Schwei: Mets Notes Ahead Of Subway Series Against Yankees
By John Schweibacher
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The Mets face the Yankees this week before heading to Miami to take on the Marlins.
The four total games will be the fewest between the Mets and Yanks since the first two seasons of interleague play back in 1997 and 1998 when the teams played just one three-game series. It will also be the first time since 1997 that none of the games will be played on a weekend.
The Mets have a 36-54 record against the Yankees in interleague play, including a 1 and 5 mark last season. The Mets are 102 and 74 all-time vs. all other American League opponents, including their 3 and 1 record against the Twins and White Sox this season.
Braves pitcher Mike Minor hit a two-run homer in Atlanta's 6-0 win over the Mets this past Saturday night. It was the first home run by an opposing pitcher at Citi Field since Minor's current teammate, Paul Maholm connected for the Pirates back in 2009.
Here is the list of the last 15 pitchers to homer against the Mets at either Citi Field or Shea Stadium:
•5/25/13 Mike Minor Atl
•5/9/09 Paul Maholm Pit
•9/22/08 Jason Marquis Chi
•6/23/08 Felix Hernandez Sea
•9/20/06 Dontrelle Willis Fla (2)
•7/25/06 Carlos Zambrano Chi
•7/7/06 Dontrelle Willis Fla
•6/17/06 Kris Benson Bal
•5/11/02 Mike Hampton Col
•8/23/01 Jason Jennings Col
•6/4/00 Esteban Yan TB
•8/8/99 Darren Dreifort LA
•8/28/93 Armando Reynoso Col
•9/16/92 Joe Magrane Stl
•9/9/89 Jeff Robinson Pit
Last Friday night's suspended game between the Mets and Braves was the fifth in club history.
The last time the Mets had a suspended game was back on August 6th, 1986 at Wrigley Field. The Mets and Cubs were playing a doubleheader that day and, after a 48-minute rain delay, the first game went 12 innings, a 7-6
Mets' win which took four hours and seven minutes to complete. The Mets led the second game of the twinbill, 6-4, in the seventh
inning, but because Wrigley Field was still two years away from installing lights, the game was suspended due to darkness.
The game resumed the next afternoon prior to the regularly scheduled one, with the Mets hanging on for a 7-6 victory.
Prior to 1986, the previuos two suspended games for the Mets both took place in the 1979 season.
On June 17th, 1979, the Mets and Braves played a Father's Day game at Shea Stadium which was delayed twice by rain for a total of two hours. With both teams traveling that night, the game was suspended after eight innings with the score tied 1-1.
The game resumed on August 27th, when the Braves returned for a series in New York. The Mets won, 2-1, on Alex Trevino's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth.
That completed game came one week after another suspended contest between the Mets and Astros at Shea.
On August 21st, the Mets were one out away from a 5-0 win over Houston when things turned strange. Jeffrey Leonard flied to center for what appeared to be the game's final out. But Mets shortstop Frank Taveras had apparently called for timeout before the pitch and the club re-took the field. Leonard then singled to center but manager Joe Torre pointed out that Ed Kranepool had not gotten back on the field and the game should not have resumed with the Mets not having all nine players on the diamond.
The umpires ruled in Torre's favor and Leonard had to bat again. Astros manager Bill Virdon protested that "time was in" even with Kranepool missing, but the game continued and apparently ended when Leonard flied out.
Houston's protest was upheld by N.L. President Chub Feeney, so the game was deemed suspended and would have to be resumed the next afternoon prior to the regularly scheduled one with the Astros, with two out and Leonard on first base.
The Mets did win, 5-0, but it did cost Mets pitcher Pete Falcone, a complete-game shutout because Kevin Kobel, the scheduled game starter, recorded the suspended game's final out.
The only other suspended game in Mets' history also had nothing to do with the weather, although, like the one at Wrigley, it was on account of darkness.
On July 13th, 1977, the Mets were trailing the Cubs, 2-1, in the bottom of the 6th, when a blackout hit New York City. After an hour and 15 minute delay, the game was officially suspended.
On September 16th, the game was completed. Both starting pitchers; Jerry Koosman for the Mets and future-Met Ray Burris for the Cubs, continued as well, with Chicago coming away with a 5-2 win.
Happy Recap: X Marks the Spot. The Mets' Sunday night win over Braves marked the first time since April 21st that there was no bottom of the 9th inning at Citi Field. All three Mets wins since had come in the last of the 9th or in extra-innings.
Nine Miles of Rough Road: For Starters, No W's. Mets starting pitchers have picked up just three wins since April 21st, a span of 30 games.
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