Preview: Game 159 - Mets at Braves - Mejia vs Medlen

New York Mets (73-85) at Atlanta Braves (92-66)													1:35 PM ET
	Season				Rd/Hm		Last Start						Last 3 App
STARTERS	GS	REC	ERA	AIP	REC	ERA	DATE	OPP	DEC	IP	H	ER	REC	IP	ERA
J. Mejia (R)	2	1-1	4.91	3.2	0-1	15.00	9/24	PIT	W	5.0	4	0	1-1	9.0	5.00
K. Medlen (R)	11	9-1	1.64	6.0	3-1	1.91	9/25	MIA	ND	7.0	5	3	1-0	22.0	1.64

Preview:

Having already locked up a spot in the playoffs, the Atlanta Braves can set a major league record Sunday if they can beat the New York Mets.

The Braves have won 22 straight games started by Kris Medlen, who will take the mound today. Medlen's only loss this season came in relief. The right- hander, in his first full season following Tommy John surgery, threw seven innings in a no-decision against the Marlins on Tuesday.

The Braves have won Medlen's last 22 starts dating to 2010, increasing his franchise record. The major league record is 23 consecutive starts by the Yankees' Whitey Ford and the Giants' Carl Hubbell.

Medlen is 2-0 with a 1.82 ERA in 14 games (4 starts) all-time against the Mets.

It's also expected to be an emotional day for third baseman Chipper Jones, who will play his final regular season home game. Jones, who will retire following the playoffs, will head to Pittsburgh along with the rest of the Braves to finish the regular season.

The Braves trail the NL East-leading Washington Nationals by four games with four left to play.

Last night, Jason Heyward and Martin Prado each drove in a run and the Braves pitching staff blanked the Mets, 2-0.

Mike Minor (11-10) was nearly untouchable. He gave up just three hits over 6 1/3 innings while striking out four. Minor won for the fourth time this month and has given up just three runs over his last five starts. He's won five straight decisions.

Recap: Game 158 - Mets at Braves - Mets Get Blanked 2-0

Turner Field (Atlanta, Ga.)

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
N.Y. Mets (73-85)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
Atlanta (92-66) «	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	x	2	8	1

 
W: M. Minor (11-10) L: C. Young (4-9)
S: C. Kimbrel (41)
HR: NYM - None   ATL - None

Recap:

Jason Heyward and Martin Prado each drove in a run and the Braves pitching staff blanked the New York Mets, 2-0, to win the second edition of a three-game set.

Mike Minor (11-10) was nearly untouchable for the playoff-bound Braves, who trail the NL East-leading Washington Nationals by four games with four left to play.

He gave up just three hits over 6 1/3 innings while striking out four. Minor won for the fourth time this month and has given up just three runs over his last five starts. He's won five straight decisions.

"His velocity has been up and has been pounding the zone," said Braves second baseman Dan Uggla. "He's throwing all three pitches for strikes and hitting the corners. He's not just working in the middle of the plate, he's getting ahead of hitters. He's really turned the corner."

After putting two runners on in the ninth, Craig Kimbrel struck out pinch- hitter Ike Davis and Lucas Duda to earn his 41st save of the season.

Chris Young (4-9) was once again charged with the loss despite tossing his fourth straight quality start. He pitched six strong innings, but gave up two runs on seven hits. He struck out six.

"Ultimately, it's about team wins and losses," said Young. "All in all, there were some really good things. It was a great year to bounce back, it's the most I've pitched since 2008. There were a lot of positives."

Chipper Jones, who is playing his final regular season games at Turner Field, once again went 0-for-4.

Prado finished 2-for-4 and scored a run in the first and drove in the Braves' second run in the fifth.

In the first, Prado ripped a one-out double to right, advanced to third on a wild pitch by Young and scurried home on Heyward's groundout to short. After Andrelton Simmons singled to leadoff the fifth, Minor sacrificed him over and Prado drove another double, this one to left field, to score Simmons from second.

The Mets managed just five hits all game, but had their best chance to score in the ninth inning.

Ruben Tejada reached on a fielding error by Uggla to leadoff the ninth. After Kimbrel got pinch-hitter Daniel Murphy to fly out, he hit David Wright with a pitch, bringing Davis to the plate. However, Kimbrel was able to fan Davis and Duda struck out looking to end the game.

Game Notes

Tejada had his 10-game hitting streak snapped ... The Mets lost for just the second time in their last nine games ... Prado becomes the 10th player in franchise history to accomplish 60 multi-hit games in a season.

Box Score:

Preview: Game 158 - Mets at Braves - Young vs Minor

New York Mets (73-84) at Atlanta Braves (91-66)													7:10 PM ET
	Season				Rd/Hm		Last Start						Last 3 App
STARTERS	GS	REC	ERA	AIP	REC	ERA	DATE	OPP	DEC	IP	H	ER	REC	IP	ERA
C. Young (R)	19	4-8	4.21	5.1	4-4	4.45	9/23	MIA	ND	6.0	5	1	0-1	18.2	2.89
M. Minor (L)	29	10-10	4.27	5.2	6-4	3.47	9/22	@PHI	W	6.0	2	2	2-0	17.2	1.53

Preview:

Coming down the stretch this season, Mike Minor has been one of the best pitchers in the Atlanta Braves rotation.

Minor aims to win his fifth consecutive decision tonight when the playoff- bound Braves continue their three-game set against the New York Mets.

The left-hander, who is unbeaten in his last six starts and hasn't lost since Aug. 19 to the Dodgers, has given up three runs over his last four starts. Minor is 2-1 with a 7.56 ERA in five games against the Mets.

