Mets vs. Rockies Preview: Game #124 — Matt Harvey vs. Jeff Francis

Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.

Teams: Mets vs. Rockies
Date: Wednesday, August 22, 2012 • 7:10 p.m
Location: Citi Field • Flushing, NY
Starters: LHP Jeff Francis (4-4, 6.07) vs. RHP Matt Harvey (2-3, 3.00)
TV/Radio: SNY • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #124 • Home Game #61

Lineup

Ruben Tejada - SS
Ronny Cedeno - 2B
David Wright - 3B
Scott Hairston - RF
Ike Davis - 1B
Jason Bay - LF
Andres Torres - CF
Kelly Shoppach - C
Matt Harvey - RHP

METS AT A GLANCE: New York is 2-6 in its last eight games and 5-12 over its last 17 contests...New York is 3-7 in its last 10 games...The Mets are 11-26 since the All-Star break (2-12 at home)...New York is 7-12 this month...The Mets have lost six straight home games to the Rockies dating back to 2011.

ROSTER MOVE: The Mets have placed right-handed pitcher Collin McHugh on the taxi squad today...He will wear uniform #36...McHugh was 2-4 with a 3.39 ERA (26 earned runs/69.0 innings) and 67 strikeouts in 12 starts with Buffalo (AAA) of the International League...He was named the IL Pitcher of the Week this week after tossing 7.0 scoreless innings at Fenway Park vs. Pawtucket on August 18...In addition, he was 5-5 with a 2.41 ERA (20 earned runs/74.2 innings) with 65 strikeouts in 12 starts with Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern League...McHugh was the Mets’ 18th-round pick in the 2008 First Year Player Draft.

AT HOME: The Mets are 28-32 at home this year...New York has lost 12 of its last 14 home games and have lost five home series in a row...The Mets last won a series at home on July 3-5, when they took two of three from Philadelphia...Daniel Murphy has the fifth-best home batting average (.340) in the National League.

RUNS AT HOME: The Mets have scored 40 runs in 14 home games since the All-Streak break, an average of 2.86 per game…They have been outscored 86-40 at Citi Field since the break...The opposition is averaging 6.14 runs per game at Citi Field since the All-Star break.

SCORE BY INNING: New York allowed four runs in the sixth inning last night...The Mets have surrendered four or more runs in an inning 31 times this year...The Mets have scored four or more runs in an inning 23 times in 2012...New York is 43-22 when they score four or more runs in a game this season.

IKE DAVIS: Is hitting .288 (17-59) this month with four doubles, two home runs and seven RBI...He has reached base safely in 15 of his 16 starts in August...Davis has hit in four straight games going 5-15 (.333) during that span.

DAVID WRIGHT: Ranks second in the majors with a .411 on-base percentage, fourth with 36 doubles and is eighth with a .320 batting average...Wright is 14th in the National League with 75 RBI and eighth with 74 runs scored...He is tied for fourth in the NL with 54 extra-base hits...Needs one home run for his 200th career blast...Will join Darryl Strawberry (252) and Mike Piazza (220) as the only players in franchise history to reach the 200-home run plateau.

RUBEN TEJADA: Went 2-4 last night...Tejada has eight multi-hit games this month and is hitting .304 (24-79) in August...Overall, Tejada has a .312 batting average as a shortstop, leading all major leaguers...Is second among shortstops with a .355 on-base percentage...Texas’ Elvin Andrus is first (.367).

HOME RUNS: New York has hit 29 home run since the All-Star break and has allowed 41 home runs since the break...The Mets have been out-homered 20-9 at home since the All-Star break...Overall, the Mets have hit 102 home runs, ranking 26th in the majors and have permitted 125, the 17th most in the majors.

SCOTT HAIRSTON: Nine of his 14 home runs this season have come off a lefthander...That total ranks is tied for the fifth-most in the NL...Hairston is hitting .333 (12-36) in August.

STARTERS/RELIEVERS: Mets starters rank ninth in the majors with a 3.89 ERA...New York’s bullpen has the worst ERA (5.00) in the majors.

HARVEY HISTORY: Matt Harvey has 34 strikeouts through his first five games with the Mets...According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only pitcher in franchise history with more is Dwight Gooden, who had 36 strikeouts in his first five games in 1984...In his last start on August 16 at Cincinnati, he held the Reds to 0-13 with a walk in two strike counts...It was the third time in Harvey’s five starts, he’s held opponents to 0-10 or worse in such situations...Courtesy of ESPN Research.

