Detroit Tigers (38-31) at New York Mets (40-30)
7:10 PM EST ESPN
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Starting Pitchers
DET: J. Bonderman (3-4, 4.06)
NYM: R. Dickey (5-0, 2.82)
The Detroit Tigers will try and even a three game set at one apiece when they take on the New York Mets in game two at Citi Field in Flushing, New York on Wednesday night.
The Tigers and Mets haven’t met since Detroit won two of three at home from June 8-10, 2007. New York swept its last home series against Detroit, winning three games at Shea Stadium from June 18-20, 2004.
The Mets have won 11of 12 at home and lead the NL with a 25-10 home record, including a 14-6 win over the Tigers in the series opener on Tuesday, after returning home from a 7-2 road trip, having lost the final two games of a three-game set with the cross-town rival Yankees.
Detroit, who is 5-5 overall against the Mets, trail the Twins by 1 1/2 games in the AL Central, and cutting into that lead this week could be trying as they finish June with a nine-game road trip that includes series’ against two of the best home teams in baseball. Translating success onto the road has been a problem for Detroit, as the team has dropped nine of 12 as the visitor.
They will try to turn things around when they call on starter Jeremy Bonderman. Take away his rough outing against the Royals earlier in June, and Bonderman has a 2.02 ERA over his last 49 innings. The right-hander held the Nationals to just two runs on five hits over seven innings Thursday as he ended a four-game winless skid in an 8-3 victory. Bonderman, who retired the first 11 batters, struck out seven and didn’t walk anyone. He is 1-1 in two career starts against the Mets with a 7.36 ERA.
Conversely, the Mets will beckon the services of righty R.A. Dickey who won his fifth straight start on Thursday night in a 6-4 win over the Indians. The knuckleballer pitched six innings allowing three runs, two earned, off seven hits in his sixth start of the year. He scattered the runs over his six innings with one run in the third scoring off a Ruben Tejada throwing error. Dickey is the only Met to be 5-0 in his first six starts with 31 strikeouts and 12 walks in 38 1/3 innings. He has not allowed more than four earned runs in any of his starts. Dickey is 2-2 with a 4.69 ERA in 12 appearances (five starts) in his career against Detroit.
The odds makers have the Mets as 1-½ favorites with a run total of 8 ½.
The Mets’ Jose Reyes’ hitting streak ended at 11 games Sunday, but he still leads the Mets in hits, runs and stolen bases. Centerfielder Angel Pagan has been a worthy replacement for the injured Carlos Beltran, finishing a homer shy of the cycle in game one, riding a ten-game hitting streak with four homers and 35 RBIs.
Detroit’s Magglio Ordonez’s 10-game hitting came to an end on Tuesday ‘s opener, but the veteran right fielder still the leads the team with .333 AVG.
I like the Mets in this one behind a solid outing from Dickey, who at the moment seems unhittable. I expect the New York to take game two and the OVER.
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