Chris Young, who has just one victory over his last eight starts, counters for the Mets. The righty is 2-3 with a 7.36 ERA in seven contests versus the Braves.

Atlanta heads into Saturday trailing the Washington Nationals by four games with five left to play for the NL East lead. The Nats have a magic number of two to clinch the division, meaning they can do so on Saturday with a win coupled by a Braves loss.

Happy Recap: Game 157 - Mets at Braves - Duda, Niese Pair for Mets Win 3-1

Turner Field (Atlanta, Ga.)

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
N.Y. Mets (73-84) «	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	3	6	0
Atlanta (91-66)	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	0

W: J. Niese (13-9) L: T. Hudson (16-7)
S: B. Parnell (6)
HR: NYM - L. Duda (15)   ATL - F. Freeman (23)

Recap:

Lucas Duda hit a three-run homer and Jon Niese pitched seven strong innings, as the New York Mets defeated the Atlanta Braves, 3-1, spoiling the first of Chipper Jones' final three regular-season home games.

Jones, who is retiring at the end of the season, was honored with a pre-game ceremony in front of the seventh largest crowd in the history of Turner Field, but the 18-year veteran finished 0-for-4 on the night.

"I'm glad it's over, it's been a lot of attention," said Jones. "I was an emotional wreck all night. It was tough to stay focused with the tributes in between innings from ex-teammates and teammates and everything like that. It was too overwhelming, I was a little too emotional to be able to go out there and play effectively tonight."

Niese (13-9) was dominant for New York, which has won seven of its last eight games. He made just one mistake, giving up a homer to Freddie Freeman in fourth. He struck out three and didn't allow a hit over his final three innings.

Duda provided the Mets' only offense with his blast in the seventh off Tim Hudson (16-7), who allowed five hits while striking out four over seven frames.

Bobby Parnell pitched a perfect ninth to earn his sixth save of the season.

Daniel Murphy doubled to lead off the seventh and advanced to third on David Wright's fly out. Hudson then intentionally walked Ike Davis before Duda smacked a two-out, three-run shot over the right-field fence on the ninth pitch of his at-bat.

"It's just one of those games with the crowd like that, you could get a lot of energy. It's not very hard to find the energy in a game like tonight," said Niese. "A lot of guys made some great plays behind me. Lucas had a great hit, just fortunate to get the win."

Jones denied the Mets from pouring it on in the eighth when he turned a double play with the bases loaded. With one-out, Wright hit a chopper to Jones, who stepped on the bag at third and threw out Wright at first to end the inning.

The Braves, who lost for just the third time in their last 13 games, put just one runner in scoring position on Jones' honorary night.

Game Notes

The Braves, who have already clinched a playoff berth, trail the Washington Nationals by four games with five left to play for the NL East lead ... New York's Ruben Tejada extended his hitting streak to 10 games ... Parnell has given up just one earned run over his last 12 innings. ... Atlanta lost to New York for just second time in 10 tries since the All-Star break.

Box Score:

Mets News and Notes: Dickey Notes, Mets at Home, Hernandez's Mustache

Mets News and Notes:

R.A. Dickey became the sixth pitcher in franchise history to produce a 20-win season as the Mets completed their home schedule with a 6-5 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday afternoon. David Wright hit a tiebreaking three-run homer and the Mets survived Jon Rauch surrendering a two-run homer to Alex Presley in the ninth.


Dickey became the first knuckleballer to win 20 games since Joe Niekro with the Houston Astros in 1980, according to STATS LLC. He will make one more start this season, in Miami. "The road to where he is today, a lot of people dream it. Few achieve it," Terry Collins said. In the Cy Young race, Gio Gonzalez improved to 21-8 with a 2.89 ERA after allowing three runs in six innings in Washington's 7-3 win at Philly on Thursday night.

A statistical comparison of NL Cy Young candidates R.A. Dickey and Gio Gonzalez.

Dickey	Stat	Gonzalez
20-6	Record	21-8
2.69	ERA	2.89
227.2	Innings	199.1
222	Strikeouts	207
1.05	WHIP	1.13
5	CG	2
3	Shutouts	1

Preview: Game 157 - Mets at Braves - Niese vs Hudson

New York Mets (72-84) at Atlanta Braves (91-65)													7:35 PM ET
	Season				Rd/Hm		Last Start						Last 3 App
STARTERS	GS	REC	ERA	AIP	REC	ERA	DATE	OPP	DEC	IP	H	ER	REC	IP	ERA
J. Niese (L)	29	12-9	3.49	5.2	6-4	3.19	9/21	MIA	W	6.1	7	3	2-1	18.1	2.95
T. Hudson (R)	27	16-6	3.61	6.1	8-4	3.93	9/23	@PHI	W	7.1	2	0	2-1	19.0	3.79

Preview:

With a playoff berth already in the fold, the Atlanta Braves still have their sights set on winning the National League East.

A favorable schedule could get the Braves where they want to be.

Atlanta will open a three-game series versus the New York Mets tonight at Turner Field and sits four games behind the Washington Nationals for the division lead with six to play.

The Braves have won five in a row and 10 of 12, and completed a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins with Thursday's 6-2 victory behind starter Tommy Hanson and a strong bullpen. Hanson allowed two runs -- one earned -- and six hits in 5 1/3 innings for the win, while Luis Avilan, Jonny Venters and Cristhian Martinez held the Marlins scoreless the rest of the way.

Dan Uggla went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI, and Andrelton Simmons recorded two hits, an RBI and a run scored.

