After my griping about the Mets return to .500 ball after a 4-0 start, they really put up and shut up in this last three game set against division rival Miami. After a three game sweep of the Marlins, bringing the teams record back up to 11-8, the Mets will go west with a six game road trip ahead of them Before they go to Houston for three games, the Mets will face the Colorado Rockies in a three game set at Coors Field.
Amidst an eight game losing streak, the Rockies are on a terribly cold streak, while the Mets are headed in the opposite direction after this last confidence-building sweep of Miami. With Chris Schwinden and Drew Pomeranz taking the mound tonight, each team tosses out some very young arms.
Mets Lineup
1) Kirk Nieuwenhuis CF
2) Ruben Tejada SS
3) Daniel Murphy 2B
4) David Wright 3B
5) Scott Hairston LF
6) Lucas Duda RF
7) Zach Lutz 1B
8. Mike Nickeas C
9) Chris Schwinden RHP
Now that David Wright is the Mets all-time leader in RBI, the monkey is off his back and he can just go out to hit now, and what better place for him to due so. If all goes “Wright” for David this weekend, he could potentially come out of the series with a couple more home runs credited to his name for the season. But with the way this Mets lineup is underproducing around him, he may very well finish the series with a ton more walks drawn under his belt.
The role of Kirk Nieuwenhuis is also beginning to get magnified after taking a pie in the face for yesterday’s game winning hit. Tonight and this road trip will be a good way to gauge how he is handling his transition to the big leagues, something he has done seamlessly so far, give or take a couple fielding blunders.
Rockies Lineup
1) Marco Scutaro 2B
2) Jonathan Herrera 3B
3) Carlos Gonzalez LF
4) Troy Tulowitzki SS
5) Todd Helton 1B
6) Michael Cuddyer RF
7) Ramon Hernandez C
8. Dexter Fowler CF
9) Drew Pomeranz LHP
Colorado has been mired in an eight game slumps in which the big bats simply aren’t cutting it. Carlos Gonzalez is hitting a meager .246 on the year, his only two home runs coming in one. Troy Tulowitzki has failed to come out of the gate strong, not that that’s anything out of the ordinary. Michael Cuddyer is currently the only Rockies starter hitting over/remotely close to .300 (.303 thus far).
One must question how long this will last, however. With the Rockies in their home environment, it is only a matter of time before they blast off and scare off their visiting opponent. They certainly seem due for the type of 10-0 victory that they certainly are capable of.
Matchup
NYM: Chris Schwinden (2011 stats: 0-2, 4.71 ERA) In four Major League starts in 2011, Chris Schwinden looked okay. Not really regarded as a serious prospect in the Mets system, Schwinden has managed to put up some good looking numbers at AAA Buffalo over the past year or so. In four starts at Buffalo in 2012, he sports a 2-2 record and a 2.05 ERA having allowed just five earned runs on 14 hits in 22 innings. Unless he comes out and look impressive in his 2012 debut tonight, expect Schwinden to simply be filler until the Mets find a full-replacement for Mike Pelfrey.
COL: Drew Pomeranz (0-1, 6.75 ERA) Don’t be deceived by that inflated two-game ERA that Pomeranz currently has tacked up next to his name. This kid can throw hard. He’s coming off a solid five inning outing against the Brewers in which he struck out six and allowed just a couple runs on four hits. At the age of 23, in 21 minor league starts, his ERA sits at a more than respectable 1.71. He’s a flamethrower, and with more experience, he’ll be striking out batters left and right in the bigs. His fastball and curve can freeze left and right-handed hitters alike, which is crucial in against a Mets lineup that heavily relies on big lefties.
Stache Keys to the Game
- Keep the momentum going into six games on the road against a couple of struggling opponents.
- Lucas Duda, Ike Davis and company need to wake up and smell the coffee and remember that they’re at Coors Field tonight, where the ball has the reputation of flying.
- Chris Schwinden needs to go out, take it pitch by pitch, and prove that he’s worth something to this rotation.
Slated for a 8:40 PM ET start, catch the game live on SNY and WFAN 660.
