Final Score: Mets 8 Marlins 8

Today the Mets and Marlins tied by a score of 8-8.

• Matt Harvey started for the Mets, and struck out four in 2 2/3 innings pitched.
• Lucas Duda went 2-3 with a double and a home run.
• Travis d'Arnaud went 1-2, and is now 5-11 so far this spring.
• Greg Burke tossed a scoreless inning of relief.
• Brian Bixler hit a game-tying two-run home run in the 8th inning.
• Hansel Robles struggled, allowing 5 earned runs in 1 1/3 innings pitched.

My Take: Matt Harvey let up a home run to Christian Yelich right out of the gate, but looked dominant for the most part for the rest of his outing. As usual the strikeouts are there, and he seemed to have good command of all his pitches. Just another successful outing for him. As for Burke, the scoreless inning is definitely a positive sign, but I would like to see more out of him before I give him a bullpen spot. His story has certainly been an intriguing one, and I personally hope that he makes the team, and finally has success in the league. Finally, Robles really got roughed up today. He is sort of a lower tiered prospect who isn't going to make this year's team, but could have a future with the club within the next two years or so, or could find himself being trade bait. It is one bad outing, and I am not going to completely knock him for it. However, if he wants to impress the major league coaches, then he is going to have to put up a better showing than that. 

Duda finally found his swing today. This is what the Mets need him to do in order to possibly remain relevant next season. We all know that Duda is capable of being that big offensive force, however it is what is going on in his head that is holding him back. What he can do in the major leagues remains to be seen for all Mets fans out there. Now, as for d'Arnaud, he has quietly put up good numbers for the team, but I still don't think he makes the team out of camp. The organization is going to bring him up very slowly, and that time will probably be around mid-season. Finally, regarding Bixler, he is basically an extremely versatile infielder who has a below-average bat. I don't expect him to make the team considering that there are better infield options right now. 

Spring Training: Marlins vs Mets 1:00 PM

Today the Mets will face the Marlins at 1:00 PM. Here are the lineups:

Mets

1. Collin Cowgill CF
2. Ruben Tejada SS
3. Ike Davis 1B
4. Marlon Byrd DH
5. Lucas Duda LF
6. Justin Turner 2B
7. Andrew Brown RF
8. Anthony Recker C
9. Zack Lutz 3B
P. Matt Harvey

Matt Harvey will start for the Mets.

Marlins

1. Christian Yelich LF
2. Jake Marisnick CF
3. Rob Brantly C
4. Matt Downs 2B
5. Joe Mahoney 1B
6. Austin Kearns Dh
7. Chris Coghlan RF
8. Nick Green SS
9. Chone Figgins
P. Alex Sanabia

Alex Sanabia will start for the Marlins.

Spring Training: Tigers at Mets 1:00 PM

Today, the Mets will face the Tigers at 1:00 PM. Here are the lineups:

Mets

1. Jordany Valdespin DH

2. Ruben Tejada SS

3. David Wright 3B

4. Ike Davis 1B

5. Marlon Byrd RF

6. Lucas Duda LF

7. John Buck C

8. Justin Turner 2B

9. Kirk Nieuwenhuis CF

P. Jon Niese

Tigers

1. Jeff Kobernus 2B

2. Andy Dirks LF

3. Victor Martinez DH

4. Prince Fielder 1B

5. Brayan Pena C

6. Kevin Russo CF

7. Avisail Garcia RF

8. Don Kelly 3B

9. Argenis Diaz SS

P. Justin Verlander

Final Score: Mets 4 Nationals 4

The Mets and Nationals tied 4-4 in Thursday night's exhibition game in Viera.

• Rafael Montero started for the Mets, and allowed a run in two innings of work. 
• Brandon Lyon allowed a run in one inning and Josh Edgin allowed an unearned run in two innings of work. 
• Scott Rice and Jeremy Hefner combined for four scoreless innings of relief.
• Jordany Valdespin, Collin Cowgill, and Travis d'Arnaud each had two hits. 