"It definitely feels good to get a couple of runs and drive in a few and get some knocks," said Uggla. "Like I said about three weeks, a month ago, I'm back, I'm not searching for (my swing). It's me and I'm going to keep doing what I can do from here on out."

Braves center Michael Bourn is anticipating a return soon and an MRI on his left thumb revealed a slight sprain. Bourn hasn't played since last Saturday and is batting .274 with nine homers and 56 RBI.

"Once the swelling has gone out of it, it has felt better," Bourn said. "They just did not want me to rush back out there and have any setbacks."

In what could be his final start before the playoffs, Tim Hudson takes the mound for the Braves tonight and has been riding a hot streak since July. In his last 15 starts, Hudson is 10-2 with a 3.39 earned run average and posted his second win in a row in Sunday's 2-1 decision at Philadelphia.

Happy Recap: Game 156 - Pirates at Mets - Dickey Wins his 20th, Mets Win 6-5

Citi Field (Flushing, NY)

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pittsburgh (76-80)	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	5	9	0
N.Y. Mets (72-84) «	0	1	0	1	4	0	0	0	x	6	8	0

 
W: R. Dickey (20-6) L: K. Correia (11-11)
S: B. Parnell (5)
HR: PIT - R. Barajas (11),A. Presley (10)   NYM - I. Davis (31),D. Wright (21)

Recap:

David Wright hit a three-run homer and R.A. Dickey tied a career-high with 13 strikeouts, as the New York Mets closed out their season at home, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-5.

Wright's blast in the fifth gave the Mets the lead and allowed Dickey (20-6), who gave up three runs in 7 2/3 innings of work, to become the Mets first pitcher since Frank Viola in 1990 to win 20 games.

"To win 20 games is difficult. It's been a real grind," Dickey said. "It's a big exhale."

Ike Davis hit a solo homer and Daniel Murphy and Scott Hairston each contributed an RBI, as New York collected its sixth victory in its last seven games.

Kevin Correia (11-11) exited the game after Wright's homer, tagged for six runs on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings.

"Normally I can pick a positive out of a start, but today there basically wasn't any," Correia said.

Alex Presley made it one-run game with a two-run blast off Jon Rauch in the ninth, but Bobby Parnell retired the final two batters to earn his fifth save of the season.

The Mets trailed early after Dickey gave up back-to-back run scoring hits in the second. With runners on the corners, Rod Barajas hit a ground-rule double to score Garrett Jones and then Jordy Mercer plated another with a slow- rolling ground ball to third to make it 2-0.

New York got a run back on Davis's leadoff homer in bottom half but were denied from tying the game two batters later when Mike Baxter was robbed of a home run by Pirates right fielder Travis Snider.

Barajas added a solo homer in the fourth but Hairston knocked in a run in the home half to keep the deficit at one. An inning later, the Mets took the lead for good.

Andres Torres drew a leadoff walk, and two batters later Ruben Tejada singled to right, before Daniel Murphy smoked a single up the middle to bring Torres home from second. Wright then strolled to the plate and cleared the bases with his 21st home run to give the Mets a 5-3 lead.

Pittsburgh came up just short in its final turn at the plate. Mercer reached on a leadoff walk before Presley delivered a blast to right to make it 6-5. But Parnell got Josh Harrison to ground out and Jose Tabata to fly out to end the game.

Game Notes

Houston's Joe Niekro was the last knuckleballer to reach 20 wins, doing so in 1980 ... Dickey's 222 strikeouts are the most in a single season for the Mets since David Cone struck out 214 in 1992 ... Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen left the game in the seventh with discomfort in his left knee ... Pittsburgh has lost eight of its last 10 games and, at 76-80, is in danger of posting its 20th straight non-winning season.

Box Score:

Mets News and Notes: Wright's Record, Dickey's Option, Carson, Hernandez's Stache, Familia, CitiField Dimensions

Mets News and Notes:

David Wright passed Ed Kranepool for the franchise career hits record and Jeremy Hefner rebounded from failing to record an out in his previous start by tossing seven scoreless innings as the Mets beat the Pirates, 6-0, Wednesday night at Citi Field.

Wright had a pair of hits and now has 1,420 in his career, moving past Kranepool (1,418). The third baseman also has claimed the franchise records for RBI, runs and walks this season. He previously had claimed the doubles and extra-base hits records.

“I’m proud of the fact that I’ve been able to accomplish what I’ve been able to accomplish so far, but there’s a huge hole in doing what I think I want to accomplish as a team,” Wright told reporters. “Obviously, individually, there’s a lot more I’d like to accomplish. I’m proud of the fact I’ve had the career I’ve had so far, and I’ve worked extremely hard and feel very fortunate to be in this position. So I’m proud of that, but there’s still a big hole that’s inside.”

Dickey has a team-friendly option for next season at $5 million. He won't be as Charitable in his new deal...

"It’s different in that you accept the first contract trying to be compensated for 13 years of playing the game and finally getting a chance to take care of your family,” Dickey told McCullough. “This mentality is different, because I’ve done that now. I have more freedom to really weigh things. ...

