Mets vs. Brewers Preview, Lineups, And Broadcast Info: Game #145 — Jenrry Mejia vs. Shaun Marcum

Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.

Teams: Mets vs. Brewers
Date: Saturday, September 15, 2012 • 7:10 p.m
Location: Miller Park • Milwaukee, WI
Starters: RHP Jenrry Mejia (0-0, 4.50) vs. RHP Shaun Marcum (5-4, 3.71)
TV/Radio: PIX11 • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #145 • Road Game #74

Lineup

Ruben Tejada - SS
Daniel Murphy - 2B
David Wright - 3B
Ike Davis - 1B
Lucas Duda - LF
Jordany Valdespin - RF
Kelly Shoppach - C
Andres Torres - CF
Jenrry Mejia - RHP

METS AT A GLANCE: The Mets snapped their season high-tying six-game lo sing streak last night...New York is 2-8 in its last 10 games...The Mets are 20-38 (16-17 on the road) since the All-Star break...The Mets scored multi-runs in consecutive innings last night (first and second) for the first time since September 3 at St. Louis.

ON THE ROAD: The Mets are now 7-3 in their last 10 road games and are 36-37 on the road this year after going 43-38 away from Citi Field in 2011...New York has won two of its last three road series...Overall, the Mets are 9-13-1 in road series this season...David Wright is third in the National League with a .332 road batting average.

SEVEN: New York scored seven times last night...The last time the Mets scored seven or more runs in a nine-inning game was August 16 in an 8-4 win at Cincinnati.

HIT COUNTDOWN: David Wright went 2-5 last night...He has 1,411 career hits, SEVEN shy of tying Ed Kranepool for the most in franchise history...Kranepool played in 1,853 games... Wright has played in 1,245 career contests...Three active players lead their current club’s all-ime hit lis t...The Yankees’ Derek Jeter (3,285 hits), Colorado’s Todd Helton (2,420) and Texas’ Michael Young (2,208).

40 DOUBLES: David Wright had two doubles last night to give him 40 on the year for the fifth time in his career...The 40 doubles are tied for the seventh-most in team history...Wright’s career-high is 42 doubles (2005, 2007 and 2008)...Bernard Gilkey holds the single-season franchise record with 44 doubles in 1996...The only other Mets with 40 or more doubles in a single-season are Edgardo Alfonzo (41 in 1999, 40 in 2000), Howard Johnson (41 in 1989), Carlos Beltran (40 in 2008) and Gregg Jefferies (40 in 1990).

WRIGHT RANKINGS: David Wright is fifth in the majors with a .401 on-base percentage, tied for fifth with 40 doubles and is fifth in the National League with a .315 batting average...He ranks second in the NL with 76 walks...Wright leads the National League with 16 intentional walks...He is fifth in the NL with a .313 batting average vs. righties.

WRIGHT STREAKS: David Wright has hit in eight straight games, going 12-33 (.364)...He also has not committed an error in a career-high 38 straight games...Wright’s last error came on August 1 at San Francisco.

DANIEL MURPHY: Went 2-4 with two RBI last night...It was his 41st multi-hit game of the year which is second on the team behind David Wright (46) and is tied for 22nd in the National League...Murphy hit his sixth home run of the year last night and first since September 3...He had six home runs in 2011, after hitting a career-high 12 home runs in 2010...Murphy is hitting .395 (15-38) with three doubles, two home runs and five RBI in September.

LUCAS DUDA: Collected his second straight multi-hit game last night and is 4-for-his-last-7 (.571)...Duda had a double and home run in New York’s 7-3 win...It was the first time he’s had two extra-base hits in a game since June 7 at Washington (double and home run)...Duda is hitting .321 (9-28) this month.

JON RAUCH: Retired the only batter he faced last night to lower his ERA to 2.92 on the year...Since June 25, a span of 33 outings, Rauch has posted a 1.14 ERA (three earned runs/23.2 innings) while holding opponents to a .133 batting average...Among all pitchers who have tossed 20.0 or more innings in the second half, Rauch ranks seventh with a 1.31 ERA (three earned runs/21.0 innings).

JENRRY MEJIA: Will make his fourth career major league start and his first since September 15, 2010 - exactly two years to the date - vs. Pittsburgh...Mejia made five starts in Triple-A last year before undergoing Tommy John surgery on May 16...Is seeking his first major league win.

JONATHON NIESE: Earned his 11th win last night, equaling his career-hi gh he set last year...He allowed two runs over 6.0 innings for his 20th quality start of the year, which is tied for the seventh-most in the National League.

R.A. DICKEY: Leads the National League with a 2.68 ERA and is tied for second in the majors with 18 wins, one behind Gio Gonzalez...Dickey is tied for second in the NL and tied for sixth in the majors with 197 strikeouts...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 and became the first Mets pitcher since Tom Glavine (2004-2005) to toss over 200 innings in consecutive seasons...Dickey is third in the majors with a 1.04 WHIP and third in the NL with a .224 batting average against.

