Mets vs. Nationals Preview, Lineups, And Broadcast Info: Game #142 — R.A. Dickey vs. Jordan Zimmermann

Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.

Teams: Mets vs. Nationals
Date: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 • 7:10 p.m
Location: Citi Field • Flushing, NY
Starters: RHP Jordan Zimmermann (10-8, 2.99) vs. RHP R.A. Dickey (18-4, 2.64)
TV/Radio: SNY • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #142 • Home Game #69

Lineup

Ruben Tejada – SS
Daniel Murphy – 2B
David Wright – 3B
Ike Davis – 1B
Mike Baxter – RF
Jason Bay – LF
Andres Torres – CF
Josh Thole – C
R.A. Dickey – RHP

METS AT A GLANCE: The Mets have lost four straight and dropped six of their last seven games...New York is 4-6 in its last 10 games...The Mets are 19-36 (4-19 at home) since the All-Star break.

AT HOME: The Mets are 30-39 at home this year...New York has lost 20 of its last 24 home games...The Mets have won one second-half series at home (August 24-26 vs. Houston)...New York is 1-6 in home series in the second half...Daniel Murphy has the seventh-best home batting average (.329) in the National League.

THREE RUNS OR LESS: The Mets have scored three runs or less in 11 consecutive home games, equaling the franchise record…The last time New York scored more than three runs at home was August 12 in a 6-5 win over Atlanta…The Mets also went 11 home games from September 11-22, 1979 and September 6, 1966-April 13, 1967 without scoring more than three runs...The Seattle Mariners were the last team to go 11 or more home games without scoring four or more runs when they went 16 straight home games in 2010.

R.A. DICKEY: Leads the National League with a 2.64 ERA and is tied for second in the majors with 18 wins, one behind Gio Gonzalez...Dickey is third in the NL and tied for sixth in the majors with 195 strikeouts...The last Mets pitcher with 200 or more strikeouts was Johan Santana in 2008 (206)...Dickey also leads the NL in complete games (five) and shutouts (three), the most by a Mets pitcher since David Cone had five in 1992...Dickey is second in the NL in innings pitched (just 1.2 innings) behind Clayton Kershaw...Dickey is second in the majors with a 1.0253 WHIP.

R.A. = CY: Dickey has a .818 (18-4) winning percentage...Sandy Koufax holds the major league record for the highest winning percentage (.792, 19-5) on a sub .500 team when the Dodgers were 80-82 in 1964...R.A. Dickey is the first Mets pitcher to reach 18 wins since Frank Viola (20-12) and Dwight Gooden (19-7) both accomplished the feat in 1990.

STRONG STARTS: Dickey has pitched 7.0 innings or more and allowed one or fewer runs 15 times this season...Dwight Gooden holds the franchise record with 18 such starts in 1985...Dickey’s total is the most in the National League this year and one behind Seattle’s Felix Hernandez for the major league lead...Bob Gibson’s 24 such starts in 1968 for St. Louis is the most in major league history since 1918.

HIT COUNTDOWN: David Wright collected one hit last night...He has 1,406 career hits, 12 shy of tying Ed Kranepool for the most in franchise history...Kranepool played in 1,853 games...Last night was Wright’s 1,242nd career contest...Three active players lead their current club’s all-time hit list...The Yankees’ Derek Jeter (3,279 hits), Colorado’s Todd Helton (2,420) and Texas’ Michael Young (2,202).

WRIGHT RANKINGS: David Wright is fifth in the majors with a .401 on-base percentage, tied for sixth with 38 doubles and is fifth in the National League with a .313 batting average...He ranks second in the NL with 76 walks...Wright leads the National League with 16 intentional walks...He ranks fifth in the NL with a .313 batting average vs. right-handers.

SCOTT HAIRSTON: Hit a solo home run in the fourth inning last night…It was his 10th home run off a left-hander this year and first since July 5…Hairston is tied for sixth in the National League with those 10 home runs off lefties…Hairston has 16 home runs this season, one shy of his career-high of 17 (2008 and 2009).