My Take: It was nice to finally see Montero in action, considering that scouts have been raving about his stuff all spring. His velocity was there, and he had good command with all of his pitches. I don't expect him to make an impact with the team in 2013, but down the road he could be a nice fall-back option for the Mets. Lyon and the rest of the bullpen have really looked bad this spring, but I understand that it is still early and they are just tinkering with their pitches. Rice and Hefner looked dominant tonight. I don't think that Rice will make the team, but he definitely has a legitimate chance given Pedro Feliciano's unknown injury status at this time. Hefner could certainly make the team out of spring training as a long-relief man, and this outing helped his cause.

Valdespin and Cowgill continued to smash the ball this spring, and I am certain that one of them will be on the Opening Day roster. Valdespin could benefit more from every-day playing time in Triple-A, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Finally, it was good to see d'Arnaud have a nice game given his minor struggles so far. 

Spring Training: Mets vs. Nationals 6:05 Pm

Tonight at 6:05 PM, the Mets will play the Nationals at Space Coast Stadium in Viera. Here are the lineups:

Mets

1. Jordany Valdespin 2B

2. Collin Cowgill CF

3. Mike Baxter RF

4. Andrew Brown DH

5. Kirk Nieuwenhuis LF

6. Travis d'Arnaud C

7. Brandon Hicks 1B

8. Omar Quintanilla SS

9. Brian Bixler 3B

P. Rafael Montero

Rafael Montero will start for the Mets, and will be followed by Brandon Lyon, Elvin Ramirez, Scott Rice, and Josh Edgin.

Nationals

1. Denard Span CF

2. Kurt Suzuki C

3. Jayson Werth RF

4. Adam LaRoche 1B

5. Ian Desmond SS

6. Danny Espinosa 2B

7. Tyler Moore LF

8. Anthony Rendon 3B

9. Chad Tracy DH

P. Stephen Strasburg

Stephen Strasburg will start for the Mets, and will be followed by Yuniesky Maya.

Final Score: Cardinals 12 Mets 4

The Cardinals defeated the Mets by a score of 12-4 on Wednesday. 

• Zack Wheeler was originally supposed to be the starter of the game, but was scratched last minute due to a mild oblique strain that he suffered while in the batting cages before the game.
• Darin Gorski started for the Mets instead, and let up four runs in two innings.
• John Buck hit a two run home run in the 2nd inning, Anthony Recker hit a solo homer in the 7th inning, and Collin Cowgill hit a solo home run in the 9th inning.
• Lucas Duda finally collected his first hit of the spring, a single in the 2nd inning.

My Take: Gorski started the game off on a high note, retiring the first six batters. However, he really struggled in the 3rd inning, and failed to rack up any strikeouts. I don't see Gorski as a starter for this club, rather a left handed specialist who could make the team if Feliciano is not ready.  As for this whole Wheeler situation, sure it was a shame that we couldn't get the chance to see him on T.V., but it is right for him to be cautious. This kid has a future with this team, and there is no point in risking it just for an extra start or two. Oblique strains are usually difficult injuries to deal with, but according to Wheeler to isn't a big deal. 

It's nice to see some pop from today's lineup. John Buck hit a home run to right-center field that got out in a hurry, and that is what he is known for. His opposite field power is excellent, and hopefully he hits a few more of these until d'Arnaud is ready. Anthony Recker is pretty much a 3rd string catcher at best, and with this home run he proved that he can knock the ball out of the park every once and a while. I'm very excited to see Collin Cowgill progress this spring, because it seems like he is getting better with every passing game. He's most likely going to make the team, and I hope that he gets the opportunity to start.

Spring Training: Cardinals vs. Mets 1:00 PM

Today, the Mets will host the Cardinals at 1:00 PM. Here are the lineups.

Mets

1. Mike Baxter DH

2. Ruben Tejada SS

3. David Wright 3B

4. Ike Davis 1B

5. Marlon Byrd RF

6. Lucas Duda LF

7. Justin Turner 2B

8. John Buck C

9. Matt den Dekker CF

P. Zack Wheeler

Zack Wheeler will start for the Mets, and will be followed by Darin Gorski, Bobby Parnell, Greg Burke, and Carlos Torres. 

Cardinals

1. John Jay

2. Carlos Beltran 

3. Matt Holliday

4. David Freese

5. Yadier Molina

6. Ty Wigginton

7. Daniel Descalso

8. Peter Kozma

Tejada's quad is fine, will play tomorrow

After today's loss against the Marlins, Terry Collins said that Ruben Tejada's quad is now fine, and he will be in the lineup tomorrow afternoon against the Cardinals. Tejada has missed the last two games with an apparent cramp in his right quad muscle. He missed almost six weeks last season due to a similar injury to the same muscle. 