Today's Mets Starting Lineup vs Pirates - Game 156

Today's Mets Starting Lineup vs Pirates - Game 156

1. Ruben Tejada, ss
2. Daniel Murphy, 2b
3. David Wright, 3b
4. Ike Davis, 1b
5. Scott Hairston, lf
6. Mike Baxter, rf
7. Josh Thole, c
8. Andres Torres, cf
9. R.A. Dickey, rhp

Preview: Game 156 - Pirates at Mets - Dickey Goes for 20th Win

Pittsburgh Pirates (76-79) at New York Mets (71-84)													1:10 PM ET
	Season				Rd/Hm		Last Start						Last 3 App
STARTERS	GS	REC	ERA	AIP	REC	ERA	DATE	OPP	DEC	IP	H	ER	REC	IP	ERA
K. Correia (R)	26	11-10	4.11	5.1	5-7	4.34	9/22	@HOU	L	6.0	7	3	1-2	19.0	2.84
R. Dickey (R)	31	19-6	2.66	6.0	9-3	2.53	9/22	MIA	W	8.0	6	2	1-2	22.0	2.86

Preview:

The New York Mets haven't had a 20-game winner in 22 years, and it's been even longer since they've had a Cy Young Award winner.

R.A. Dickey is making a bid to end both lengthy droughts.

The right-handed knuckleballer looks to enter Mets' lore and get victory No. 20 in front of the home fans in Flushing on Thursday against the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates.

Dickey (19-6, 2.66 ERA) has been one of the few bright spots for New York (71-84) this year, and he's on the verge of becoming the team's first 20-game winner since Frank Viola in 1990.

"Obviously, there's something that looks pretty about that number," Dickey told the team's official website. "I'm not going to pretend that it's not nice. But my whole mentality is geared around, 'How can I be consistent?' So I'm going to go out there and try to put up a quality start, just like I always do, and hopefully it will equal a win."

Dickey is also a contender for the NL Cy Young Award, which hasn't been won by a Met since Dwight Gooden in 1985.

Gooden is also the only Mets hurler to win the pitching Triple Crown, and Dickey has a chance to match that feat. He has the NL's lowest qualifying ERA, and ranks second to Washington's Gio Gonzalez in wins, while his 209 strikeouts are two behind Los Angeles' Clayton Kershaw for the league lead.

Gonzalez is scheduled to start Thursday night at Philadelphia.

Reaching 20 wins would make Dickey the third Met to reach a significant milestone this year.

Happy Recap: Game 155 - Pirates at Mets - Mets Shut Out Pirates 6-0

Citi Field (Flushing, NY)

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pittsburgh (76-79)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	1
N.Y. Mets (71-84) «	0	0	4	1	0	1	0	0	x	6	14	0

 
W: J. Hefner (3-7) L: J. Locke (0-3)
HR: PIT - None   NYM - None

Recap:

Ruben Tejada went 4-for-5 with two RBI and rookie Jeremy Hefner threw seven scoreless innings, as the New York Mets blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-0, in the third edition of a four-game series at Citi Field.

Hefner (3-7) allowed three hits and matched his career-best total for strikeouts in a game with seven -- along with posting four 1-2-3 innings.

For Hefner, it was a nice rebound from his last outing, when he allowed seven runs without recording an out in the first inning of an eventual 16-1 loss to the Phillies six days ago.

Andres Torres also had a nice night at the plate for New York, going 3-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and two runs scored.

Daniel Murphy, Scott Hairston and Kelly Shoppach each contributed an RBI for the Mets, who have won five of their last six.

Jeff Locke (0-3), making his ninth career start, took the loss for Pittsburgh, throwing just 3 2/3 innings and allowing five runs on nine hits. Locke struck out five and walked one in the defeat, which officially eliminated the Pirates from playoff contention.

After managing only a single and a walk in the first two innings, the Mets' lineup got to work against Locke in the bottom of the third.

Tejada singled and stole second, then scored the game's first run when Murphy knocked a single of his own back up the middle to center field.

Wright followed by dribbling an infield single towards third, which allowed Murphy to come around and score on a throwing error by third baseman Pedro Alvarez. Wright then crossed home on a double by Scott Hairston, who later scored himself on a Shoppach single to make the score 4-0.

Tejada came through with an RBI single in the fourth, hitting a bullet back towards third that Alvarez could only manage to knock down with his glove.

Torres -- who had singled to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a Hefner sacrifice bunt and then stole third -- made it home on the play, putting the Mets up 5-0.

The only hint of a scoring threat to Hefner came in the top of the fifth, when Pittsburgh had runners on first and second with two outs. But the rookie struck out pinch-hitter Jeff Clement to end the inning and allowed only a single in his next two innings of work.

Tejada collected his second RBI of the game in the bottom of the sixth, hitting a one-out single to score Torres.

Reliever Jeurys Familia entered in the eighth for New York, pitching two scoreless innings.

Game Notes

Hefner made his 12th career start and faced the Pirates for the first time in his career ... Tejada extended his hitting streak to eight games after singling to right in his first at bat ... The game was Tejada's fourth four- hit outing of the season...With his third-inning single, Wright surpassed Ed Kranepool for most hits in Mets franchise history, ending the night with 1,420 in his nine-year career.

Box Score:

Mets News and Notes: Wright, Carson, Alderson, Free Agent Centerfielders, Francisco, McHugh, Bay, Fundraiser

Mets News and Notes:

David Wright tied Ed Kranepool for the franchise hits record but it came in a losing effort as the Mets fell to the Pirates, 8-6 Tuesday night at Citi Field. Wright now has two more games to try and record his 1,419th hit in front of a home crowd before the Mets finish the season on the road.

Despite tying the franchise record, Wright said once again that it's hard for him to focus too much on his accomplishment when the team has been floundering in the second half and has been knocked from the pennant race.