VS. WASHINGTON: With two contests remaining vs. the Nationals, the Mets have already lost 12 games to Washington, tied for the third-most in team history with the 1992 club...The 2003 Mets lost 14 times to the Montreal Expos and the 1979 team had 15 losses to the Expos.

RISP TALE OF TWO HALVES: The Mets went 0-5 with runners in scoring position yesterday and are hitting .203 (86-424) in such situations since the All-Star break…In the first half, the team hit .269 (199- 739) with RISP...Overall, the Mets are hitting .245 with RISP on the season, ranking 21st in the majors...The Mets are hitting .259 with runners in scoring position and two outs, the fourth-highest average in the majors, the club was hitting .285 with RISP and two outs in the first half.

TWO-OUT RUNS: The Mets have scored 67 two-out runs in 56 games (1.20 runs per game) in the second half this season after leading the majors with 187 two-out runs in the first half (86 games - 2.17 runs per game)...Overall, New York is tied for eighth in the majors with 254 twoout runs.

MINOR LEAGUE PLAYOFFS: The Brooklyn Cyclones were eliminated last night in the third and deciding game of the New York-Penn League semifinals, losing 2-0 to Hudson Valley...Brooklyn had only one hit...RHP Luis Cessa suffered the loss, allowing two runs over 6.0 innings.

FIRST RESPONDER HATS: The Mets will wear NYPD, FDNY, Court Officers, PAPD, OEM, Sanitation Department and Department of Corrections hats during batting practice and the National Anthem tonight in a tradition that started after the attacks of September 11...The hats will be autographed and auctioned off at Mets.com/gameused with proceeds distributed by the Mets Foundation to 9/11 related organizations...The auction will be live by Wednesday at 2 p.m. and run through Sunday, September 23 at 8 p.m.

FIRST PITCH: The Gies family will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to honor fallen FDNY hero Ronnie Gies, of Squad 228 in Maspeth, Queens, who lost his life on September 11 prior to tonight’s game... Carol, and her sons, Tommy, a fireman with Ladder 147 in Flatbush, Brooklyn; Ronnie, a fireman with Ladder 175 in East New York, Brooklyn; and Bobby, who recently took the test to become a fireman, will be on the mound for the first pitch.

COLOR GUARD: Representatives from the NYPD, FDNY, PAPD, EMS Court Officers, OEM and the Sanitation Department will present tonight’s colors.

NATIONAL ANTHEM: Juliette Candela representing Tuesday’s Children will sing tonight’s National Anthem.

GOD BLESS AMERICA: Will be performed tonight by Regina Wilson of the FDNY.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Frank Francisco turns 33 today

LAST START: Earned his 18th win of the season in the Mets’ 6-2 victory vs. St. Louis on September 5 at Busch Stadium…Pitched 6.2 innings, allowing two runs, earned, eight hits, and on e walk...Struck out five...Dickey’s 18 wins are the most by a Mets pitcher since Frank Viola won 20 and Dwight Gooden won 19 in 1990...Dickey now has a career-high 195 strikeouts, surpassing last year’s total of 134 in his July 24 start vs. Washington.

STRONG STARTS: Dickey has pitched at least 7.0 innings and allowed one run or less 15 times this season..The total is the most in the National League and one behind Felix Hernan dez (Sea) for the major league lead with 16...Dickey’s total is tied for third-most in club history with Jerry Koosman (1968) and Frank Viola (1990)...Only Dwight Gooden and Tom Seaver had higher single-season totals...Gooden holds the franchise record with 18 such starts in 1985...Bob Gibson (StL) had 24 such starts in 1968, the most in the majors since 1918.

SHUTOUTS: Dickey’s three shutouts this season are the most in a season by any Mets pitcher since David Cone hurled five shutouts in 1992...Dickey has five career shutouts, four with the Mets...The three shutouts rank tied for second in the majors and first in the NL this season...Fe lix Hernandez’s (Sea) five shutouts lead the majors.

