Tonight’s game is rained out

The Mets and Dodgers will play a straight doubleheader tomorrow starting at 4:10 p.m.

It will be a single admission doubleheader tomorrow.

Johan Santana will pitch Game 1, with Oliver Perez starting the second game.

Too bad I have class all day.

Here’s ticket info from the Mets…

The New York Mets have announced that tonight's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers has been postponed due to rain and has been rescheduled as part of a single-admission doubleheader tomorrow, April 27 starting at 4:10 p.m. Only tickets marked "April 27 - Game 15" for tomorrow's night game will be honored for the 4:10 p.m. game and the second game to follow.

Tickets from tonight's rainout will not be valid for admission tomorrow. Fans can exchange tickets in person tomorrow at Citi Field for tomorrow's games, or at a later date for any future game, subject to availability and according to standard rain-check ticket exchange policy on Mets.com.

Lineup, weather permitting

Highly doubtful this game gets played – look for a doubleheader tomorrow or later in the season – but here’s the lineup…

1. Angel Pagan – CF
2. Luis Castillo – 2B
3. Jose Reyes – SS
4. Jason Bay – LF
5. David Wright – 3B
6. Ike Davis – 1B
7. Gary Matthews Jr. – RF
8. Rod Barajas – C
9. Oliver Perez – LHP

If they play, the Game Chat will be posted at 7 p.m.

Mets runs by inning [Graph]

Lately, it seems the Mets have a hard time scoring runs early in the game.  Only around the sixth or seventh do the bats come out and start hitting and the runs start scoring.

I thought it was just one of those weird quirks that I made up in my head to keep me hopeful (“Don’t worry, they’ll score next inning!”), but I took a look at the data, and this is what I found…The Mets do score more runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth as opposed to the rest of the lineup.  Why they do this is another post entirely.  Is it the fact that the bullpens they’re facing are weaker than the starter or do the bats just take a while to heat up?

That’s for someone else to figure out.

But for now, if the Mets are down early, we know that at least through the first 19 games, there’s hope in the later innings.

Stats via Baseball-Reference.

Manuel’s Musing

“He was able to bob and weave and keep himself out of trouble”

-Jerry Manuel on Mike Pelfrey

Game Recap: Mets 1 – Braves 0

Get out the brooms!  Ugliest shut out I’ve ever seen.

The Good

Rain.  Thanks, Mother Nature.  Saved the bullpen tonight and gave the Mets a rain-shortened sweep over the Atlanta Braves.  We owe you one.

A shut out.  It was ugly, but it will go in the books as a shut out for the Mets.  (Raul Valdes’ one pitch ruined the complete game shut out for Mike Pelfrey.)  Pelfrey was far from sharp, allowing five hits and walking five.  But, he was able to work himself out of trouble inducing two inning-ending double plays to work himself out of jams.

Pelfrey is now 4-0 this year and has a 24-inning scoreless streak.

A Reyes Run.  Angel Pagan and Luis Castillo failed to get on in the first, so Jose Reyes came to the plate like a leadoff man, but with two outs.  Reyes singled and stole second.  Jason Bay followed with a single of his own, as Chipper Jones made a diving stab and his throw was late and bounced away from Troy Glaus.  Reyes, who was running, scampered home for the games only run.

Luis Castillo went 2-3 with two singles.

The Bad & Ugly

Pelfrey’s pitchcount.  It took 106 pitches for Pelfrey to get through five innings of work.  Only 59 of those landed for strikes.  Yikes.

David Wright looks lost at the plate.  Absolutely lost.

Pagan has one hit in his last five games with two walks.

Ike Davis’ two strikeouts.  Tommy Hanson’s curveball completely fooled Davis in both his at bats.

Game Ball

Jose Reyes

On Deck

The Mets welcome the Dodgers to Citi Field tomorrow for a 7:10 p.m. start.

Lineup for Sunday night baseball

1. Angel Pagan – CF
2. Luis Castillo – 2B
3. Jose Reyes – SS
4. Jason Bay – LF
5. David Wright – 3B
6. Ike Davis – 1B
7. Jeff Francoeur – RF
8. Henry Blanco – C
9. Mike Pelfrey – RHP

The weather may have a hand on whether this game is player / delayed.  Stay tuned.

Game Chat will be up at 8 p.m. regardless.

Some stats for your Sunday

These were sent to me by reader Jack W.  Thought they were pretty interesting…

Only 3 teams (NL) have allowed fewer runs and all 3 have played 1 less game.

• Giants: 51
• Padres: 57
• Cards: 59
• Mets: 64

Only 5 teams (NL) have better run differentials

• Phillies: +33
• Giants: +28
• Padres: +22
• Cards: +17
• Mets: +10
• Brewers: +10 (skewed because of the 20-0 Pirates game)

The Mets are one of the hottest teams in the NL going by the last 10 games

• Padres: 8-2
• Mets: 7-3
• Astros: 7-3
• Marlins: 6-4
• Nats: 6-4

The Mets lead the league in putouts

• Mets: 513
• Nats: 489
• Rockies: 488

Thanks, Jack!

Manuel’s Musing

“If we continue to play good defense and the pitching does what it does, we'll be OK.”

-Jerry Manuel

Game Recap: Mets 3 – Braves 1

That’s three in a row, if you’re counting at home.  (Also 5-1 this homestand.)

The Good

Bark at the Park Day.  I love dogs.

Jason Bay: 3-4, 2B, RBI.  That double to dead center was a rocket.  Is someone heating up?

Jon Niese was a bit wild, but… 5 1/3 innings, five hits, five walks and only one run.  He struck out six.  Still winless, but continues to pitch well.

Manny Acosta vs. his old team.  Acosta earned the win with 1 2/3 hitless innings, walking one and striking out three.  Not bad, not bad at all.

K-Rod makes it easy.  A 1-2-3 9th inning was way, way easier than yesterday.  More of these, Frankie.

Henry Blanco stole a base.  Yeah, I know!

The Bad & Ugly

Only five hits, three of them by Bay.  Blanco and Francoeur picked up the other Mets hits.  But only four strikeouts.  Yay?

Frequent Fernando and Perpetual Pedro.  They turned in a combined scoreless 8th inning, but it’s only a matter of time before their arms both fall off.

Game Ball

Jason Bay

On Deck

Sunday night baseball on ESPN tomorrow, an 8 p.m. start.

Game Chat: ATL @ NYM [Game 18]

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