"I don't think you can sit back and really enjoy this until you're done playing -- or, maybe, enjoy it a little bit in the offseason," Wright said after the 10-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. "I'm not programmed, and it's a little odd and uncomfortable talking about something individual like this, when we've had our struggles in the second half and haven't done what I think all of us feel like we were capable of doing. But I'll enjoy it at some point -- probably not tonight. I have to get ready for tomorrow. But at some point I'm sure I'll enjoy it because it's a nice accomplishment and I'm very proud."

Manager Terry Collins is concerned about Robert Carson's elbow as he has to go for an MRI on Wednesday. Carson had to leave the game with what was preliminary diagnosed as an elbow strain and a X-ray came back negative. Carson likely has pitched his final game as a Met this season as the team awaits further testing.

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson talked on television about a variety of topics on Tuesday night, including the upcoming contract situations with Wright and R.A. Dickey. He reiterated once again that the team plans to do all it again to ensure that its top hitter and top pitcher will remain in Flushing for the future.

Said Alderson:

Preview: Game 155 - Pirates at Mets - Locke vs Hefner

Pittsburgh Pirates (76-78) at New York Mets (70-84)													7:10 PM ET
	Season				Rd/Hm		Last Start						Last 3 App
STARTERS	GS	REC	ERA	AIP	REC	ERA	DATE	OPP	DEC	IP	H	ER	REC	IP	ERA
J. Locke (L)	4	0-2	5.47	4.1	0-1	7.71	9/21	@HOU	L	5.0	3	3	0-1	15.1	5.87
J. Hefner (R)	11	2-7	5.79	5.0	1-4	7.32	9/20	PHI	L	0.0	6	7	0-2	3.2	31.91

Preview:

Young southpaw Jeff Locke can at least temporarily keep the Pittsburgh Pirates' fleeting postseason hopes alive Wednesday when they visit Citi Field for the third of four games against the host New York Mets.

The Pirates sit seventh in the race for the National League's two wild card berths, 7 1/2 games behind the No. 2 slot now held by the St. Louis Cardinals.

St. Louis won on Tuesday in Houston to lower their magic number to one to eliminate the Pirates from contention, after a summer in which Pittsburgh contended early for the National League's Central Division before skidding in the second half.

Locke has appeared in six games and started four times in 2012 but is still seeking his first victory.

His most recent start came Sept. 21 at Houston, where he pitched five innings and allowed three runs on three hits in a 7-1 loss.

Locke, who has never faced the Mets, made 10 appearances and started eight times in the majors since debuting last season and has combined to pitch 41 1/3 innings while giving up 46 hits and 27 runs with a .280 opposition batting average.

Recap: Game 154 - Pirates at Mets - Pirates Beat Mets 10-6

Citi Field (Flushing, NY)

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pittsburgh (76-78) «	4	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	10	9	2
N.Y. Mets (70-84)	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	6	7	1

W: W. Rodriguez (12-13) L: C. McHugh (0-3) HR: PIT - P. Alvarez (30),G. Jones (25)   NYM - J. Turner (2),D. Wright (20)

Recap:

Pedro Alvarez smacked a three-run homer and Garret Jones added a two-run blast to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 10-6 triumph over the New York Mets on Tuesday.

Alvarez finished the game with four RBI and Jones knocked in three while Josh Harrison added two hits and a pair for RBI for the Pirates, who kept their slim playoff hopes alive. Pittsburgh trails the St. Louis Cardinals by 7 1/2 games for the final NL wild card spot.

"I wish that record-wise we would be doing a little better in the standings, but this is just one of those things that when the year is over I'll be able to reflect on," said Alvarez, who hit a career-high 30 homers this year. "But right now we are just trying to win some ball games."

A Cardinals' win or a Pirates' loss will eliminate Pittsburgh from wild card contention.

Wandy Rodriguez (12-13) surrendered three runs on four hits and struck out three over six innings to pick up his third win in five starts. Rodriguez hasn't lost since Aug. 24.

Justin Turner and David Wright hit back-to-back homers and Ruben Tejada had two hits and scored twice for the Mets, who had a four-game winning streak snapped.

Collin McHugh (0-3) was charged with the loss after giving up seven runs on five hits in just 1 1/3 innings.

"I truly believe he has run out of gas," Mets manager Terry Collins said of McHugh. "You accumulate all the innings he has this year, pitching in September for the first time. His stuff is not as crisp as his first outing."

The Pirates raced to a 4-0 lead in the first. With the bases loaded, Gaby Sanchez lined into a force out to score Harrison before Alvarez smoked a three-run homer to left-center field, his 30th of the season.

Turner and Wright cranked back-to-back shots in the home half to make it 4-3. Tejada opened the frame with a single and Turner followed with his second homer of the year. Wright then smacked a solo shot over the center field wall.

Pittsburgh plated three more in the second to push its advantage to 7-3. With two on, Jose Tabata ripped a triple to right-center field before coming around on Turner's fielding error.

The Pirates added one more in the fifth when Alvarez drew a bases loaded walk.

New York's three-run seventh pulled the Mets within 8-6. Andres Torres doubled then scored when Jones bobbled Jose Valdespin's base hit. Following a Tejada walk and a Daniel Murphy groundout, Wright stroked a singled to right-center field to clear the bases.

Wright's base hit tied him with Ed Kranepool atop the Mets all-time hits list with 1,418.

"You would like to do these type of things in wins, but I am proud that I was able to tie it, and hopefully break it tomorrow," Wright said.

Jones' two-run blast in the ninth capped the scoring.

Game Notes

The Pirates are 69-0 when leading after eight innings ... Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen has hit safely in seven straight games, and 10 of his last 11 ... The Mets have homered in seven straight games at Citi Field.

