Mets vs. Phillies Preview, Lineups, And Broadcast Info: Game #147 — R.A. Dickey vs. Cliff Lee

Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.

Teams: Mets vs. Phillies
Date: Monday, September 17, 2012 • 7:10 p.m
Location: Citi Field • Flushing, NY
Starters: LHP Cliff Lee (5-7, 3.36) vs. RHP R.A. Dickey (18-5, 2.68)
TV/Radio: SNY • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #147 • Home Game #72

Lineup

Ruben Tejada – SS
Daniel Murphy – 2B
David Wright – 3B
Scott Hairston – RF
Lucas Duda – 1B
Jason Bay – LF
Andres Torres – CF
Mike Nickeas – C
R.A. Dickey – RHP

METS AT A GLANCE: The Mets have lost eight of their last nine games...The Mets are 20-40 (4-21 on the road) since the All-Star break...New York is a season-high 14 games under .500...The Mets are 18-29 in the first game of a series, 8-15 at home.

AT HOME: The Mets host a 10-day homestand vs. Philadelphia, Miami and Pittsburgh starting tonight...This homestand is the second-longest of the year...New York had an 11-game homestand from May 24-June 4, and went 7-4...The Mets are 30-41 at home this year...New York has lost six straight home games and 22 of its last 26 home games...Daniel Murphy has the seventh-best home batting average (.328) in the National League.

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

HIT COUNTDOWN: David Wright went 0-4 yesterday...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 1,247 career contests...Three active players lead their current club’s all-time hit li st...The Yankees’ Derek Jeter (3,287 hits), Colorado’s Todd Helton (2,420) and Texas’ Michael Young (2,212).

WRIGHT RANKINGS: David Wright is fifth in the majors with a .398 on-base percentage, tied for sixth with 40 doubles and is sixth in the National League with a .310 batting average...He ranks second in the NL with 78 walks...Wright is tied for the National League lead with 16 intentional walks.

WRIGHT STREAK: David Wright has not committed an error in a career-high 40 straight games...Wright’s last error came on August 1 at San Francisco.

DANIEL MURPHY: Is hitting .391 (18-46) with four doubles, two home runs and six RBI in September...Murphy is one double shy of tying his career-high (38) in 2010.

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 are tied for the major league lead with 40 pinch-hit RBI with the Brewers.

RISP TALE OF TWO HALVES: The Mets were 0-4 yesterday with runners in scoring position and are hitting .198 (92-464) 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 22nd 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 have scored 73 two-out runs in 61 games (1.19 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 ninth in the majors with 260 twoout runs.

ZACH LUTZ: Will have surgery today to repair a fracture of the left hamate bone...The procedure will be performed by Mets Hand Specialist Dr. Andrew Weiland at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

R.A. DICKEY: Leads the National League with a 2.68 ERA (second in the majors) 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, trailing Clayton Kershaw (106.2 innings)...Dickey is third in the majors with a 1.04 WHIP and third in the NL with a .224 batting average against.

R.A. = CY: Dickey has a .783 (18-5) winning percentage which would be tied for the second-highest in major league history on a team that finishes below .500...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...Tim Lincecum went 18-5 (.783) with the Giants in 2008 when they were 72-90.

WINS: Dickey is the first Mets pitcher to reach 18 wins since Frank Vi ola (20-12) and Dwight Gooden (19-7) both accomplished the feat in 1990.

STRIKEOUTS: R.A. Dickey has 197 strikeouts, three shy of 200...Over the last 20 years, only four other Mets pitchers have reached that plateau...David Cone (214 in 1992), Al Leiter (200 in 2000), Pedro Martinez (208 in 2005) and Johan Santana (206 in 2008).

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.

BRANCH RICKEY AWARD WINNER: R.A. Dickey has named the 2012 Branch Rickey Award recipient...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...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.

ANOTHER AWARD FOR R.A.: R.A. Dickey will be honored at the ALS Association Greater New York Chapter’s Lou Gehrig Sports Awards Benefit annual gala November 7...The Lou Gehrig Sports Award is presented to those athletes who embody Lou Gehrig’s spirit of leadership, courage, determination and talent.Proceeds from the evening will benefit The ALS Association Greater New York Chapter...Bob Costas will serve as the Awards presenter.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS NIGHT: The Mets will host Breast Cancer Awareness Night this Wednesday...Special $5 tickets are available at Mets.com/BCA. The first 10,000 fans in a ttendance will receive a pink compact mirror presented by Delta Air Lines...Mets staff at Citi Field will also wear pink ribbons to raise awareness about the disease and encourages fans coming to the ballpark to wear pink.

LAST START: Took his fifth loss of the season in the Mets’ 5-3 loss vs . the Washington Nationals on September 11 at Citi Field...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, surp assing last year’s total of 134 in his July 24 start vs. Washington...Has pitched 200.0 innings in consec utive seasons (208.2 innings pitched, 2011), the first Mets pitcher to do so since Tom Glavine accomplished t he feat in 2004 and 2005. (212.1 IP, 2004 and 211.1 IP, 2005).

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 Herna ndez (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 t he Mets...The three shutouts rank tied for second in the majors and first in the NL this season...Felix Herna dez’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 this season...Tied for second in the major leagues in wins with 18...Has struck out 197 in 205.0 innings this sea son, tied for sixth in the majors and tied for second in the NL...Leads the NL and is second in the majors with a 2.64 ERA...Second in the the NL with a 1.04 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 19 starts of pitching at least 7.0 innings...Clayton Kershaw (LaD) leads the NL with 20 such starts...Felix Hernand ez (Sea) lead the majors with 21 starts of at least 7.0 innings.

MORE RANKS: Has recorded 23 quality starts, tied for second in both th e majors and NL...Yovani Gallardo’s (Mil) 24 quality starts leads the majors...His K/BB ratio of 4.10 is tied for fifth in the majors and tied for third in the NL with Stephen Strasburg (Was)...Has limited opposing rig ht-handed batters to a .214 (87-406) batting average this season, tied for 10th in the majors and tied for f ourth in the NL...Dickey has 12 starts in which he has struck out eight or more this season, tied for third i n the majors...Max Scherzer (Det) leads 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-t o-back starts 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 starts , also tied for the third longest streak of consecutive starts without a loss in Mets history...This was the 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. PHILADELPHIA: Won, 5-2, on April 13 of this season at Citizens Bank Park...Pitched 7.0 innings, allowing one run, earned, nine hits, and one walk...Struck out seven.

LAST LOSS VS. PHILADELPHIA: Lost, 7-2, on July 15, 2011 at Citi Field...Pitched 7.0 innings, allowing four runs, earned, six hits, and two walks...Struck out five.

CAREER VS. PHILADELPHIA: In eight career games, all starts, Dickey is 3- 3 with a 2.94 ERA (17 earned runs/52.0 innings pitched) vs. the Phillies.

KEY MATCHUPS:

• Jimmy Rollins - .300 (6-20, 3 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, BB, 3 K)
• Ryan Howard - .250 (3-12, RBI, 2 K)
• Chase Utley - .250 (2-8, 2B, BB, 2 K)