The Mets host the Marlins tonight in the final game of an extended 5-game series. This is the last home game for a week, as the Mets will head out on a mini-road trip to Washington and Miami, but Miguel Batista looks to end the homestand on a high note in his first start as a New York Met. Batista began the year as a reliever with the Cardinals, but he signed a minor-league deal with the Mets after the Cards waived him in June. Frankly, it’s a terrible sign if even Dave Duncan can’t get a decent year out of you, so don’t expect too much from Batista tonight. He’s pitched decently at AAA with Buffalo, going 3-0 in 8 starts with a 4.24 ERA, but all the Mets need him to do tonight is eat innings. There’s no way to frame a spot start by a journeyman pitcher (and I do mean journeyman: Batista is 40 years old and the Mets will be his 10th team) as exciting, but with the Mets playing for pride, it makes no sense to start the arbitration clock on a young player earlier than necessary.
Facing off against Batista will be Clay Hensley, who pitched well against the Mets back in July, throwing five shutout innings and striking out 3. Hensley is coming off a strong start against the Phillies, but August treated him cruelly, as he went 1-2 with an 8.61 ERA in 5 starts. Hensley relies heavily on his slider and changeup, so if he’s having trouble finding the plate, look for the Mets to be patient and tee off on his below-average fastball.
#bbpBox_109336160924471296 a { text-decoration:none; color:#0084B4; }#bbpBox_109336160924471296 a:hover { text-decoration:underline; }Mets Thursday lineup vs. Florida: Reyes-SS, Tejada-2B, Duda-RF, Wright-3B, Pagan-CF, Bay-LF, Evans-1B, Thole-C, Batista-RHP
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Terry Collins keeps the lineup intact from last night, and it would be nice to see Jason Bay build on his 3-hit performance from last night. Ruben Tejada bats second again, and since moving up in the order he’s become a little less patient, drawing only 2 walks in 32 at-bats. With the Mets offense limited to stringing together hits, it’s critical for Tejada to improve his on-base percentage, especially when he’s sandwiched between Jose Reyes and David Wright.
Let’s Go Mets!
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