GO WEST: Matt Harvey is set to make his sixth major league start and including tonight, four have come against National League West opponents...Harvey made his major league debut July 26 at Arizona, and had starts on July 31 at San Francisco and August 5 at San Diego.

RISP: The Mets went 1-5 with runners in scoring position last night and are 24-131 (.183) with RISP since August 1...The Mets are hitting .256 with RISP on the season, ranking 11th in the majors...The Mets are hitting .277 with runners in scoring position and two outs, the highest average in the majors.

TWO-OUTS: The Mets have scored 30 of their last 53 runs with two outs (57 percent)...New York is tied for the major league lead with Atlanta with 237 two-out runs...New York is hitting .266 with two outs, the third-highest average in the majors...New York’s pitching staff has permitted 217 runs with two outs, the sixth-most in the majors.

KIDS GO FREE TOMORROW: Up to three children 12 and under will get free admission with the purchase of regularly priced tickets to tomorrow’s 1:10 p.m. game vs. Colorado...The Kids Go Free ticket offer is available via phone at (718) 507-TIXX and in person at the Citi Field Box Office...Fans buying one adult ticket will get up to three complimentary kids tickets...For the ticket offer available online at Mets.com/KidsFree, fans may purchase a Family Four Pack that includes four tickets for the price of two...All tickets must be picked up at Citi Field the day of the game and children must be present...For more information, contact the Mets Ticket Office at (718) 507-TIXX.

VETERANS LUNCHEON: The Mets Alumni Association Presented by Citi and Citi teamed up today to honor and thank U.S. veterans, military families and survivors at a luncheon and panel discussion in the Caesars Club at Citi Field that focused on veterans issues...General Manager Sandy Alderson and Hall of Famer Tom Seaver were joined on the panel by Mets alumni Ed Charles, Bud Harrelson, and Ed Kranepool.

GABRIELLE DOUGLAS: Gabrielle Douglas, who won the all-around individual women’s gold medal in gymnastics at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and was part of team USA’s second-ever team gold medal, will be the featured speaker at the final Citi Field Kids event of the season and share her inspiring story of success with kids from the YMCA...Douglas will also throw out the ceremonial first pitch tomorrow and will be available to the media in the Press Conference Room at 11:30 a.m.

LAST START: Snapped a season-high three-start losing streak to earn his second career win in the Mets’ 8-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on August 16 at Great American Ballpark...Pitched a season-high 7.2 innings, allowing one run, earned, and four hits...Walked one and struck out eight...Harvey has struck out at least seven in three of his five starts this season.

RUN SUPPORT: In his five starts this season, Harvey has received 12 runs of support (2.40 RS/start)...The only Mets starting pitcher to receive less run support per start is Miguel Batista (1.20 RS/start)...Received three runs of support in his last three starts from July 31 to August 10, before receiving six runs of support in his last start at Cincinnati.

ROOKIE STRIKEOUTS: His 18 strikeouts set a franchise record for most strikeouts by a pitcher after his first two major league games...According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only three other active pitchers struck out at least 18 batters in their first two major league games: Stephen Strasburg (22), Tim Hudson (19) and Johnny Cueto (18).

MAJOR LEAGUE HISTORY: Made major league history on July 25 by becoming the first player in the modern era (since 1900) to throw 10 or more strikeouts and have at least two hits in his major league debut...Research courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau.

METS HISTORY: Harvey’s 34 strikeouts through his first five career games ranks second in Mets history for the most strikeouts through a player’s first five games...Dwight Gooden’s 36 K’s is the franchise mark.

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.

MORE HARVEY: Walked one in his last start after issuing a season-high five base-on-balls in start vs. Atlanta on August 10, and has issued 13 base-on-balls through the first five starts of his career...Has allowed two earned runs or less in four of his five starts.

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, the 23-year old 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 fanned 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.

2012 ALL-STAR: Named MiLB.com Top Star honors in the 2012 Triple-AAll-Star Game on July 11...Threw two hitless innings, striking out two.

STRONG STRETCH: From April 20-June 3, went 5-0 with a 2.68 ERA and 52 strikeouts in nine starts.

2011 HIGHLIGHTS: In his first professional season, finished with a combined 13-5 record and a 3.32 ERA (50 earned runs/135.2 innings) in 26 starts with St. Lucie (A) of the Florida State League and Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern League...Was 8-2 with a 2.37 ERA in 14 starts for St. Lucie and 5-3 with a 4.53 ERA in 12 games for Binghamton.