Mets vs. Rockies Preview And Lineups: Game #125 — Collin McHugh vs. Tyler Chatwood

Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.

Teams: Mets vs. Rockies
Date: Thursday, August 23, 2012 • 1:10 p.m
Location: Citi Field • Flushing, NY
Starters: RHP Tyler Chatwood (3-3, 5.46) vs. RHP Collin McHugh (ML Debut)
TV/Radio: SNY • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #125 • Home Game #62

Lineup

Jordany Valdespin – CF
Daniel Murphy – 2B
David Wright – 3B
Ike Davis – 1B
Scott Hairston – LF
Mike Baxter – RF
Ruben Tejada – SS
Josh Thole – C
Collin McHugh - RHP

METS AT A GLANCE: New York is 2-7 in its last nine games and 5-13 over its last 18 contests...The Mets are 11-27 since the All-Star break (2-13 at home)...New York is 7-13 this month...The Mets have lost seven straight home games to the Rockies dating back to 2011.

COLLIN McHUGH: Will make his major league debut today...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.

10 GAMES UNDER .500: After last night’s loss, the Mets are 57-67 ...The last time the club was 10 or more games under .500 was the final game of the 2009 season (70-92).

AT HOME: The Mets are 28-33 at home this year...New York has lost 13 of its last 15 home games and have lost six 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 sixth-best home batting average (.336) in the National League.

TWO RUNS OR LESS: The Mets have scored two or fewer runs in each of their last five games...The last time the Mets have been held to two or fewer runs in five straight games was September 15-19, 2003...New York has been held to two runs or less in 12 of their 20 games this month.

THURSDAY: New York is 12-1 on Thursdays this season...The Mets are 5-1 at home on Thursdays and 7-0 on the road.

DAY BASEBALL: Daniel Murphy (.358) and David Wright (.348) own the top two batting averages in the National League during day games ...New York is 25-19 in day games this season, including 13-9 at home...The 25 victories are tied for the fifth-most in the majors.

SERIES NOTES: The Mets are now 1-10-1 in 12 series in the second half...New York’s series win during that span was taking three of four from the Giants at San Francisco (July 30-August 2)...The Mets are 0-5 in home series in the second half and 0-6 since their last home series victory (two of three from Philadelphia, July 3-5).

VS. COLORADO: The Mets have dropped the first three games of this series...The Rockies swept New York in a four-game series last year at Citi Field, April 11-14...The last time the Mets were swept in a four-game series at home was September 12-15, 2011 when the Nationals took four straight from the club...New York has been swept six times this season.

IKE DAVIS: Is hitting .290 (18-62) this month with four doubles, two home runs and eight RBI...He has reached base safely in 16 of his 17 starts in August...Davis has hit in five straight games going 6-18 (.333) during that span.

DAVID WRIGHT: Ranks second in the majors with a .412 on-base percentage, tied for fourth with 36 doubles and is eighth with a .318 batting average...Wright is 14th in the National League with 75 RBI and eighth with 74 runs scored...He is tied for sixth 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.

STARTERS/RELIEVERS: Mets starters rank ninth in the majors with a 3.88 ERA...New York’s bullpen has the worst ERA (5.06) in the majors ...The pen suffered its 24th loss of the season last night...The 24 losses are the third-most in the majors.

HARVEY HISTORY: Matt Harvey has 43 strikeouts through his first six major league games, the most in franchise history…Nolan Ryan had 42 strikeouts through his first six major league games…Harvey finished with nine strikeouts last night…He has seven or more strikeouts in four of his six starts.

HARVEY AT THE PLATE: Matt Harvey tied his career-high with two hits…He also had two hits in his major league debut on July 26 at Arizona…Harvey went 2-2 last night and is batting .455 (5-11) on the year.

MIKE BAXTER: Had a pinch-hit single in the ninth inning last night…Mike Baxter is 10-20 (.500) this season as a pinch-hitter... Baxter’s .500 batting average is the highest in the majors (min. 20 at-bats)...Baxter is batting .343 (12-35) over his last 10 games, dating back to August 9.

HOME RUNS: New York has hit 29 home runs since the All-Star break and has allowed 42 home runs since the break...The Mets have been out-homered 21-9 at home since the All-Star break...Overall, the Mets have hit 102 home runs, ranking 27th in the majors and have permitted 126, the 17th most in the majors.

