9/14/19 Game Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets

The Mets have fallen three and a half games behind the second wild card position, and will have to figure out the Los Angeles Dodgers to stay anywhere close to the playoffs. They’ll try again tonight at Citi Field for a 7:10 start. It’s Build-A-Bear night at Citi so you’ll get this cute little teddy bear with the bow tie:

I know they’re soft, but that doesn’t mean that you can throw the bears at Edwin Diaz. There are only 15,000 available so you’re not going to get another one.

How To Enjoy

Gare and Keith (no Ron … he’s on a train) are on WPIX tonight, and they’re on the usual suspects on the radio: WCBS 880 and ESPN Deportes 1050. If you’re in Los Angeles, Sportsnet L.A. has your action if you’re not trying to watch it on the fifteen cable outlets that are still blocking it. (The game is also on KTLA and SNLA Spanish.) You can listen on 570 LA Sports and KTNQ 1020.

And wherever you are, this is the free game of the day on MLB.tv. You’re welcome, America.

The Pitchers

Jacob deGrom and Hyun-Jin Ryu will most likely be in the top three in Cy Young voting along with Max Scherzer, and they face each other tonight. Both deGrom and Ryu have been hit around a bit lately. deGrom gave up four runs in seven innings against the Nationals and Cubs before only giving up one run in seven against Arizona on Monday.

It’s been much, much worse for Ryu. On August 11th, Ryu had an ERA of 1.45 in 142 and 1/3 innings. In the 19 innings since then, Ryu has pitched to an ERA of 9.95 and opponents are hitting .360 off him with an OPS of 1.066. Ryu hasn’t reached five innings in each of his last three starts.

The Lineups

For the Mets …

Aces square off in the Citi. #LGM

⌚️ 👉 7:10 p.m.
🏟️ 👉 https://t.co/SbQMrnNwDW
💪 👉 @JdeGrom19
👀 👉 @PIX11
👂 👉 @wcbs880
💻 👉 https://t.co/jgFvwB2EKq pic.twitter.com/j0m8ePCrRA

— New York Mets (@Mets) September 14, 2019

Pete Alonso returns to the lineup and Brandon Nimmo takes a seat against the lefty Ryu.

For Los Angeles:

Today’s Dodger lineup at Mets:
Pederson RF
Muncy 1B
Beaty 3B
Bellinger CF
Seager SS
Pollock LF
Lux 2B
Martin C
Ryu P#Dodgers | @Biofreeze pic.twitter.com/dLbehj14ew

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 14, 2019

Russell Martin in, Will Smith out at catcher.

Game Notes

• The Mets have lost nine straight to the Dodgers at Citi Field. David Wright, Curtis Granderson, and Juan Lagares homered in the last Dodger loss at Citi Field.
• The Dodgers won those nine games by a conbined score of 64-21.
• Cody Bellinger has an OPS of 1.277 in 76 plate appearances with 11 HR’s and 22 RBI. (For reference, he only has 10 career home runs against the Rockies in 196 PA’s … some of which occurred in Coors Field.)
• Speaking of, Bellinger, he has five career home runs at Citi Field in 32 plate appearances, while he has five career home runs in 107 plate appearances at Coors.