Mets vs. Giants Preview: Game #104 — Matt Harvey vs. Tim Lincecum

Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.

Teams: Mets vs. Giants
Date: Tuesday, July 31, 2012 • 10:15 p.m
Location: AT&T Park • San Francisco, CA
Starters: RHP Matt Harvey (1-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Tim Lincecum (4-11, 5.88)
TV/Radio: SNY • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #104 • Road Game #52

Lineup

Jordany Valdespin – CF
Ruben Tejada – SS
Daniel Murphy – 2B
Ike Davis – 1B
Scott Hairston – LF
Mike Baxter – RF
Justin Turner – 3B
Josh Thole – C
Matt Harvey – RHP

METS AT A GLANCE: The Mets have won two games in row...New York improved to 2-5 in extra innings this year and 2-2 in extra frames on the road...New York is 7-17 in July after posting winning months in April (13-10), May (15-13) and June (15-13)...The Mets are 4-13 since the All-Star break...New York improved to 13-15 in one-run decisions and 5-8 on the road in such games.

ON THE ROAD: New York is 3-2 on its season-high 11-game road trip ...After this series, the Mets will travel to San Diego for three games ...The Mets have lost eight of their last 12 road games and are 24-27 overall on the road this year...David Wright is third in the majors with a .369 road batting average.

ROAD RUNS: The Mets have scored 259 runs on the road, the most in the majors...Seattle is second with 258...The Mets are averaging 5.08 runs per game on the road which leads the majors.

JULY: Daniel Murphy ranks fourth in the National League with a .376 batting average this month...David Wright is tied for third in the NL with 21 RBI in July and Ike Davis is tied for fourth in the majors with nine home runs this month.

COME-FROM-BEHIND: The Mets posted their 18th come back win of the year last night...New York won for the third time this year after trailing after seven innings.

VS. LINCECUM: Two-time Cy Young Award recipient Tim Lincecum is 4-1 with a 2.77 ERA (16 earned runs/52.0 innings) in eight career starts against the Mets...The Mets won the first three games Lincecum started against New York, but the Giants have won the last five meetings, dating back to May 9, 2010, including a meeting earlier this year at Citi Field on April 23.

SCOTT HAIRSTON: Equaled his career-high with two home runs last night...It was his sixth career multi-home run game and first since July 31, 2011 at Washington...Hairston’s two-run shot in the eighth inning tied the game at 4-4...He leads the team with four game-tying home runs...Hairston’s solo blast in the 10th put New York ahead for good...He has four go-ahead home runs, ranking third on the team...Hairston has eight home runs that have either tied the game or given the team a lead which is the most by a Met this year...Hairston has 14 home runs this season...His career-high is 17 home runs set in 2008 and matched in 2009.

LONG BALL: New York has hit at least one home run in 11 of its last 14 games dating back to July 17...The Mets are tied for third in the majors with 19 home runs during that span.

ANDRES TORRES: Went 2-3 last night...Torres has hit in 11 straight road games (18-36, .500) dating back to July 13...Torres went 0-14 on the Mets last homestand.

DAVID WRIGHT: Ranks third in the majors with a .421 on-base percentage, tied for sixth with a .330 batting average, tied for ninth with 71 RBI and sixth with 31 doubles...Wright is tied for sixth in the National League with 65 runs scored and is fourth with 59 walks.

TWO OUTS: The Mets scored four, two-out runs Monday and have scored 206 two-out runs this season, the most in the majors...New York is hitting .267 with two outs, the third-highest average in the majors ...New York’s pitching staff allowed two, two-out runs last night and has surrendered 192 runs with two outs, the third-most in the majors.

JOSH EDGIN: Earned his first major league victory last night tossing 0.2 scoreless innings...Edgin has not allowed a run in his last eight outings, spanning 7.1 innings...Overall, he has racked up 18 strikeouts in 10.0 innings of work...Lefties are 4-23 (.174) with 12 strikeouts.

RISP: The Mets were 3-8 with runners in scoring position last night and over their last 14 games, the club is hitting .208 (26-125) with runners in scoring position...New York is hitting .264 with RISP on the season, ranking 10th in the majors...The Mets are hitting .276 with runners in scoring position and two outs, the highest average in the majors.

MINOR NOTES: Mets 2011 first-round pick Brandon Nimmo has seven hits, five runs scored, three doubles, one home run and three RBI in his last two games for Brooklyn (A) of the NY-Penn League...Nimmo is hitting .252 (39-155) with 13 doubles, three home runs and 24 RBI in 41 games for the Cyclones this year.

FRANK FRANCISCO: Is expected to pitch tonight for Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern League vs. Harrisburg...Francisco threw 1.0 scoreless inning on Sunday for the BMets vs. Portland...He allowed one hit with no walks and no strikeouts...He threw 12 pitches, nine strikes... Francisco has tossed 2.2 innings, allowed five hits, one run, earned, with one walk and one strikeout in three rehabilitation games... Francisco has been on the 15-Day Disabled List since June 23 with a left oblique strain.

LAST START: Earned the win in his Major League debut in the Mets’ 3-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on July 26...Pitched 5.1 shutout innings, allowing three hits and three walks...Struck out 11.

MAJOR LEAGUE HISTORY: In his major league debut on July 26, Harvey became the first player in the modern era (since 1900) to record 10 or more strikeouts and have at least two hits in a game...Research courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau.

STRIKEOUTS: Harvey’s 11 strikeouts were the most in franchise history for a pitcher making his major league debut...The previous record of eight strikeouts was held by Tom Seaver, April 13, 1967 vs. Pittsburgh and Bill Denehy, April 16, 1967 at Philadelphia...His 11 strikeouts were tied for the eighth-most since 1900 for a pitcher making his major league debut.

THE REST OF THE STORY: Harvey is the fourth pitcher since 1960 to strike out 11 or more batters without allowing a run in his major league debut, joining Milwaukee's Steve Woodard (July 28, 1997), Cleveland's Luis Tiant (July 19, 1964) and San Francisco's Juan Marichal (July 19, 1960)...Information courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau.

ACTIVATED: Harvey was placed on the Mets’ taxi squad on July 23 and was activated to the 25-man roster on July 24...At the time of his promotion, ranked second in the International League with 112 strikeouts...Also tied for the Bisons lead in wins (seven) and had the second-best ERA (3.68) on the team among qualifying pitchers.

TEN STRIKEOUTS: Struck out double-digits in three starts for Buffalo this season...Fanned 10 in 6.0 innings on April 20 at Syracuse, then got a season-best 11 on May 18 vs. Gwinnett...Struck out another 10 vs. Pawtucket on June 14.

FIRST-ROUND METS: Harvey is the 10th pitcher chosen in the first round by the Mets to make a start for the team...He is the first since RHP Mike Pelfrey made his Mets debut on July 8, 2006...Including Harvey, eight of the the 10 are righties.