5/4/18 Game Preview: Colorado Rockies at New York Mets

MLB: New York Mets at Colorado Rockies

The Mets are 0-3 in May. Major League Baseball clubs are not allowed to skip right to June. (I checked.) So since there are 26 games left on the schedule, the Mets will continue their homestand tonight. The good news is that the Braves have left and that the Mets will face the Colorado Rockies in Flushing at 7:10 PM.

Tonight is Jay Bruce Free Shirt Friday. Bruce will make his 2018 first base debut on his free shirt giveaway, which means he won’t be traded before you get a chance to wear the thing.

Hey what’s up, Marlon Byrd?

And if you have a sharp eye out, you might see Rockies rookie Noel Cuevas picking up coffee for his teammates in the city.

How To Enjoy

Television Coverage: SNY covers the game, complete with the pregame show at 6:30. In Denver, you can find the game on AT&T Sportsnet Rocky Mountain. (Remember when television stations all had three letters?)

Radio Coverage: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes 1050, or in Denver the game is on KOA 850 AM and 94.1 FM. If you’re in Denver and you turn your dial down to 420 … well, that’s an entirely different broadcast.

Internet Coverage: You can find the Mets and the Rockies on your MLB.tv app, or you can get a subscription to YouTube TV.

The Pitchers

Zack Wheeler gets another chance to be the third starter that the Mets desperately need. He’s 2-1 with a 4.09 ERA, and has pitched to an ERA of six in his last two starts totalling nine innings. He has walked four in those nine innings while opposing hitters have a .308 average against him.

German Marquez is 1-3 for the Rockies this season with a 5.14 ERA. Marquez has a 4.19 ERA on the road as opposed to 4.96 at home, but his WHIP is actually significantly higher on the road (1.51 to 1.33). He pitched well in his last start in Miami but before that, against a good team, he gave up six runs in three and 1/3 in Wrigley Field.

The Lineups

With Bruce at first base, Brandon Nimmo gets to play. It’s a Christmas miracle.

And for Colorado: D.J. LeMahieu, who has a .304 career average at Citi Field, is still on the disabled list.

That’s Blackmon, Parra, Arenado, Gonzalez, Story, Desmond, Castro, Wolters and Marquez for those that can’t read the Star Wars fine print.

The Game Notes

It’s the Rockies in town, so let’s look at some home/road splits:

  • Charlie Blackmon: 1 HR, .728 OPS at home, 9 HR, 1.116 OPS on the road. This is not a typo.
  • Nolan Arenado: 3 HR, .439 AVG, 1.218 OPS at home, 4 HR, .232 AVG, .897 OPS on the road. That’s more like it.
  • Future Met Carlos Gonzalez: .278 AVG, .319 OBP, .778 SLG at home, .218 AVG, .241 OBP, .291 SLG at home.

Also …

  • Wheeler has a 4.88 ERA and a WHIP of 1.503 career at Citi Field.
  • Blackmon has an OPS of .733 at Citi Field.
  • Blackmon and Arenado are a combined 0-for-7 with a walk off Jeurys Familia, which is useful in the odd chance that Familia will have a chance for a save tonight.
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