I'm glad to see that he will be coming back soon, because it is important for him to get some reps in before the season starts. Tejada is a very important piece to this club, and if this injury ends up being a recurring one, then the team could be in trouble. They may then have to rely on Quintanilla or Hicks at shortstop, and that is unacceptable. 

Final Score: Marlins 7 Mets 5

Today, the Marlins defeated the Mets by a score of 7-5.

• Jenrry Mejia let up five runs in one inning of work. This was his first appearance of the spring.
• Justin Turner, Josh Satin, Travis d'Arnaud and Wilfredo Tovar each had an RBI.
• Cory Mazzoni threw three innings of scoreless relief, and did not let up a hit.
• Jeurys Familia and Scott Atchison each contributed with a scoreless inning of relief.

My Take: This was definitely a rough game for Mejia. I realize that he just recently arrived in camp, but if he wasn't ready I believe that team would've pushed this start back. Quite frankly, I am concerned about Mejia's long-term role with this club. He has been tossed back and forth between starter and reliever, and the team has really treated him unfairly. I still believe that his ceiling is a bullpen pitcher at best, but the team continues to throw him out there hoping that he can cash in a decent start. As for Mazzoni, he has looked very good this spring, and was unhittable (literally) this afternoon. He has a total of five scoreless innings pitched this spring, and will definitely get noticed more if he continues this success. Finally, it is nice to see both Familia and Atchison go out there and put up some zeros. The bullpen has looked shaky so far this spring, and these two players have every chance in the world to make the team out of Spring Training. 

Spring Training: Marlins vs. Mets 1:05 PM

Today the Mets (1-1-1) will face the Marlins (1-1) at 1:05 PM.

Mets

1. Jordany Valdespin 2B

2. Kirk Nieuwenhuis CF

3. Justin Turner DH

4. Mike Baxter RF

5. Zack Lutz 1B

6. Brian Bixler 3B

7. Landon Powell C

8. Juan Lagares

9. Omar Quintanilla SS 

P. Jenrry Mejia

Jenrry Mejia will start for the Mets, and will be followed by Cory Mazzoni, LaTroy Hawkins, Jeurys Familia, Scott Atchison, and Josh Edgin.

Marlins

1. Juan Pierre LF

2. Placido Polanco 3B

3. Giancarlo Stanton DH

4. Rob Brantly C

5. Austin Kearns RF

6. Casey Kotchman 1B

7. Nick Green SS

8. Chone Figgins 2B

9. Kevin Mattison CF

P. Ricky Nolasco

Ricky Nolasco will start for the Marlins, and will be followed by Steve Cishek, Raudel Lazo, Michael Wuertz, Mike Dunn, Chad Qualls, and Chris Hatcher. 

Final Score: Nationals 6 Mets 4

The Nationals (1-1-1) defeated the Mets (1-1-1) by a score of 6-4 at Tradition Field on Monday night. 

• Collin McHugh started for the Mets and struggled, allowing two runs in 2 1/3 innings pitched.
• Elvin Ramirez allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings, but managed to strike out four batters.
• Ike Davis hit a solo home run in the fourth inning.
• David Wright got his first hit of the spring in the fourth inning.
• Travis d'Arnaud went 1-2 with a single in the ninth inning.
• Matt den Dekker went 1-3, but robbed Anthony Rendon of a home run in the 7th inning.

My Take: McHugh definitely didn't have his best stuff today. He started the game off strong, but it all game falling down for him in the 2nd and 3rd innings. He looked good in his first start (intra-squad game), and I would like to see more of him before I write him off just yet. As for Ramirez, he has the velocity to strike out plenty of hitters, but control has been a big problem with him at the big league level. In the minors, his control was what made him stand out from everyone else, but he completely changed when he earned the call-up last season. It is nice to see him rack up those strikeouts.

