Mets vs. Reds Preview: Game #116 — Chris Young vs. Mat Latos

Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.

Teams: Mets vs. Reds
Date: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 • 7:10 p.m
Location: Great American Ball Park • Cincinnati, OH
Starters: RHP Chris Young (3-6, 4.87) vs. RHP Mat Latos (10-3, 3.81)
TV/Radio: SNY • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #116 • Road Game #58

Lineup

Ruben Tejada – SS
Mike Baxter – RF
David Wright – 3B
Ike Davis – 1B
Daniel Murphy – 2B
Jordany Valdespin – LF
Andres Torres – CF
Josh Thole – C
Chris Young – RHP

METS AT A GLANCE: The Mets snapped their two-game losing streak with a 6-5 win on Sunday vs. Atlanta...New York is 4-6 in its last 10 games...The Mets are 9-20 since the All-Star break...The Mets are 1-7-1 in nine series in the second half.

ON THE ROAD: The Mets are 3-3-2 on road trips in 2012 after going 6-4-3 on road trips last year...The Mets are 27-30 overall on the road this year...David Wright is third in the majors with a .352 road batting average...New York is 15-22 in the first game of a series, including 7- 11 on the road.

ROAD RUNS: The Mets are averaging 4.97 runs per game on the road which is the third-most in the majors...The Angels are first (5.12) and the Giants are second (5.10)...The Mets have yielded 4.89 runs per game on the road, the fifth-most in the majors.

LEADING AFTER ONE: The Mets improved to 26-2 when they lead after the first inning…The Mets took a 2-0 lead into the second inning on Sunday…In comparison, the Mets are 7-22 if they trail after one.

CLOSE CALLS: New York is 26-23 in games decided by two runs or fewer.

MILESTONE NOTE: David Wright collected his 800th career RBI on Sunday in the first inning with an RBI double...Wright already owns the franchise record for RBI...Darryl Strawberry is second with 733 RBI...Wright is also one home run from becoming the third player in franchise history to reach the 200 home run plateau...Darryl Strawberry (252) and Mike Piazza (220) are the others.

DAVID WRIGHT: Ranks third in the majors with a .417 on-base percentage and is sixth with a .325 batting average...Wright is tied for eighth in the National League with 75 RBI and is ninth with 70 runs scored...He is second in the NL with 53 extra-base hits and fifth with a .326 batting average against right-handers.

DOUBLE HIS PLEASURE: Wright had two doubles on Sunday vs. Atlanta...It was Wright’s 35th career multi-double game, extending his franchise record...Wright has 35 doubles on the year, the fifth most in the majors...Wright’s career-high is 42 doubles, which he accomplished three times (2005, 2007, 2008)...Bernard Gilkey holds the single-season franchise record with 44 doubles in 1996.

DANIEL MURPHY: Is tied for the seventh-highest batting average (.350, 50-143) in the majors since June 27 (min. 137 plate appearances) ...He is tied for the most doubles (15) during that span...Murphy has scored 19 runs, collected two triples, four home runs and has 21 in these 39 games during that span...Overall, Murphy is ninth in the majors with 33 doubles...His career-high was 38 doubles in 2010.

RUBEN TEJADA: Has collected at least one hit in 16 of his last 17 games...Tejada is batting .347 (26-75) over these 17 games, which dates back to July 26...He has nine multi-hit games during this stretch... Overall, Tejada’s .321 batting average is the highest among all major league shortstops (min. 290 at-bats) and his .366 on-base percentage is the second-highest among all major league shortstops, trailing Texas’ Elvis Andrus (.369).

ANDRES TORRES: Has two triples in his last four games and is tied for 10th in the NL with five triples...Torres is hitting .301 (28-93) with a .393 on-base percentage since July 1.

STARTERS/RELIEVERS: Mets starters rank eighth in the majors with a 3.92 ERA...New York’s bullpen has the worst ERA (4.99) in the majors.