RANKS: Dickey ranks in the top five in all three NL triple crown categ ories (W, ERA, K)...After his start on August 9 vs. Miami, he became the first pitcher in the NL to reach 15 wins th is season...Ranks second in the major leagues in wins with 18...Has struck out 195 in 198.0 innings this season, tied for sixth in the majors and third in the NL...Leads the NL and is second in the majors with a 2.6 4 ERA...Second in the the NL with a 1.03 WHIP...Also has six double-digit strikeout games this season, second to Yu Darvish (Tex) who has eight...Is tied for second in the NL with 18 starts of pitching at least 7.0 innings...Johnny Cueto (Cin) and Clayton Kershaw (LaD) lead the NL with 19 such starts...Felix Hernandez (Sea) lead the majors with 21 starts of at least 7.0 innings.

MORE RANKS: Has recorded 22 quality starts, tied for second in both th e majors and NL...Yovani Gallardo’s (Mil) 23 quality starts leads the majors...His K/BB ratio of 4.33 ran ks fifth in the majors and fourth in the NL...Has limited opposing right-handed batters to a .212 (82-387) batting average this season, good for eighth in the majors and fifth in the NL...Dickey has 12 starts in which he has struck out eight or more this season, tied for third in the majors...Max Scherzer (Det) lea ds the majors with 17 such starts.

COMPLETE GAMES:Tossed his National League-best fifth complete game of the season on August 31 at Miami…It was Dickey’s second complete-game against the Marlins this season (August 9)...Dickey’s five complete games are the most in a single season by a Mets pitc her since 1993, when Dwight Gooden tossed seven....Only Justin Verlander’s (Det) six complete games t his year top Dickey’s five.

DOUBLE-DIGIT STRIKEOUTS: Dickey has six double-digit strikeout games t his year, the most by a Mets pitcher since David Cone had eight in 1992...He had just one such start prior to this season...Has recorded back-to-back double-digit strikeout games twice this season. CaReeR-hIGh StRIKeOUtS: Dickey recorded 12 and 13 strikeouts in back-to-back sta rts at Tampa Bay on June 13 and again vs. Baltimore on June 18, respectively, setting a new caree r-high each time...He first set his career-high striking out 11 at Pittsburgh on May 22.

WINNING STREAK SNAPPED: Dickey’s loss in his start vs. Washington on J uly 24 snapped a streak of 11 consecutive winning decisions dating to April 25 vs. Miami...The 11-game win streak was the best of his career and the third longest in Mets history...Dickey’s streak spanned 16 st arts, also tied for the third longest streak of consecutive starts without a loss in Mets history...This was t he first home loss for Dickey of the season and his first since falling to Washington on September 12, 2011, 3 -2.

ONE-HIT WONDER: On June 18 vs. BAL, Dickey became the 10th pitcher sin ce 1900 to record consecutive one-hitters...Became the first pitcher in modern baseball history (s ince 1900) to register back-to-back complete game one-hitters with 10 strikeouts or more in bo th starts...

LAST WIN VS. WASHINGTON: Won, 9-5, on July 19 of this season at Nationals Park...Pitched 7.1 innings, allowing four runs, three earned, 10 hits, and one walk...Struck out five.

LAST LOSS VS. WASHINGTON: Lost, 5-2, on July 24 of this season at Citi Field...Pitched 6.0 innings, allowing five runs, four earned, eight hits, and one walk...Struck out seven.

CAREER VS. WASHINGTON: In 14 career games, 12 starts, Dickey is 4-5 with a 3.72 ERA (31 earned runs/75.0 innings pitched) vs. the Nationals.

KEY MATCHUPS:

• Ryan Zimmerman - .333 (9-27, 2B, HR, RBI, BB, 2 K)
• Jayson Werth - .440 (11-25, 3 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K)
• Michael Morse - .292 (7-24, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K)