BRANCH RICKEY AWARD WINNER: R.A. Dickey was named the 2012 Branch Rickey Award recipient yesterday...He will be presented with his award on November 10 in Denver...Created by the Rotary Club of Denver in 1991, the Branch Rickey Award honors individuals in baseball who contribute unselfishly to their communities and who are strong role models for young people...Each year, the Major League Baseball teams nominate one player from their team for this nationally acclaimed award...All of the nominees personify Rotary International’s motto, “Service Above Self.”..Dickey was chosen by a National Selection Committee, comprised of 350 members of the sports media, past award winners, baseball executives and Rotary district governors.

PINCH-HIT HOME RUNS: The Mets have 10 pinch-hit home runs this year, tied for the major league lead with Colorado and the third-highest single-season total in club history…The 1997 squad had 11 pinch-hit home runs and the 1983 team hit a franchise-high 12…The Mets lead the majors with 40 pinch-hit RBI.

RISP TALE OF TWO HALVES: The Mets were 2-10 last night with runners in scoring position and are hitting .201 (90-448) with runners in scoring position since the All-Star break…In the first half, the team hit .269 (199-739) with RISP...Overall, the Mets are hitting .243 with RISP on the season, ranking 21st in the majors...The Mets are hitting .256 with runners in scoring position and two outs, the fourth-highest average in the majors...The club hit .285 with RISP and two outs in the first half.

TWO-OUT RUNS: The Mets scored three two-out runs last night and have scored 70 two-out runs in 59 games (1.18 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 10th in the majors with 257 two-out runs.

LAST APPEARANCE: Made his season debut pitching in relief on September 7 of this season...Pitched 2.0 innings, allowing one run, earned, one hit (home run), and no walks...Struck out two in the 23-pitch outing...It was Mejia’s first major league appearance since September 15, 2010, after recovering from Tommy John surgery.

TOMMY JOHN SURGERY: Examined by Mets Medical Director David Altcheck on May 2, 2011 and found to have a complete MCL tear of the right elbow...Underwent Tommy John surgery on May 16, 2011, performed by Dr. Altcheck at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

LAST MAJOR LEAGUE START: Mejia’s last major league start came in the Mets’ 8-7 win on September 15, 2010 vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field...Pitched 2.1 innings, allowing one run, unearned, zero hits, and two walks...Left the game in the third inning with a rhomboid strain of the right shoulder...Did not pitch again that season.

LOOKING FOR FIRST WIN: Mejia has yet to pick up his first major league win in 34 career games, three starts....Has gone 0-4 through his first 34 games.

LAST MINOR LEAGUE START: Mejia’s last minor league start before being recalled by the Mets on September 4 came for the Buffalo Bisons (AAA) of the International League on September 2 at Lehigh Valley...Pitched 6.0 innings, allowing a season-high six runs, earned, a season-high 11 hits, and no walks...Struck out five.

2012 BUFFALO STARTS: Mejia started 10 games for the Buffalo Bisons (AAA) and went 2-3 with a 2.75 ERA (16 earned runs/52.1 innings pitched)...Held batters to a .245 (48-196) batting average...Struck out a season-high six in his start against Scranton-Wilkes Barre on August 22...Walked more than three batters only once in those 10 starts.

2012 BUFFALO RELIEF: Made 16 relief appearances for Buffalo (AAA)...Went 1-1 with a 5.48 ERA (13 earned runs/21.1 innings pitched)...His most recent relief appearance occurred on July 24 at Louisville...Pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit...Opposing batters hit .303 (27-89) in those 16 appearances.

2012 BINGHAMTON: In two starts for the Binghamton Mets (AA) of the Eastern League, Mejia went 0-0 with a 5.63 ERA (five earned runs/8.0 innings pitched)...Opponents hit .344 (11- 32)...Struck out eight batters in those 8.0 innings.

2012 MINORS TOTALS: In 30 combined games, 14 starts between Binghamton (AA) and Buffalo (AAA), Mejia went 4-4 with a 3.59 ERA (37 earned runs/92.2 innings pitched)...Struck out 55.

2010 SEASON: Began the season on the Opening Day roster...At the time, Mejia was the youngest player in the majors and youngest pitcher to appear on the Mets Opening Day roster since Dwight Gooden in 1984...Put together a career-high 9.1-inning scoreless streak from April 16 - May 9, a span of nine games...Was 0-2 with a 3.25 ERA (10 earned runs/27.2 innings) in 30 relief outings and 0-2 with a 7.94 ERA (10 earned runs/11.1 innings) in three starts.

YOUNG STARTER: In 2010, at the age of 20, Mejia became the youngest Met to start a game since Dwight Gooden pitched as a 20-year old in 1985...Became the fifth Met player to start as a 20-year old and the seventh to start at 20 or younger...Along with Gooden, who made starts as a 19-year old and a 20-year old, the others who accomplished the feat were Tug McGraw (20), nine starts, 1965; Rob Gardner (20), four starts, 1965; Bill Hepler (20), four starts, 1966; Jerry Hinsley (19), two starts, 1964 and Nolan Ryan (19), one start, 1966.

SIGNED: Signed by the Mets as a non-drafted free agent on April 7, 2007.