New York @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Apr 3, 2010 ) NY Mets 0, Baltimore 11
The New York Mets have managed to build some momentum during several homestands this season, but they've never been able to take it with them on the road.
The Mets hope to buck that trend when they start a nine-game road trip tonight at Baltimore, opening a three-game series against the team with the worst record in the majors.
After a doubleheader split with San Diego on Thursday, the Mets wrapped up a 5-1 homestand and have pulled within 2 1/2 games of Atlanta in the National League East. But they need to avoid fading again when they hit the road, where they are 8-18.
The Orioles haven't been much better than that at Camden Yards, where they're 11-18 after beating the New York Yankees 4-3 on Thursday. Baltimore is 2-4 under interim manager Juan Samuel after losing its last 10 under Dave Trembley. The Orioles are 22 games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East.
Baltimore's struggling offense, which ranks last in the American League in runs scored with 199 (3.3 per game), will have to try to solve knuckleball specialist R.A. Dickey, who has won three of his four starts since being called up May 19.
Dickey (3-0, 3.20 ERA) beat the Florida Marlins on June 4, allowing three runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. He is 0-2 with a 5.19 ERA in five appearances against the Orioles, but he hasn't faced them since 2005.
The Orioles will counter with 31-year-old right-hander Jeremy Guthrie, who has posted quality starts in five of his last six outings and nine of 12 starts this season.
Guthrie (3-6, 3.71 ERA) has been hurt by poor run support - the Orioles have scored three or fewer runs in nine of his 12 starts. That was the case Saturday against Boston, as Guthrie held the Red Sox to two runs on five hits over 7 1/3 innings but took the loss in an 8-2 Boston victory.
Guthrie has the good fortune of facing the Mets on the road, where they hit 40 points lower than at Citi Field. Their team average away from home is .233 and they average 4.1 runs per game on the road, compared to 6.5 runs per game at home.
Third baseman David Wright is one of the players who has struggled on the road, hitting .260 compared to .287 at home. Before going 0-for-6 in Thursday's doubleheader, Wright was 15-for-29 in his previous eight games.
Outfielder Jason Bay hits .311 at home and .242 on the road, and he's mired in a 1-for-19 slump. But Bay has hit Guthrie well, going 6-for-12 with three home runs against him.
Right fielder Jeff Francoeur had his 11-game hitting streak snapped in the first game of the doubleheader, but he's still hitting .444 over his past 13 games. Francoeur is one of few Mets who has had better luck away from home - he's hitting .289 on the road and .250 at Citi Field.