Only three more
Shea Stadium homestands remain for the
New York Mets and this week's brings in their longtime rival--the Atlanta Braves as well as the last visit ever from their expansion twin--the Houston Astros.
Billy Wagner did not come off the disabled list Monday as originally hoped. Thru Monday's games, in his absence, the Mets bullpen in 9th inning save situations has gone a collective 1 and 1 with six saves in their eight save opportunities, allowing four runs and one home run.
Newly acquired reliever
Luis Ayala was having a terrible season with the Nationals, going 1 and 8 with a 5.77 ERA. However, Ayala's lifetime numbers at Shea Stadium as well as his stats in games vs. the Mets and their closest pursuers in the N.L. East have been very good. In 21 lifetime appearances at Shea, Ayala is 2 and 0 with one save and an ERA of 1.50 in 18 innings. Against the Mets, Ayala went 3 and 4 with two saves and a 3.08 ERA in 39 innings of work. Ayala has not allowed a home run at Shea and no Mets player ever hit a homer against him. Ayala's lifetime numbers vs. the Phillies are a 4 and 1 won-loss record, an ERA of 1.47 and one save in 36 and 2/3 innings. Against Florida, Ayala is 3 and 4 with a 3.86 ERA and one save in 35 innings of work. Ayala's nine career saves are the 2nd most of anyone in the current Mets bullpen which has 425 career saves:
| Pitcher |
Career Saves |
| Billy Wagner |
385 |
| Luis Ayala |
9 |
| Aaron Heilman |
9 |
| Scott Schoeneweis |
9 |
| Duaner Sanchez |
8 |
| Pedro Feliciano |
4 |
| Brian Stokes |
1 |
| Joe Smith |
0 |
The Mets took two out of three from the Braves when the two clubs faced one another at Shea back in April but Atlanta has won all six Turner Field meetings so far in 2008. Mike Hampton is slated to start against the Mets this week but Tom Glavine is not. Glavine went back on the disabled list with elbow pain after making his first start in more than two months last week and is now facing possible career-ending surgery to repair a torn tendon. John Smoltz and Tim Hudson are already done for the season with arm injuries as well.
Mike Hampton has hit 15 career home runs, tying him with the Cubs Carlos Zambrano for the most among active pitchers. Hampton failed to homer for the Mets in his one season with the club back in 2000. Here is the list of pitchers who hit two or more home runs while with the Mets (and no, position players who pitched for the Mets; Bill Pecota, Derek Bell, Matt Franco etc. do not count):
| Pitcher |
HR w/ Mets |
| Dwight Gooden |
7 |
| Tom Seaver |
6 |
| Rick Aguilera |
3 |
| Don Cardwell |
3 |
| Walt Terrell |
3 |
| Ron Darling |
2 |
| Jason Isringhausen |
2 |
| Jerry Koosman |
2 |
| Rick Reed |
2 |
Bobby Cox is in his 23rd season, combining his two stints, as manager of the Braves. Cox has defeated the Mets 174 times in the regular season as Atlanta's skipper, easily the most career wins of any manager. Here is the list of the 10 managers who have compiled the most lifetime victories against the New York Mets:
| Manager |
Wins v. Mets |
| Bobby Cox (Atl) |
174 |
| Walter Alston (LA) |
138 |
| Gene Mauch (Phi,Mtl) |
135 |
| Red Schoendienst (Stl) |
120 |
| Tommy Lasorda (LA) |
114 |
| Danny Murtaugh (Pit) |
100 |
| Joe Torre (Atl,Stl,NYY,LA) |
95 |
| Chuck Tanner (Pit, Atl) |
94 |
| Jim Leyland (Pit,Fla,Col,Det) |
93 |
| Danny Ozark (Phi, SF) |
83 |
The suddenly red-hot Astros came into this week with a record of 19 and 10 since the all-star break, including a three-game sweep of the Mets earlier this month in Houston. The Astros have gone 135 and 114 all-time against the Mets at Shea, including the 1964 season when they were still known as the Houston Colt 45's. The Mets swept the three-game series vs. Houston at Shea in 2007.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Mets rookie
Daniel Murphy became just the 5th player in club history to be hitting .500 or better thru his first 20 career at bats, joining Mike Vail, Gregg Jefferies, Alex Ochoa and Ty Wigginton. Murphy should surpass the 50 career at bat mark during this homestand. Here is what each of those four Mets was hitting thru their first 50 at bats:
| Met rookie stats through 50 Career ABs |
| Player |
AVG |
HR |
RBI |
| Vail |
.380 |
1 |
3 RBI |
| Jefferies |
.422 |
5 |
9 RBI |
| Ochoa |
.280 |
0 |
2 RBI |
| Wigginton |
.300 |
2 |
6 RBI |
This is the Astros final trip ever to Shea. With that in mind, here are a few of the most memorable Astros/Mets Shea Stadium moments:
- July 30th, 1969. The Astros pound the Mets in a doubleheader sweep, 16-3 and 11-5. Houston scores 11 runs in the 9th inning of the opener as both Denis Menke and Jimmy Wynn hit grand slams. The Astros then post a 10 run 2nd inning in the blowout win in the nitecap.
- July 30th, 1969. On the same day, Gil Hodges lifts Cleon Jones during that 10-run inning for failing to hustle while fielding what becomes a double by Johnny Edwards. Jones goes on to lead the club with a .340 batting average.
- July 10th, 1973. Jon Matlack throws a one-hitter against the Astros, allowing just a 6th inning leadoff double to Tommy Helms.
- August 27th, 1974. Benny Ayala becomes the first Met to homer in his first major league at bat, connecting of Houston's Tom Griffin in the 2nd inning of the 4-2 Mets win.
- October 1986 NLCS. The Mets rally twice to win Game 3. Erasing an early 4-0 Astros lead and then again in the bottom of the 9th as Lenny Dykstra's two-run homer off of Dave Smith gives them a 6-5 win. After Mike Scott's 3-1 win in Game 4, the Mets outlast Houston, 2-1 in 12 innings in game 5 on Gary Carter's RBI single against Charlie Kerfeld.
