Mets vs. Padres Preview: Game #108 — Jeremy Hefner vs. Edinson Volquez

Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.

Teams: Mets vs. Padres
Date: Saturday, August 4, 2012 • 8:35 p.m
Location: PETCO Park • San Diego, CA
Starters: RHP Jeremy Hefner (1-4, 5.52) vs. RHP Edinson Volquez (7-7, 3.51)
TV/Radio: SNY • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #108 • Road Game #56

METS AT A GLANCE: The Mets had their two-game winning streak snapped with last night’s 3-1 loss...New York has won four of its last six games after losing 14 of their previous 16 contests...New York is 5-5 in its last 10 games...The Mets are 6-15 since the All-Star break...The Mets fell to 11-7 in two-run decisions, including 4-6 on the road.

ON THE ROAD: New York is 5-4 on its season-high 11-game road trip ...The Mets are 26-29 overall on the road this year...David Wright is second in the majors with a .365 road batting average...The Mets have scored 272 runs on the road, the second-most in the majors...Los Angeles (AL) is first with 283...The Mets are averaging 4.95 runs per game on the road which is second in the majors...New York has allowed 270 runs away from Citi Field, tied for the fourth-most in the majors...The Mets have yielded 4.91 runs per game on the road, the fifth-most in the majors.

SCORING EARLY: New York has scored nine first-inning runs during the first nine games of the road trip...The Mets have plated the first run of the game seven times during this road trip...The Mets are 37-18 when they score first.

SATURDAY: Daniel Murphy has the fourth-best batting average (.400, 24-60) in the majors on Saturdays (min. 60 at-bats) this year...The Mets are 10-7 on Saturdays this year, including 4-4 on the road...The 10 victories are tied for the ninth-most in the majors.

RUBEN TEJADA: Went 2-4 last night to extend his hitting streak to nine games, one shy of his career-high...Tejada had a 10-game hitting streak June 12-27, 2010...Tejada is batting .366 (15-41) during this current stretch...The Mets shortstop is hitting .329 (50-152) with a .364 on-base percentage since he returned from the Disabled List on June 24.

ANDRES TORRES: Has hit in 13 straight road games dating back to July 13...Torres is batting .455 (20-44) during this stretch.

SCOTT HAIRSTON: Has hit in six straight starts, going 11-25 (.440) with seven runs scored, two doubles, two home runs and seven RBI...Since the All-Star break, Hairston is hitting .333 (19-57) with 11 runs scored, six doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI in 19 games.

DAVID WRIGHT: Ranks third in the majors with a .424 on-base percentage, sixth with a .331 batting average and tied for 11th with 72 RBI...Wright is eighth in the National League with 67 runs scored and is third with 63 walks...Wright is one home run shy of becoming the third player in franchise history to reach the 200 home run plateau... Darryl Strawberry (252) and Mike Piazza (220) are the others...Wright is also three RBI shy of 800 for his career.

RONNY CEDENO: Has at least one RBI in each of his last five starts (10 total RBI) dating back to July 21...Cedeno’s last nine RBI dating back to July 24 have all come with two outs...After tying his career-high with five RBI on Thursday at San Francisco, Cedeno had one RBI last night...In addition, Cedeno has at least one RBI in six of his last seven starts.

IN THE FIELD: Dating back to July 3, the Mets have made 13 errors, the 10th-fewest in the majors...New York has a .987 fielding percentage, the 10th-best fielding mark over that period...New York is 9-18 during that span...The Mets have grounded into 12 double plays in their last six games...Overall, New York has hit into 79 double plays, the sixth-most in the majors...The Mets have turned 80 double plays, ranking 13th in the NL.

ON THE MOUND: Over the team’s last six games, the pitching staff has posted a 2.21 ERA (13 earned runs/53.1 innings)...The Mets have surrendered five or fewer hits in five of their last six games while walking 23 and striking out 47...Overall, Mets starters rank eighth in the majors with a 3.79 ERA...The bullpen has not allowed a run in five of its last seven games posting an ERA of a 1.56 (three earned runs/17.1 innings) during these seven contests...Overall, New York’s bullpen has the second-worst ERA (4.93) in the majors...The pen has lost 21 games, the third-most in the majors and has 17 blown saves, the third-most in the majors.

JEREMY HEFNER: Was drafted in the 10th round of the 2007 First Year Player Draft by the Padres...Three of his five starts this season have been quality starts.

R.A. DICKEY: Notched nine strikeouts last night...Dickey leads the majors with 156 strikeouts...The last Mets pitcher to lead the league in strikeouts was David Cone in 1991 with 241.