RUBEN TEJADA: Went 1-4 last night...Tejada is hitting .301 (25-83) in August...Overall, Tejada has a .311 batting average as a shortstop, leading all major leaguers...Is second among shortstops with a .354 on-base percentage...Texas’ Elvis Andrus is first (.363).

RISP: The Mets went 1-6 with runners in scoring position last night and are 25-137 (.182) with RISP since August 1...The Mets are hitting .256 with RISP on the season, ranking 12th 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 31 of their last 55 runs with two outs (56 percent)...New York has scored 238 two-out runs, including one last night and is one behind the Braves, who lead the majors with 238 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 218 runs with two outs, the sixth-most in the majors.

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 today and will be available to the media in the Press Conference Room at 11:30 a.m.

LAST MINOR LEAGUE START: In his last minor league start for Buffalo (AAA) of the International League before being called up on August 22 to make his major league debut, McHugh earned his second win for the Bisons in their 2-0 victory on August 18 at Pawtucket...Threw a AAA season-high 7.0 shutout innings, allowing five hits...Walked none and struck out four.

2012 BUFFALO BISONS: McHugh made 12 starts for Buffalo (AAA) of the International League, going 2-4 with a 3.39 ERA (26 earned runs/69.0 innings pitched)...Struck out 67 batters, good for a 8.7 K/9...Held hitters to a .218 average.

2012 BINGHAMTON METS: In 12 starts for the Binghamton Mets (AA) of the Eastern League, from April 5 to June 13, McHugh was 5-5 with a 2.41 ERA (20 earned runs/74.2 innings pitched)...Struck out 65 in those 74.2 innings...Pitched at least 5.0 innings in all but one of his 12 starts for Binghamton...Recorded seven quality starts...Held opponents to a .228 batting average...Allowed more than three runs in only one start.

MORE BINGHAMTON: From May 3 to June 6, where he pitched at least 6.0 innings in all six starts...Went 2-2 with a 2.57 ERA (12 earned runs/42.0 innings pitched) during his run...Recorded 32 strikeouts and issued six walks during that span...Threw a season-high 8.0 innings vs. New Hampshire on May 28 in the B-Mets’ 6-2 win...Allowed two runs, earned, and five hits to secure his fifth win of the season.

2012 TOTALS: In 24 combined starts this season, McHugh went 7-9 with a 2.88 ERA (46 earned runs/143.2 innings pitched)...The 143.2 innings are a career-high, breaking his previous high of 132.1 innings, which he set in 2010 with the Savannah Sand Gnats (A) of the South Atlantic League...The 24 starts are also a career-high...Batters are hitting .223 (120-537) this season against McHugh.

SUCCESS VS. RIGHTIES: While pitching for Binghamton, McHugh held righties to a .205 average (35-171) with four home runs and 14 RBI...In the 12 starts he made for Buffalo, righties hit .206 (29-141) with two home runs and 16 RBI...Conversely, lefties hit .267 (28-105) while he was with Binghamton and .233 (28-120) while with Buffalo.

RUNNERS IN SCORING POSITION: In his 12 starts for the B-Mets, McHugh held hitters to a .196 (11-56) average with runners in scoring position, with only one extra-base hit...In Buffalo, batters hit .216 (11-51) with runners in scoring position...With two outs and runners in scoring position, batters hit .000 (0-20) against, at Binghamton and .159 (7-44) against, at Buffalo.

BERRY COLLEGE: With his promotion to Buffalo, McHugh became only the second player to come out of Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia to reach AAA...He is the first ever to reach the majors.

DRAFT: McHugh was drafted in the 18th round of the 2008 First-year Player Draft...He is the second player the Mets have drafted from Berry College...The other was Troy Fry, who was drafted in the 24th round of the 2003 draft...He joins Ike Davis (1st round), Kirk Nieuwenhuis (3rd round), Josh Satin (6th round), and Chris Schwinden (22nd round), as members of the Mets’ 2008 draft class to appear in the major leagues as a Met.

2011 MINORS: Went a combined 9-4 with a 3.84 ERA (55 earned runs/129.0 innings pitched) in 27 games, 22 starts, for St. Lucie (A) of the Florida State League and Binghamton...Was named Binghamton’s Pitcher of the Year.

MINORS CAREER: Prior to this season, McHugh had compiled a 24-14 record with 3.48 ERA (146 earned runs/377.1 innings pitched) over his four-year career...Struck out 388 batters in those 377.1 innings, good for a 9.25 K/9...Recorded a career-high 129 strikeouts in 2010 for Savannah.