Box Score:

Mets News and Notes: Davis, Mejia, Bay, Familia and Mejia's Roles in 2013, Francisco, Turner, Wright

Mets News and Notes:

Ike Davis belted two long balls to reach the 30-homer plateau and produced a career-high five RBIs as the Mets beat the Pirates, 6-2, Monday night.

Jenrry Mejia, despite a high pitch count, contributed five scoreless innings to notch his first major league win. After opening the second half 4-24 at Citi Field, the Mets have now won four straight at their home ballpark, albeit against Miami and the plummeting Pirates.

Post beat writer Mike Puma reports the Mets have resolved to have Jason Bay on next year's Opening Day roster should they be unable to trade him.

Jeurys Familia and Mejia both may be in the major league bullpen next season, but Paul DePodesta tells Andy McCullough in the Star-Ledger the starter-versus-relief debate continues in the organization.

Preview: Game 154 - Pirates at Mets - W. Rodriguez vs McHugh

Pittsburgh Pirates (75-78) at New York Mets (70-83)													7:10 PM ET
	Season				Rd/Hm		Last Start						Last 3 App
STARTERS	GS	REC	ERA	AIP	REC	ERA	DATE	OPP	DEC	IP	H	ER	REC	IP	ERA
W. Rodriguez (L)	31	11-13	3.76	5.2	5-5	3.95	9/20	MIL	ND	4.0	5	4	1-0	16.2	4.32
C. McHugh (R)	3	0-2	3.86	5.0	0-1	1.93	9/10	WSH	L	4.0	5	2	0-1	7.2	4.70

Preview:

Mid-season trade acquisition Wandy Rodriguez makes his 11th start in a Pittsburgh uniform tonight when the Pirates visit the New York Mets for the second of four games at Citi Field.

A 33-year-old Dominican southpaw, Rodriguez was 7-9 in 21 starts for Houston before the July trade and has since appeared in 11 games - starting 10 - with the Pirates while posting a 3.71 earned run average.

He's won three straight decisions with Pittsburgh in his last five starts, combining to allow 24 hits and 10 runs in 29 2/3 innings in the five games - in which Pittsburgh is 3-2.

Rodriguez last faced the Mets while with Houston on May 2 and emerged with an 8-1 win after allowing a run on six hits in seven innings.

He's 4-2 in eight career starts against New York with a 2.68 ERA.

The Mets oppose Rodriguez with rookie right-hander Collin McHugh, who'll make his sixth attempt at a first career victory.

Happy Recap: Game 153 - Pirates at Mets - Ike Davis hits two HRs in 6-2 win

Citi Field (Flushing, NY)

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pittsburgh (75-78)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	2	8	0
N.Y. Mets (70-83) «	0	0	0	2	4	0	0	0	x	6	6	0

 
W: J. Mejia (1-1) L: K. McPherson (0-2)
HR: PIT - None   NYM - I. Davis (29),I. Davis (30)

Recap:

Ike Davis hit two homers and knocked in five runs to lead the New York Mets to a 6-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday at Citi Field.

Davis smacked a two-run blast and a three-run shot in consecutive innings for the Mets, who have won four games in a row after losing five straight.

Making his second start of the season, Jenrry Mejia (1-1) tossed five scoreless for New York, but manager Terry Collins capped the 22-year-old's night after throwing 96 pitches. He allowed just four hits and struck out four to earn his first major league win.

Kyle McPherson's (0-2) start lasted just 4 1/3 innings after putting two runners on in the fifth. He surrendered Davis' first homer and was charged with four runs on four hits. He struck out three.

Garrett Jones and Jose Tabata each drove in a run for Pittsburgh, which has dropped a woeful 18 of its last 23 games.

After Davis' two-run homer in the fourth, Josh Thole led off the fifth with a walk. Fred Lewis singled two batters later before David Wright singled to left to plate Thole. Davis then strolled to the plate and stroked his 30th homer of the season to give the Mets a 6-0 lead.

Since snapping their 16 consecutive game streak of scoring three runs or fewer at home on Friday, the Mets have been scorching hot at the plate. In the last four games, the Mets have scored 20 runs, just one short of the total amount that they produced during that disastrous stretch.

The Mets pieced together the final four innings with six different pitchers out of the bullpen. They allowed just two runs on four hits as a collective unit.

Andrew McCutchen drilled a line drive to center for a triple in the eighth and came around to score on Jones' base hit. After Michael McKenry walked and advanced to second on defensive indifference in the ninth, Tabata drove him in with a single over the head of Daniel Murphy to score Pittsburgh's final run.

Game Notes

The Mets' four-game winning streak at home is their longest since winning four in a row from June 18-22 ... Wright is just two hits shy of tying Ed Kranepool for the most in franchise history ... The Pirates' pitching staff is just three strikeouts shy of tying their club record for most in a season after striking out seven on Monday.

Box Score:

Mets Fan Poll: Who should the Mets Trade This Off-season?

The Mets,  who are playing like they don't give a shit must find answers and find them quick. The answers unfortunately will not come this season, but Sandy Alderson has to find resourceful ways to make this team better and competitive in 2013.

The trade market has been much talked about with Ike Davis being the main topic of conversation. The Mets are looking to shop any player who has the most value and who they can get a high return.

I have listed in our latest fan poll some Mets players that I think have some value and that make sense to trade..

The most obvious would have to be David Wright, who would grant a large ransom from other teams and next season will be in a walk year. Ike Davis, who has been talked about recently and Lucas Duda who is stuck between first base and right field.. Of Course only one would go and one would play first.

 R.A. Dickey is having a Cy-Young Caliber season and Daniel Murphy who is a player on the Mets who can hit for average and play multiple positions..