JON RAUCH: Tossed a scoreless inning last night...Rauch has allowed one run over his last 10.1 innings (0.87 ERA), spanning 14 games dating back to June 28.

DOUBLES: New York ranks second in the majors in doubles with 209...Boston is first (232)...Daniel Murphy and David Wright are tied for fourth in the majors with 32 doubles.

TWO-OUTS: The Mets scored one, two-out run last night and have scored nine of their last 10 runs with two outs...New York leads the majors with 216 two-out runs this year...New York is hitting .267 with two outs, the third-highest average in the majors...New York’s pitching staff has surrendered 194 runs with two outs, the fourth-most in the majors.

RISP: The Mets were 1-8 with runners in scoring position last night... New York is hitting .263 with RISP on the season, ranking 11th in the majors...New York is hitting .285 (147-515) on the road with RISP...The Mets are hitting .278 with runners in scoring position and two outs, the highest average in the majors.

LOB: New York stranded six runners on base last night and overall have left 753 runners on base, the fourth-most in the National League.

JOHAN SANTANA: Will make a rehabilitation start tomorrow for Brooklyn (A) of the New-York Penn League vs. Auburn at MCU Park at 5 p.m...He is expected to pitch 3.0 innings...Santana was placed on the 15-Day Disabled List on July 21 with a sprained right ankle...Santana is 6-7 with a 3.98 ERA (49 earned runs/110.2 innings) in 19 starts, including the franchise’s first no-hitter on June 1 vs. St. Louis.

TIM BYRDAK: Was placed on the 15-Day Disabled List yesterday, retroactive to August 2, with a sore left shoulder.

LAST START: Recorded a no-decision in the Mets’ 8-7 extra inning win over the Giants on July 30 in San Francisco...Pitched 5.2 innings, allowing four runs, earned, and a career-high 10 hits...Walked a career-high three and struck out five.

LENDING A HELPING HAND: Since taking Johan Santana’s place in the Mets’ rotation after the southpaw was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained ankle on July 21, Hefner has gone 0-1 with a 4.63 ERA (six earned runs/11.2 innings pitched) in two starts...The 26- year old rookie has struck out 12 over the stretch, marking his highest career strikeout total in consecutive starts.

HITS: The 10 hits that Hefner surrendered in his last start at San Francisco were a career-high...His previous high mark occurred on May 24 vs. San Diego when he was allowed nine hits in his major league debut at Citi Field.

CAREER AS A STARTER: Hefner has made five career starts, all coming in 2012...In those five starts, the 26-year old rookie has posted a 1-3 record with a 5.93 ERA (18 earned runs/27.1 innings pitched)...Hefner has struck out 22 while issuing just six walks.

CONTROL: Hefner has walked nine in 44.0 major league innings this season, including only six walks in four starts... Has a K//BB of 3.33 and a BB/9 of 1.9.

LONGEST RELIEF OUTING: Hefner’s relief appearance on May 19 at Toronto (5.0 innings) was the longest by a Mets pitcher since Raul Valdez went 5.0 innings on May 20, 2010 at Washington.

STRUGGLES WITH RUNNERS ON: Opponents are hitting .329 (28-85) when runners are on base...Furthermore, opponents are hitting .292 (14-48) with four doubles, one home run, and 20 RBI with runners in scoring position, and .292 (7-24) in such situations with two outs...Hitters are batting .277 (28-101) when he pitches with the bases empty.

FIRST HOME RUN AND WIN: According to Stats LLC, Hefner became the first pitcher to hit his first career home run in his first career win since Dennis Tankersley accomplished the feat while with San Diego in 2002.

LAST MINOR LEAGUE START: In his last minor league start for Buffalo (AAA) before being recalled by the Mets on July 21, Hefner picked up his fifth win of the season, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing one run, earned, six hits, and one walk...Struck out four in the 92-pitch outing.

2012 MINOR LEAGUE STARTS: In nine minor league starts for Buffalo (AAA) of the International League, Hefner was 5-2 with a 2.77 ERA (19 earned runs/61.2 innings pitched)...Pitched at least 7.0 innings in six of those nine starts, and pitched into the eighth in two of them...Had six quality starts while pitching for Buffalo.

MINOR LEAGUE CAREER TOTALS: In 141 career games, 129 starts, Hefner is 51-36 with a 3.75 ERA (313 earned runs/750.1 innings pitched)...Won a career-high 14 games in 2009 while pitching for Lake Elsinore (A+) of the California League and Portland (AAA) of the  Pacific Coast League.