JON RAUCH: Recorded the final out on Sunday for his second save of the season and the 60th of his career...Rauch has allowed one run over his last 18 appearances, spanning 13.0 innings (0.69 ERA) dating back to June 28...Rauch has yielded five hits, issued two walks and notched seven strikeouts during that stretch.

DOUBLES: The Mets are fourth in the majors with 221 doubles...New York has at least one double in 16 of its last 18 games and multiple doubles in 11 of those games.

RISP: The Mets went 4-6 with runners in scoring position on Sunday and are 16-67 (.238) over their last nine games...The Mets are hitting .262 with RISP on the season, ranking 10th in the majors...The Mets are hitting .279 with runners in scoring position and two outs, the highest average in the majors.

TWO-OUTS: The Mets have scored 21 of their last 33 runs with two outs...New York leads the majors with 228 two-out runs this year...New York is hitting .268 with two outs, the third-highest average in the majors ...New York’s pitching staff has surrendered 211 runs with two outs, the fourth-most in the majors.

EL PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Binghamton LHP Mark Cohoon was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 6-12...Cohoon tossed a complete-game, two-hit shutout at Harrisburg on August 10...He issued one walk and notched 10 strikeouts ...Cohoon is 7-9 with a 4.14 ERA (59 earned runs/128.1 innings) in 21 minor league starts this season.

NYPL LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Brooklyn RHP Hansel Robles was named the New York-Penn League Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 6-12...Robles had a perfect game for 7.2 innings on August 10 vs. Vermont before surrendering a single...He notched seven strikeouts...Robles is 3-1 with a 1.48 ERA (nine earned runs/54.2 innings) with 51 strikeouts in nine starts with the Cyclones.

SOCCER AT CITI: The Ecuadorian national soccer team will play Chile tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. at Citi Field...Tickets start at $30 and are available at Tickets.com or by calling (718) 507-TIXX...Queens County has the largest population of Ecuadorians of any county in the United States with more than 100,000 residents, while the New York City/ Northern New Jersey/Long Island region boasts the largest Chilean population in the country with more than 20,000 residents.

BLOOD DRIVE: This Saturday, the Mets are teaming up with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive at Citi Field from 9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. in the Caesars Club...All donors will receive a complimentary pair of tickets to the September 17 Mets-Phillies game.

LAST START: Lost his sixth game of the season in the Mets’ 13-0 defeat against the Miami Marlins on August 8 at Citi Field...Pitched 4.1 innings and allowed a season-high seven runs, earned, seven hits, a season-high three home runs, and a season high-tying three walks...Struck out four...Fell to 0-3 in his five home starts this season...Failed to record a quality start for the second time in three starts...Did not pitch into the fifth inning for the third time in six starts.

EXTRA REST: When pitching on five or more days rest this season, Young is 1-3 with a 6.39 ERA (22 earned runs/31.0 innings)...When pitching on four days rest this season, Young is 2-3 with a 3.62 ERA (15 earned runs/37.1 innings)...For his career, Young is 27-21 with a 3.78 ERA (177 earned runs/421.0 innings pitched) when pitching on four days rest and 25-19 with a 3.91 ERA (182 earned runs/423.0 innings pitched) when pitching on five or more days rest...Young is making tonight’s start on five days rest.

POST-ALL-STAR: Since the All-Star break, Young is 1-4 with a 6.61 ERA (23 earned runs/31.1 innings). For his career, Young is 16-16 with a 4.41 ERA (163 earned runs/332.2 innings pitched) after the All-Star break, but is 36-24 with a 3.45 ERA (196 earned runs/511.1 innings pitched) before the All-Star break.

RUN SUPPORT: Has received the least run support on average (2.67 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 eight of the last 10 games Young has started...The Mets are 3-9 in Young’s 12 starts this season.