Davis' home run was exciting, especially because we all knew it was gone right when he hit it. d'Arnaud finally got his first hit as a Met, but he still has to prove me (and other Mets fans as well) that he is ready for the big leagues now. Personally, I would start him in the minors, and let him fully recover from his knee injury before rushing him to the big leagues. Finally, Matt den Dekker's amazing defensive play in the 7th inning was really exciting. We have all heard about his above-average defense, and he definitely showed us why he has that reputation with that play right there. His hitting needs some work, but hopefully that is something he develops sooner than later. 

Spring Training: Nationals at Mets 6:10 PM

Tonight the Mets (1-0-1) will face the Nationals (0-1-1) at Tradition Field. Here are the lineups for both teams.

Mets

1. Collin Cowgill CF

2. Brandon Hicks SS (Tejada scratched last minute due to a right quad cramp)

3. David Wright 3B

4. Ike Davis 1B

5. Marlon Byrd RF

6. Jaime Hoffmann LF

7. Andrew Brown DH

8. John Buck C

9. Wilmer Flores 2B

P. Collin McHugh

Collin McHugh will start for the Mets, and will be followed by Gonzalez Germen, Scott Rice, Elvin Ramirez, and Greg Burke.

Nationals

1. Eury Perez CF

2. Steve Lombardozzi 2B

3. Corey Brown RF

4. Tyler Moore DH

5. Chris Marrero 1B

6. Carlos Rivero LF

7. Matt Skole 3B

8. Chris Snyder C

9. Zack Walters SS

P. Gio Gonzalez

Final Scores: Mets 5 UM 2, Mets 7 Astros 7

The Mets defeated the University of Michigan today by a score of 5-2.

• Jon Niese and Dillon Gee each allowed a run in two innings of work.
• Rafael Montero threw two scoreless innings, and struck out one batter.
• Carlos Torres threw two scoreless innings of relief, and recorded the save in the process. 
• Justin Turner, Marlon Byrd and Matt den Dekker all had one RBI. 
• Wilmer Flores hit a home run in the 6th inning.
• Brandon Hicks went 2-3 with two runs scored.

My Take: Niese and Gee certainly looked promising today. Two innings apiece is a small sample size, but it is nice to see both of them getting off to strong starts this season. They are going to need to step up to make up for the loss of R.A. Dickey. As for Montero, people have been raving about him all Spring and he lived up to the hype today. I don't see any chance of him making the team out of Spring Training, but down the road he could be a force to be reckoned with.

As for Torres, he had a good game, but I'd like to see more of him before I consider giving him a bullpen spot. Luckily for him, it really won't take that much to earn a bullpen spot, considering that it is just THAT bad right now. I am excited to hear that Flores hit another home run this Spring. This kid is definitely something special, and it is exciting because the team is playing him at second base, so he may he Murphy a run for his money in 2013. 

The Mets (1-0-1) and Astros (1-0-1) finished today's game with a 7-7 tie.

• Matt Harvey started for the Mets, and allowed one run in two innings of work. He also had three strikeouts.
• The Mets originally had a 6-1 lead, but Hefner allowed two runs (in two innings), and Familia allowed an additional three runs (two earned) in one inning of work. Finally, Josh Edgin put the nail in the coffin when he blew the save in the 9th inning by allowing a run.
• Aaron Laffey threw two scoreless innings of relief.
• Jaime Hoffman hit a home run in the second inning, and Jordany Valdespin hit a two-run home run in the third inning.
• Lucas Duda went 0-4 with four strikeouts in this game, and is now 0-7 with six strikeouts so far this Spring.
• Travis d'Arnaud went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts.

My Take: Matt Harvey looked pretty good for the most part, and I am happy that he managed to collect three strikeouts. However, he DID face the Houston Astros, so I kind of surprised that he actually let up a run. Nevertheless, just like everyone else, he is just starting his season and I'm sure he'll get better. As for the entire Mets bullpen debacle, I am most disappointed in Jeurys Familia. Familia really needs to show us fans why he is ranked the #3 pitching prospect in the organization. The velocity is there, but sometimes his fastball seems flat, and he just loses his control. It's nice to Aaron Laffey have some success. Here is a guy who has a decent chance to make the team as a long man in the bullpen, and possibly even a spot starter. He doesn't have too much upside, but is capable of putting of respectable numbers. 

