOTES: New York allowed 11 runs last night...It was the fifth time this season the Mets have surrendered 11 or more runs, tied for the sixth-most in the majors this season...Jonathon Niese equaled his career-high permitting eight runs over 6.0 innings...It was the fourth time, he’s allowed eight runs in a game, last on May 18 earlier this year at Toronto ...Overall, Mets starters rank eighth in the majors with a 3.83 ERA...New York’s bullpen has allowed a run in 12 of the 14 games since the All-Star break (6.06 ERA)...Overall, New York’s bullpen has the worst ERA (5.14) in the majors...The pen has lost 21 games, tied for the second-most in the majors and has 16 blown saves, the third-most in the majors.
JORDANY VALDESPIN: Is one of nine major leaguers to start a game at five different positions (shortstop, second base, right field, center field and left field) this year...Valdespin is the first Mets rookie to do that in one season since Kevin Mitchell in 1986 started games at six different positions (left field, right field, center field, shortstop, third base and first base)...Info courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau.
ANDRES TORRES: Delivered an RBI single in the second inning last night and finished the game 1-3...Torres has hit in eight straight road games (13-27, .481) dating back to July 13...Torres went 0-14 on the Mets last homestand.
RISP: The Mets were 2-7 with runners in scoring position last night and over their last 12 games, the club is hitting .202 (19-94) with runners in scoring position...New York is hitting .266 with RISP on the season, ranking ninth in the majors...The Mets are hitting .277 with runners in scoring position and two outs, the second-highest average in the majors.
TWO OUTS: The Mets scored one, two-out run last night and have scored 201 two-out runs this season, the most in the majors...New York is hitting .267 with two outs, the fourth-highest average in the majors...New York’s pitching staff allowed five, two-out runs last night and has surrendered 187 runs with two outs, the third-most in the majors.
MIKE BAXTER: Went 1-4 with a single last night for Buffalo (AAA) of the International League at Louisville...He played nine innings in left field...Baxter is hitting .333 (15-45) with three doubles, seven RBI and four runs scored in 12 rehabilitation games...Baxter has been on the 15-Day Disabled List since June 2 with a displaced right collarbone and fractured rib cartilage.
FRANK FRANCISCO: Earned the save in Binghamton’s 2-1 win yesterday in game one of an Eastern League doubleheader vs. Portland...He worked 1.0 inning, allowed one hit, no runs, with no walks and no strikeouts ...Francisco threw 21 pitches, 16 strikes...In two rehabilitation games, he’s worked 1.2 innings, allowed four hits, one run, earned, with one walk and one strikeout...Francisco has been on the 15-Day Disabled List since June 23 with a left oblique strain.
LAST START: Took a no-decision in the Mets’ 8-2 loss on July 23 against Washington at Citi Field, extending his winless streak to four starts, but recorded his second straight quality start and his sixth in his last seven games...Pitched a season high-tying 7.0 innings and allowed a season low-tying two runs, earned, a season-low three hits, one home run, and a season high-tying three walks...Struck out a season-high seven and threw a season high-tying 106 pitches.
DOMINATING RIGHTIES: In his last six starts dating to June 23 against the Yankees, Young has held right-handed batters to a .153 (9-59) average, striking out 18 righties while walking only one...Right-handed batters went 0-9 with five strikeouts against Young in his last start against the Nationals on July 23 at Citi Field.
CHRIS YOUNG VS. CHRIS YOUNG: Chris Young, the Arizona outfielder, is 0-16 with eight strikeouts in his career against Chris Young, the New York right-hander.
RUN SUPPORT: Has received the least run support on average (2.33 runs per start) of the five Mets starters who have made at least six starts this season...The team has scored three or fewer runs in six of the last seven games Young has started and is 2-7 in Young’s nine starts.
THIRD TIME THROUGH: Opposing batters are hitting .314 (16-51) the third time they face Young in a game this season, .444 (8-18) in the seventh inning or later, and .462 (6-13) in late and close situations...For his career, Young has held opposing hitters to a .223 batting average when facing them for the third time in a game, but they have hit .254 against him in late and close situations.
PITCHING TO CONTACT: Young is averaging 5.4 strikeouts and 2.5 walks per nine innings this season, both down from his career averages of 7.7 strikeouts and 3.5 walks per nine innings...Opposing hitters are putting 21.3 percent of his pitches in play, up 4.1 percent from Young’s career average of 17.2 percent, and opposing hitters are batting .286 on balls in play, up 32 points from Young’s career average of .254...They are also swinging and missing 16.5 percent of the time, down 4.7 percent from Young’s career average of 21.2 percent...Opposing hitters are swinging at 30.4 percent of Young’s first pitches, up 2.0 percent from Young’s career average of 28.4 percent.
PITCHES PER INNING: Young’s career pitches per inning average of 16.9 (14,006 pitches/828.2 innings) is fifth-highest among active pitchers who have started a game since 2002 and have thrown at least 800.0 career innings...Young is averaging 15.5 pitches per inning (820 pitches/53.0 innings) this season.
FINISHING INNINGS: With two outs in an inning this season, opposing hitters are batting .197 (12-61) against Young, but hitters are batting .273 (18-66) against him with one out in an inning and .308 (24-78) against him with no outs in an inning.