New York @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 2, 2009 ) NY Mets 9, Pittsburgh 8
The New York Mets had great expectations again this year, but just about everything that could have gone wrong for them has. They visit the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend.
With a $138 million roster, not many people figured the Mets (60-61) would now be playing out the schedule amid criticism of the team’s play on the field and the club’s management off it.
Mike Pelfrey (11-7, 3.95 ERA), a bright spot in this season of disappointment, takes the hill Friday looking to help the club out of a nasty stretch that has seen it drop 14 of its last 20 road games.
Jeff Karstens (2-9, 4.57 ERA) gets the ball for Pittsburgh (40-81).
Pelfrey has lost two of his last three outings, the most recent being a seven-inning effort that saw him give up three earned runs in a loss to Philadelphia. Over that three-game stretch, New York has given him just 1.7 runs per game of support.
The 6-foot-7 right-hander has only 82 strikeouts in comparison to 51 walks over 143 2/3 innings this year, so he relies on his control and needs a lot of help from the defense behind him and the offense at the dish to be successful.
But runs have been hard to come by in general this season. The Mets rank 24th in the league, averaging 4.05 runs per game with a .248 team batting average that ranks 27th in the league.
Pittsburgh can relate to New York’s struggles. The Pirates have won just once over the last 10 games, are 4-10 in their last 14 at home and have won just 17 of their last 65 games overall.
Karstens is winless since June 19. He went 5 2/3 innings in a loss at Houston in his last outing, allowing five earned runs. He has good control, issuing only 27 free passes this year, but knows all about what Pelfrey is going through regarding lack of run support.
The Pirates produce just 3.42 runs per game with a .240 team batting average.
The Mets come into this one 8 1/2 games off the pace in the National League East, while the Pirates haven’t been in the playoff picture since the first month of the season and are now just trying to avoid finishing in the league’s basement.