I'm not really sure what to think of Jaime Hoffman. I don't think he'll make the team, but his home run today certainly helped his cause. The Mets have quite a few outfielders as it is, but since most of them are average at best, I suppose the competition is wide open. Valdespin had another good game, and it is exciting to see him find his power stroke. However, I am somewhat concerned that he focuses too much on the long-ball rather than fully utilizing his speed through bunting. Duda has really looked awful this Spring, and I think that is due to some tinkering with his Spring. Earlier in the year we heard that he and Dave Hudgens were working on fixing his swing, but it appears that whatever they are doing is completely destroying it. Finally, d'Arnaud had a rough game, but I'm not concerned because it is still early and he hasn't played since last summer. 

 

Spring Training: University of Michigan vs. Mets, and Mets vs. Astros

Today, the Mets will play two games- they will host the University of Michigan at Tradition Field at 12:10 PM, and the other half of the team will head to Kissimmee to face the Astros at 1:10 PM.

Lineups for: Mets against University of Michigan

1. Ruben Tejada SS

2. Mike Baxter RF

3. Marlon Byrd DH

4. Ike Davis 1B

5. Justin Turner 2B

6. Brandon Hicks 3B

7. Anthony Recker C

8. Matt den Dekker CF

9. Juan Lagares LF

P. Jon Niese

Jon Niese will start for the Mets, and will be followed by Dillon Gee, Brandon Lyon, Hansel Robles, Rafael Montero, and Carlos Torres.

Lineups for: Mets vs Astros

Mets

1. Jordany Valdespin 2B

2. Collin Cowgill CF

3. Lucas Duda DH

4. Andrew Brown RF

5. Travis d'Arnaud C

6. Jaime Hoffman LF

7. Zack Lutz 3B

8. Omar Quintanilla SS

9. Josh Satin 1B

P. Matt Harvey 

Matt Harvey will start for the Mets, and will be followed by Jeremy Hefner, Aaron Laffey, Scott Atchison, and Josh Edgin.

Astros

1. Marwin Gonzalez SS

2. Josh Altuve 2B

3. Carlos Pena 1B

4. Brett Wallace DH

5. Rick Ankiel RF

6. Jason Castro C

7. Fernando Martinez LF

8. Matt Dominguez 3B

9. Robbie Grossman CF

Final Score: Mets 5 Nationals 3

The Mets (1-0) defeated the Nationals today by a final score of 5-3. 

• Shaun Marcum started for the Mets, and allowed three earned runs in two innings of work.
• Ruben Tejada hit a 2 run HR off of Stephen Strasburg in the 1st inning.
• Zack Wheeler pitched two scoreless innings, striking out two and allowing one hit.
• Jordany Valdespin had an RBI single in the fourth inning.
• Collin Cowgill had an RBI double, and eventually scored from second base on an error by Micah Owings.
• Darin Gorski and Cory Mazzoni both tossed two scoreless innings.
• Marlon Byrd went 2-2 at the plate.

My Take: This was certainly a nice way to start off Spring Training. Marcum looked good in the first inning but allowed a two run home run to Chris Synder in the second. I am not going to really knock him for having a bad game considering that it is still early in the Spring. Tejada surprised many when he managed to hit one over the left-center wall against Stephen Strasburg in the 1st inning. I don't expect him to hit too many home runs this season, but it is nice to see that he is trying to. 

As for Wheeler, he seemed like he was overthrowing the ball at first, but then he settled down nicely and ended up getting out of a few jams. The velocity on his fastball was there, and I am interested in seeing how he progresses throughout Spring Training. Valdespin had a nice RBI single in the 4th inning, but I am still not convinced that he will be making this team. There is an excess of infielders, and Valdespin would certiainly get more playing time (and development) in Triple-A. Cowgill really impressed me today, mainly because of his aggressiveness. Before this game we heard about how gritty and scrappy he is, and he proved it when he caught the first baseman and pitcher napping at first base. He ended up scoring from second, and gave the Mets some more breathing room. Marlon Byrd had a good game as well. He went 2-2, and was taken out around the middle of the game in order to allow some minor leaguers to have some playing time. If he continues to hit like this, he should have no problem earning that right field job. Finally, both Gorski and Mazzoni had very good games. I honestly don't think that either of them will be making the team, but they could have some trade value in the future.