LEFTY/RIGHTY: In his last nine starts dating to June 23 against the Yankees, Young has held right-handed batters to a .191 (17-89) average and a .215 on-base percentage, striking out 23 while walking only three...Over the same period, left-handed batters are hitting .304 (31-102) against him with a .383 on-base percentage, 11 strikeouts, and 12 walks.

NIGHTTIME PITCHING: This year, Young is 2-4 with a 5.89 ERA (31 earned runs/47.1 innings pitched) at night and 1-2 with a 2.57 ERA (six earned runs/21.0 innings pitched) during the day...For his career, Young is 37-34 with a 4.15 ERA (281 earned runs/609.2 innings pitched) as a nighttime starter and 15-6 with a 3.00 ERA (78 earned runs/234.1 innings pitched) as a daytime starter.

THIRD TIME THROUGH: Opposing batters are hitting .328 (21-64) the third time they face Young in a game this season, .381 (8-21) 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 5.5 strikeouts and 2.6 walks per nine innings this season, both down from his career averages of 7.6 strikeouts and 3.5 walks per nine innings...Opposing hitters are putting 21.3 percent of his pitches in play, up 4.0 percent from Young’s career average of 17.3 percent, and opposing hitters are batting .287 on balls in play, up 32 points from Young’s career average of .255...They are also swinging and missing 16.9 percent of the time, down 4.2 percent from Young’s career average of 21.1 percent...Opposing hitters are swinging at 30.2 percent of Young’s first pitches, up 1.8 percent from Young’s career average of 28.4 percent.

PITCHES PER INNING: Young’s career pitches per inning average of 16.9 (14,258 pitches/844.0 innings) is fifth-highest among active pitchers who have started at least 80 games and thrown at least 800.0 career innings...Young is averaging 15.7 pitches per inning (1072 pitches/68.1 innings) this season.

FINISHING INNINGS: With two outs in an inning this season, opposing hitters are batting .232 (19-82) against Young, but hitters are batting .271 (23-85) against him with one out in an inning and .303 (30-99) against him with no outs.

GROUND BALL/FLY BALL RATIO: Among pitchers who began their careers after the stat began to be kept in 1987 and have made at least 25 starts, Young has the lowest ground ball/fly ball ratio at 0.54 (672 ground balls/1237 fly balls)...This season, Young has a ground ball/fly ball ratio of 0.44 (56 ground balls/127 fly balls), which is lowest among pitchers with at least three starts and 20.0 innings...For his career, Young has gotten 34 ground-ball double plays in 524 possible situations (6.5%)...The 34 total GIDP and 6.5% are both fewest in the majors among active pitchers with at least 100 career starts.

STOLEN BASE PERCENTAGE: Since 1974, no pitcher with at least 40 career starts has had bases stolen against him at a higher rate than Young...Base stealers have been successful against Young on 90.5 percent of their attempts (152 steals on 168 attempts)...This season, base stealers have been successful on 81.8 percent (9-11) of their attempts against Young.

OPPONENT BATTING AVERAGE: Ranks second behind the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw among active pitchers who have made at least 50 career starts with an opponent batting average of .223...Kershaw is first at .216...Young’s opponent batting average this season is .271, which for him would be a career-high for a season.

LAST WIN VS. CINCINNATI: Young has never defeated Cincinnati.

LAST LOSS VS. CINCINNATI: Lost, 3-1, on June 17 of this season at Citi Field...Pitched a season high-tying 7.0 innings and allowed three runs, two earned, a season high-tying nine hits, and two walks...Struck out two.

CAREER VS. CINCINNATI: In three career games, all starts, Young is 0- 1 with a 3.18 ERA (six earned runs/17.0 innings pitched) vs. Cincinnati.

KEY MATCHUPS:

• Wilson Valdez - .364 (4-11, 2B, 2 RBI, K)
• Brandon Phillips - .125 (1-8, RBI, BB)
• Jay Bruce - .167 (1-6, RBI, K)