The Mets can also out of the box and trade their ace Johan Santana who will be making a large sum of money next season. Can you say $31 Million?

So Now is your turn, who do you think the Mets should trade this Off-season to make the Mets more competitive in 2013?

Vote by clicking here or on our left sidebar on the page...

Please Note: That you can vote more than one player!

Thanks for reading Mets Chronicle!

Rumor Mill: Collins Staying Put, Upton's Worth, Victorino on Mets Radar?

Some Mets Rumors and Rumblings:

The Mets front office remains committed to Terry Collins beyond this season despite the team's slide, tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post.  Puma was told emphatically that Collins is returning next year, which has been the tone of the reports surrounding the manager's future for most of the summer.

The Mets will be looking to add some offense and centerfield position is a place where they could start. They are in lack of a lead off hitter and the Mets may enter the bidding this off-season for a Bourn or Victorino type. They also can try their hand at a right handed B.J. Upton, which would make David Wright happy as they played in college together and are close friends..

Jon Heyman of SI.com says there's a debate about whether the Rays will make the qualifying offer for B.J. Upton around $13 million, but execs believe they will since his very nice all-around season with 24 home runs and 30 stolen bases means he'll get at least four years elsewhere. Upton could demand a package of 5 years, $60 Million.

It's a pretty good center field market, though, with Michael Bourn and Shane Victorino also free agents.

Shane Victorino has talked aloud about wanting to stay in L.A., though with Carl Crawford due back by early next season it doesn't seem like the perfect spot for him. Publicly, Dodgers people aren't ruling it out, though maybe they are being kind.

Heyman says the Nats, Mets, Braves, Phillies and Giants all could be better fits, though Victorino will have to lower his sights after originally seeking a five-year deal. Heyman thinks Victorino could only get two years,  $25 Million which might be in the Mets price range.

Preview: Game 153 - Pirates at Mets - Mejia gets the start for Mets

Pittsburgh Pirates (75-77) at New York Mets (69-83)													7:10 PM ET
	Season				Rd/Hm		Last Start						Last 3 App
STARTERS	GS	REC	ERA	AIP	REC	ERA	DATE	OPP	DEC	IP	H	ER	REC	IP	ERA
K. McPherson (R)	1	0-1	2.25	4.1	0-0	2.70	9/19	MIL	L	4.1	7	2	0-1	7.1	3.68
J. Mejia (R)	1	0-1	9.00	3.1	0-0	3.00	9/15	@MIL	L	3.0	6	5	0-1	6.0	9.00

Preview:

Rookie right-hander Kyle McPherson makes the second start of his career Monday when the Pittsburgh Pirates visit the New York Mets at Citi Field to open a four-game series.

The 24-year-old native of Alabama was a 14th-round pick of the Pirates in 2007 and debuted in the majors with a scoreless two-inning relief outing against the San Diego Padres on Aug. 20.

He allowed just two runs in 11 2/3 innings over seven relief outings through Sept. 14, then was beaten, 3-1, in his initial start against Milwaukee five days later after giving up two runs on seven hits.

In 16 combined innings of work, he's allowed an opposition batting average of .267, walked three batters and struck out 13.

McPherson split time at Double-A and Triple-A this season prior to his callup, going 3-6 with a 3.22 earned run average in 67 innings.

He's opposed by righty Jenrry Mejia, who'll also start for the second time this season.

The 22-year-old Dominican made three starts in 33 appearances while posting a 4.62 ERA in 39 innings for the Mets in 2011.

He debuted in the majors this season on Sept. 3 and threw two innings of one- run relief against Atlanta, then dropped a 9-6 decision at Milwaukee eight days later after allowing five runs on six hits in three innings.

Happy Recap: Game 152 - Marlins at Mets - Tejada drives in winning run, Mets Sweep Marlins..

Citi Field (Flushing, NY)

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Miami (66-87)	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	5	0
N.Y. Mets (69-83) «	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	7	2

 
W: B. Parnell (5-4) L: R. Webb (4-3)
HR: MIA - None   NYM - D. Wright (19)

Recap:

Ruben Tejada drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning on Sunday to give the New York Mets a 3-2 victory and a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins at Citi Field.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Tejada singled to left off Ryan Webb (4-3) to plate the winning run for the Mets, who completed their first sweep at home since taking three from the Baltimore Orioles on June 22-24.

David Wright added a two-run homer in the first and Bobby Parnell (5-4) pitched a perfect top of the ninth to earn the victory.

"It's always fun to win," said Wright. "It would be nice to finish on a strong note. You look at what the Orioles did, they finished strong last year and it carried over into this year, so it would be nice to do that."

Bryan Peterson had a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth and Gil Velazquez scurried home from third later in the inning on a throwing error by Kelly Shoppach for the Marlins, who have dropped six of seven.

Both starters pitched effectively behind little run support from their respective teams.

Chris Young tossed six innings for the Mets and did not factor into the decision. He gave up just two runs -- one earned -- on five hits while walking two and striking out five. The Mets have only scored 12 runs for Young over his last eight home starts.

Ricky Nolasco, who also gave up two runs on five hits while walking two and fanning five, lasted seven innings for the Marlins.

"Ricky pitched well, very well," said Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen. "He made one bad pitch, that home run, but besides that he pitched a good game."

Miami tied the game in the fifth after back-to-back singles from Rob Brantly and Velazquez. Nolasco bunted both runners over and Peterson drove a deep fly ball to center, allowing both runners to tag and Brantly to score from third. Young then walked Gorkys Hernandez, who stole second base and Shoppach's throwing error allowed Velazquez to score to even the game at two.

