The Mets have gone through a rough season but Johan Santana is still pitching like an elite pitcher. He has eight losses but many can not be attributed as his fault and he owns a 2.86 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 3.12 ERA. Santana gave up five runs in his last start in a high-scoring Houston ballpark but he had allowed two runs in his previous 21 innings before that game. At home this season Santana is 7-2 with a 1.86 ERA and he has always been a better late season pitcher. Look for Santana to rebound after a tough outing as he typically bounces back strong after his rare bad starts.
Since the Mets have been so terrible lately this will be a modest price on Santana and New York has had wild success against Colorado at home. New York is 23-5 in the last 28 games against Colorado in New York. The Mets should also start to play better after a very long road trip in mid-July took some life out of the team. New York has scored 25 runs in the past three games to take three straight wins into Tuesday night and New York still owns a significantly higher team average for the season than Colorado despite the inherent ballpark advantage that the Rockies have on offense.
Jason Hammel has been a capable starter for the Rockies but he has allowed 13 runs in his last four starts, allowing 31 hits in his last 20 innings. In night games Hammel owns a 5.37 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP and this could be a tough match-up going against a two-time Cy Young winner. The Colorado bullpen has soared to 5.66 in the last ten games, continuing a season long problem for the Rockies. The Mets pen has been the one bright spot for the team so with Santana on the mound it is hard to envision Colorado getting on the scoreboard more than a few times.
Asa 7/29
Reply With Quote