Game Notes

The Mets have won seven-straight games against the Marlins ... Wright is three hits shy of tying Ed Kranepool for the most hits in franchise history ... Nolasco walked two batters Sunday after walking just one over his previous 34 innings.

Box Score:

Mets News and Notes: Francisco, Bay, Wright

Mets News and Notes:

Closer Frank Francisco was unavailable Saturday with a sore elbow and Mets manager Terry Collins doubts that he will have him available on Sunday. Jon Rauch had to close the game instead and was able to work around a three-run homer that sliced the lead to 4-3.

Jason Bay was back in the lineup Saturday and helped out the cause with a two-run homer. He was in the game because of defensive purposes and his previous success against Marlins lefty Mark Buehrle. He's a career .292 hitter vs. the veteran.

David Wright is four hits shy of tying Ed Kranepool for the franchise's all-time hits record.

Kranepool told Newsday's Marc Carig that he's glad that it will be David Wright who breaks his record, and Wright talked about the record. He told Carig:

"I'm sure I'll enjoy it much more when I'm done playing and I can look back," Wright said. "But as of now, it's difficult to sit back and truly enjoy it and truly pat yourself on the back because of the position we put ourselves in the second half."

Preview: Game 152 - Marlins at Mets - Nolasco vs Young

Miami Marlins (66-86) at New York Mets (68-83),													1:10 PM ET
	Season				Rd/Hm		Last Start						Last 3 App
STARTERS	GS	REC	ERA	AIP	REC	ERA	DATE	OPP	DEC	IP	H	ER	REC	IP	ERA
R. Nolasco (R)	29	12-12	4.42	6.0	6-6	4.67	9/16	CIN	ND	5.0	10	3	2-0	21.0	1.71
C. Young (R)	18	4-8	4.37	5.1	0-4	4.26	9/16	@MIL	L	6.2	8	3	1-1	17.2	3.06

Preview:

The New York Mets have had little to cheer about in the second half of this season, but they can pick up their second straight three- game sweep of the Miami Marlins.

The Mets entered this weekend's series with one win over a 12-game span, but have since limited the Marlins to three runs in each contest this weekend. They also swept the Marlins in a three-game set in Miami from Aug. 31 - Sept. 2 by a 13-4 count.

Chris Young gets an opportunity to send the Mets to the whitewash today. The right-hander is coming off a loss at Milwaukee a week ago when he allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings. He's 0-4 in seven home starts this year, but 3-1 in five career starts against the Marlins.

Ricky Nolasco counters for the Marlins. The righty has issued just one walk over his last 34 innings, and has struck out 22 batters in that span. Nolasco is 5-8 in 23 appearances (21 starts) against the Mets. He's 3-0 over his last four starts overall, having thrown a pair of shutouts in that time.

Yesterday, R.A. Dickey pitched into the ninth inning and Jon Rauch overcame a John Buck three-run homer to close out a Mets 4-3 victory.

Dickey (19-6) tossed eight scoreless innings before putting two runners on in the ninth. Charged with two runs on six hits, Dickey praised the defense behind him.

Happy Recap: Game 151 - Marlins at Mets - Dickey Leads Mets to Victory, Wins #19

Citi Field (Flushing, NY)

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Miami (66-86)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	3	8	1
N.Y. Mets (68-83) «	0	2	0	1	1	0	0	0	x	4	7	1

 
W: R. Dickey (19-6) L: M. Buehrle (13-13)
S: J. Rauch (4)
HR: MIA - J. Buck (12)   NYM - J. Bay (8),S. Hairston (19)

Happy Recap:

R.A. Dickey pitched into the ninth inning and Jon Rauch overcame a John Buck three-run homer to close out a New York Mets 4-3 victory over the Miami Marlins at Citi Field.

Dickey (19-6) tossed eight scoreless innings before putting two runners on in the ninth. Charged with two runs on six hits, Dickey praised the defense behind him.

"They might not see the knuckleball well, but I try and get the hitter out of the batter's box in three pitches or less" said Dickey. "Fortunately they hit some balls at guys today and they made some pretty good plays.".

Rauch earned his fourth save of the season in the victory.

Jason Bay and Scott Hairston each hit homers for New York, which has won two in a row on the heels of a five-game skid.

Mark Buehrle (13-13) allowed four runs on five hits and three walks for the Marlins, who have dropped five of six overall.

"He gave up a couple of hits, two of them really hurt," said Buck regarding Buehrle's performance. "He got a couple of pitches up that Bay and Hairston obviously put good wood on."

Bay's two-run homer in the second inning put the Mets on the board. Two innings later, Hairston hit his 19th homer of the season.

After failing to score more than three runs in 16 consecutive home games, the Mets were able to do so in back-to-back games.

Josh Thole led off the home half of the fifth with a double and Dickey moved him over to third before Daniel Murphy drove him in on a fielder's choice.

Dickey came out to start the ninth but walked leadoff hitter Greg Dobbs before Donovan Solano hit a double to right field. Rauch came in to relieve Dickey and gave up a three-run homer to Buck to bring the Marlins within one run.

However, Rauch settled in and struck out Gil Velazquez, forced Bryan Peterson into a force out and fanned Gorkys Hernandez to end the game.

Game Notes

Bay's last home run came on Sept. 2, also against Buehrle ... Marlins' Jose Reyes is now 4-for-30 at Citi Field this season ... The Mets were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base ... The Marlins were 1- for-6 with runners in scoring position and also stranded eight men on base.

Box Score: