Mets Start Road Trip Strong, Blank Braves

Written by Kenneth Teape (@tapester725)

Tuesday, April 8^th, 2014

New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves

Post Game Recap

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The New York Mets were able to get their nine-game road trip off on a positive note Tuesday night, blanking their division rival Atlanta Braves 4-0. It was a quite game offensively, as both starting pitchers were dealing throughout the night.

Bartolo Colon dominated the Braves through his seven innings of work. He allowed only six hits, striking out five and walking none. Only two Braves even got past first base, as Freddie Freeman doubled in the first inning and Andrelton Simmons reached second because of a Ruben Tejada error in the seventh inning. It was an impressive outing for Colon, who worked with little help from the Mets offense tonight, but did not waver.

Midseason Bold Predictions Recap

Written by Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Earlier in the week I looked back at an article from the midway point of the MLB season and compared the award winners chosen then to the people who actually received the awards. This time I’ll take another article from the summer, my bold predictions from the All-Star break for the second half of the season and compare it to how the season actually ended. They aren’t called bold predictions for nothing as the end results of these are a little more off than the predictions made for the MLB Regular Season Awards.

Alex Rodriguez will hit double-digit homeruns and the New York Yankees will still miss the playoffs, finishing last in the AL East.

Barton Silverman/New York Times

There are two definitive results that happened here; the Yankees did indeed miss the playoffs but they did not finish in last place. The Rodriguez double-digit homeruns is up for debate. If you include his minor league stats he hit 10 on the season but if you count only his time in the majors he knocked only seven out of the park. The Yankees turned it around a little bit once they started getting a little healthier but they just did not have the talent that teams ahead of them like the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians, the two teams who won the AL Wild Card spots. The winter will be an important one for the Yankees as they have a lot of holes to fill on the team including finding a player capable of replacing Derek Jeter and Rodriguez if they are unable to stay in the lineup because of injuries or suspension. For this bold prediction I will split it down the middle and call it half right.

Miguel Cabrera will win a second consecutive Triple Crown after MLB went the previous 45 seasons before last without one.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 17

forbes.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 17

1.) St Louis Cardinals (62-40) – A tough weekend series for the Cardinals getting swept in Atlanta, but they still hold the best record in baseball, and they did also get Outfielder Matt Holliday back in the lineup which will help them as they continue a tough part in their schedule.

2.) Boston Red Sox (63-43) – Boston saw their AL East lead slip away for a day, but they were able to get it back on Sunday with a win against the Orioles, which was an impressive series win on the road against a division rival. David Ortiz was a big part of Sunday's win going four for four with a home run.

3.) Tampa Bay Rays (62-43) – The Rays are looking like one of the best teams in baseball, as they had a good week on the road against the Red Sox and Yankees. A makeup game on Monday in Boston could allow the Rays to be in first place in the AL East with a win.

4.) Pittsburgh Pirates (61-42) – A huge home-stand starts on Monday for the Pirates, as they will host the Cardinals who they are trying to catch in the NL Central for five games, and then have two three-game series against the Rockies and Marlins.

5.) Oakland Athletics (62-43) – The A's are in first place in the AL West behind some great pitching in the last few months, and an offense that is in the top-10 in runs scored. Bartolo Colon amidst possibly being suspended is having a great season going 14-3 with a 2.54 ERA.

Bold MLB Second Half Predictions

Barton Silverman/New York Times

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

The first half of the MLB season and All-Star break are officially behind us. The American League will have home field advantage in the World Series thanks to a 3-0 victory over the National League in the Mid-Summer Classic. With the second half set to get underway Friday here are some bold predictions for the remainder of the MLB season.

Alex Rodriguez will return and hit double-digit home runs for the Yankees…And they will still miss the post season and finish last in the AL East.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 13

washingtonpost.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 13

1.) Pittsburgh Pirates (51-30) – The Pirates after 81 games have the best record in baseball, and have a two-game lead in the NL Central. They are on a nine-game winning streak, as after a great West Coast trip they returned home to sweep the Brewers this past weekend.

2.) St Louis Cardinals (49-32) – St Louis had a bit of a tough week against the AL West, losing three out of five games to the Athletics and Astros. The Cardinals are still in the top 10 in most batting and pitching categories, and still have the second best record in baseball.

3.) Boston Red Sox (50-34) – A good week for the AL East leading Red Sox keeps them on top of their division, and they cooled off the Toronto Blue Jays, taking three out of four games against them this weekend. They are the number one in runs scored with a lineup led by Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz.

4.) Texas Rangers (48-34) – The Rangers are rolling, and are in first place in the AL West going (8-2) in there last 10 games. Elvis Andrus is having a disappointing first half of the season however batting just .243

5.) Atlanta Braves (48-34) – Atlanta has built a very good pitching staff once again, as they are second in team ERA and quality starts. The main concern for the Braves has to be their team batting average, which is just .245.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 12

stltoday.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings Week 12

1.) St Louis Cardinals (47-29) – The Cardinals had a tough end to the week being swept at home by the Rangers, but they still have the best record in baseball. Their lead in the NL Central however has been trimmed to just one game.

2.) Pittsburgh Pirates (46-30) – The Pirates are coming on strong, as they split a four- game series on the road against the Reds, and then went out to the West Coast and swept the Angels. Pedro Alvarez is is having a great month of June with nine homeruns, and has 19 now on the season.

3.) Texas Rangers (44-32) – Texas after hitting a rough patch the last few weeks seem to be back on track, as they are now on a five-game winning streak, and are back on top of the AL West. Getting Ian Kinsler back in the lineup was much needed, as he hit .407 in the last seven days.

Future Starts Today for Mets

Julio Cortez/AP Photo

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

It has been a rough season thus far for everyone that has any stake in the Mets. Players are struggling to perform with regulars such as Ike Davis being sent down to the minors. Terry Collins seems to be on a countdown for his days as manger of the team with it a matter of when not if he will be fired. The fans seem to have finally had their spirit broken as Citi Field is as empty as ever since it opened in 2009. The heartbreak continued even last night as Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off homerun off Dillon Gee to give the Braves a 2-1 lead. There is reason to still tune in to the Mets as the season continues though.

There is some optimism with some of the younger players that the Mets have and there is no one they are higher on than Zack Wheeler. Combined with current ace Matt Harvey the two are supposed to give the Mets the type of one-two punch that not many teams can rival in Major League Baseball. The Wheeler and Harvey era will get underway today in Atlanta as the hot shot youngsters will both toe the rubber against the Braves in the day/night doubleheader.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 11

redbirdrants.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings Week 11

1.) St Louis Cardinals (44-25) – The Cardinals are once again in the top spot for the Power Rankings, as they have established themselves as the best team in baseball with a run differential of a plus 102. Their hitting has been great and their pitching has been great, and they look like the most complete team in baseball.

2.) Cincinnati Reds (42-28) – The Reds would be in first place in any other division in baseball, but unfortunately for them they have the Cardinals in theirs. Jay Bruce is getting hot, which may help the Reds get closer to first place in the NL Central.

3.) Pittsburgh Pirates (41-28) – Gerrit Cole made his much anticipated debut this week, and is (2-0) now this season, but A.J. Burnett torn his calf muscle, so the Pirates will need Cole to continue pitching well if they want to be in the mix in the NL Central.

4.) Oakland Athletics (42-29) – Josh Donaldson continues his awesome start to the season, as he is leading the Athletics in batting average and RBIs. Bartolo Colon is looking like a Cy Young pitcher this season, with nine wins, and a 2.89 ERA.

5.) Boston Red Sox (42-29) – The Red Sox are still in first place in what is probably the toughest division in baseball, but the hot start from Jon Lester has ended it seems, as his ERA is now over four, and he hasn’t won a game in six starts.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 10

stltoday.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 10

1.) St Louis Cardinals (41-22) – The Cardinals are once again in the top spot in the Power Rankings, as they just keep on winning, and are now 19 games over .500. A series win on the road against the Reds this weekend was huge for St Louis solidify their top spot in the Power Rankings.

2.) Atlanta Braves (39-24) – The Braves have opened up a nice lead already in the NL East despite having three everyday starters batting .200 or less, which makes the fact that the Braves are 15 games over .500 in more impressive.

3.) Boston Red Sox (39-25) – The Red Sox weren’t picked by many people to have as good a season as they are having, but the have the best record in the AL, and have the lead in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, as this Red Sox team is showing that they are legit.

4.) New York Yankees (37-26) – A sweep at home of the Indians and then taking three out of four against the Mariners to start their West Coast trip has to have the injured Yankees feeling good. Long time Yankee Andy Pettitte also reached the 250 win milestone this week.

5.) Texas Rangers (37-25) – A bit of a tough week on the East Coast has slimmed the Rangers lead the in AL West down a bit, as they lost four out of six to the Blue Jays and Red Sox this past week. Yu Darvish is still dealing, and heading back to Texas should get the Rangers on track.

6.) Oakland Athletics (38-27) – Bartolo Colon has been great of late leading the Athletics rotation, which is starting to get hot. Colon now has seven wins this season, and his only given up six runs in his last five starts, which is remarkable.

7.) Cincinnati Reds (37-26) – The Reds bullpen has cost them a lot of games already this season, and their last home-stand was when they may have been at their worst this season allowing 23 runs in those games.

8.) Pittsburgh Pirates (37-26) – Starling Marte has really struggled of late, and sweep to the Braves didn’t help the Pirates gain ground in the NL Central this week. Gerrit Cole is going to making his debut soon, which should help a rotation that has been banged up lately.

9.) Detroit Tigers (35-26) – Justin Verlander has eight wins, but is fourth on the Tigers rotation in ERA at 3.71, which isn’t what people are use to seeing from Verlander. Austin Jackson is making a rehab start on Monday, so expect him to be back in the powerful Tigers lineup very soon.

10.) Baltimore Orioles (35-28) – Starting Pitching has been an issue for the Orioles so far this season, but their good offense led by Chris Davis is still winning games for the Orioles. Wei-Yin Chen is getting healthier and will be a welcomed sight back in the rotation.

11.) Arizona Diamondbacks (35-28) – Patrick Corban is still dealing for the Diamondbacks with nine wins and an ERA under two, but Wade Miley has really struggled lately, as he is now (4-5) with an ERA closing in on five.

12.) Tampa Bay Rays (34-28) – Matt Moore has struggled in his last two starts allowing 15 runs in those two appearances, which has to be a little concerning for the Rays. David Price is due back towards the end of the month, as the Rays look to keeping playing well without their ace.

13.) San Francisco Giants (33-29) – The Giants only had five games this week, but did go (3-2), as they continue to hope that their pitchers will figure things out and get back on track. The offense has still been very good with five starters hitting .285 or higher.

14.) Colorado Rockies (34-30) – A powerful offense for the Rockies has kept the over .500 still this season, and they used their bats to get a nice series win to start the week on the road in Cincinnati. Troy Tulowitzki is having an MVP type season hitting .354 with 16 homeruns and 51 RBIs.

15.) Washington Nationals (31-31) – Washington is trying to tread water with their two young phenoms on the DL in Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg. A trip to Colorado to start the week may spark an offense that has been showing signs of coming alive finally.

16.) Philadelphia Phillies (31-33) – For whatever reason the Phillies seem to have a problem beating the Brewers, and after making it over .500 in the middle of the week, three straight losses to Milwaukee put them right back under .500.

17.) Kansas City Royals (28-32) – The Royals pitching is finally getting some help from their lineup, which has resulted in the Royals going on a five-game winning streak. A big series to start the week against the Tigers can really help or hurt the surging Royals.

18.) San Diego Padres (29-34) – The Padres may have had a losing week, but they are getting great play from rookie Jedd Gyorko at Second base, as he is hitting .284 with a team-leading eight homeruns to go along with 25 RBIs.

19.) Cleveland Indians (30-32) – The Indians are free falling right now losing seven straight games, and injuries to Chris Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera wont help them win games. Next week the Indians start with a series against the Rangers, which may make the losing streak even worse.

20.) Minnesota Twins (27-33) – Minnesota doesn’t seem to have a whole lot going for them right now a (2-4) week was capped off with losing both games to the Nationals in their double-header on Sunday.

21.) Los Angeles Dodgers (27-35) – Yasiel Puig's first week in the majors was a memorable one, as the young Outfielder has sparked the Dodgers. Puig is hitting .464 with four homeruns and 10 RBIs in his first seven games.

22.) Toronto Blue Jays (27-35) – Things might be on the up for the Blue Jays, as their pitching was very good this week, as they got good starts from R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle. A nice series win a home against the Rangers is a start in the right direction for Toronto.

23.) Chicago White Sox (27-34) – The White Sox are the second worst team in baseball in scoring runs, and that in large part is due to the struggles on Paul Konerko, who is having a bad year in the middle of the lineup. Konerko is hitting just .235 with six homeruns and 23 RBIs.

24.) Los Angeles Angels (27-36) – Huge week is coming up for the Angels with series against the Orioles and Yankees. If the Angels want to make the playoffs they need to start winning games against teams ahead of them in the standings, and really just games against anyone.

25.) Seattle Mariners (27-37) – Seattle's offense continues to struggle and spoil good starts from Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma. Poor pitching from the other three Starters and poor hitting has led to the Mariners being 10 games under .500

26.) Milwaukee Brewers (25-37) – Brewers pitching showed up on the weekend against the Phillies, which resulted in them taking three out of four in their weekend series. Kyle Lohse had one of his best starts of the year on Sunday in earning his second win, something the Brewers need him to keep up.

27.) Chicago Cubs (25-35) – Cubs star Shortstop Starlin Castro is still having a bad season, which is really hurting the Cubs offense right now. Castro is only hitting .243 with three homeruns and 21 RBIs, numbers which are way down for him.

28.) Houston Astros (22-42) – After an impressive week last week by the Astros the Royals gave them a reality check on the weekend holding them to just four runs in three games, which resulted in the Astros being swept.

29.) Miami Marlins (18-44) – Marcell Ozuna is an exciting young player to watch, as he had a huge throw getting Daniel Murphy out at the plate in the 20-inning game against the Mets on Saturday, and he is also hitting very well batting .331 this season.

30.) New York Mets (23-35) – The Mets have lost five straight games to the Marlins now who certainly have their number. Ike Davis struggles have finally gotten him sent down to the minors, but there is now viable option to replace him at First Base.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 9

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

Week 9 MLB Power Rankings

1.) St Louis Cardinals (37-19) – The Cardinals are certainly looking like the best team in baseball with a run differential of +84. It doesn’t seem to matter who the Cards use in the starting rotation, but they all have success, with a majors best team ERA of 2.99.

2.) Texas Rangers (35-21) – Texas looks good once again this year, as Yu Darvish is having a great sophomore season. Darvish is (7-2), with a ERA of 2.77, and a ridiculous 111 strikeouts already. Having an ace like Darvish should keep the Rangers high in the rankings from here on out.

3.) Cincinnati Reds (35-22) – Considering they play in one of the more hitter friendly ballparks in all of baseball it is amazing that the Reds have the third best team ERA in baseball. Good pitching and a talented lineup is the Reds recipe for playing so well thus far.

4.) Pittsburgh Pirates (35-22) – The Pirates started the week with an impressive series win over the Tigers taking three out of four games, and they finished the week with a thrilling extra-innings win over the Reds, as their bullpen went 10 scoreless innings in relief. The Pirates are 13 games over .500, and seem like a real threat to the Cardinals and Reds in the NL Central.

5.) Oakland Athletics (34-24) – The young arms for the Athletics seem to be looking like they did last year, which is why they have one nine out of their 10 ball games. The great stretch of baseball the Athletics have been on has put them right back behind Texas for the division lead.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 8

insidesportsillustrated.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

Week 8 MLB Power Rankings

1.) St Louis Cardinals (32-17) - The Cardinals seem to have the best pitching in baseball no matter who is on the mound with a team ERA of 3.11. Their lineup isn’t to shabby either, as they are 10th in runs scored. Good hitting and even better pitching is why the Cardinals are back in the top spot.

2.) Texas Rangers (32-18) - Even with Ian Kinsler on the DL the Rangers are still winning, with a little help from and easy schedule. Top Prospect Jurickson Profar has been called up, so when Kinsler is back Manager Ron Washington will have some decisions to make.

3.) Pittsburgh Pirates (31-19) - The young exciting Outfield combination of Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen are both playing very well right now, as they are looking to lead the Pirates to an above .500 record, and the playoffs.

Davis Comes Through In Clutch as Mets Drop Braves

Al Bello/Getty Images

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, May 26^th, 2013

Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets

Final Score: Braves: 2 Mets: 4

The Mets were able to stave off their second consecutive sweep and end their five-game losing streak with a win on Sunday Night Baseball against the rival Braves with a 4-2 victory.

It was a night of retributions for the Mets, as the biggest players in the game, Shaun Marcum and Ike Davis, came through huge for the Mets after struggling so far throughout the season.

Davis, who many people feel should be on his way to Las Vegas to play for the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate, put some of those qualms to sleep Sunday night.  Davis looks to maybe be coming out of his season long slump after going 2-3 from the plate with two RBI and one walk.

MLB Power Rankings Week 3

rantsports.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings Week 3

1.) Atlanta Braves (13-5) - The Braves hot start to the season was cooled off a bit at the hands of the Pirates, by losing three out of four games, but they are still tied for the best record in baseball.

2.) Oakland Athletics (12-7) - The Athletics had a strong start to the week, sweeping the Astros, but the beginning to their East Coast road-trip did not start very well, as the Rays swept them, and only scored four runs in three games.

3.) Colorado Rockies (13-5) - The Rockies have established themselves as one of the best home teams in baseball with a (8-1) record, but the Diamondbacks snapped their eight game winning streak on Sunday.

4.) Boston Red Sox (12-6) - The Red Sox despite having what was a horrible week for the city of Boston won their first five games of the week before losing both games of the double-header to the Royals on Sunday.

5.) Texas Rangers (12-6) - Yu Darvish is leading a good Rangers rotation thus far this season, and the Rangers finished week three strong by sweeping the Mariners, in which they only allowed three runs in three games, and two of them the Rangers had shutouts.

MLB Power Rankings Week 2

wrcbtv.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Week 2 Power Rankings

1.) Atlanta Braves (11-1) - The Braves have separated themselves from the rest of the majors early, as they are the only team with double-digit wins, and have only lost one game thus far this season. Sweeping the Nationals this weekend while facing their top two pitchers was extremely impressive for Atlanta.

2.)  Oakland Athletics (9-4) - The Athletics had a nine game winning streak snapped on Saturday by the Tigers, but they have the best record in the American League without their best player Yoenis Cespedes, and seem to be a serious contender in the AL West.

3.) San Francisco Giants (9-4) - The Giants have the lead in the NL West, and have played well on the road so far this year at (5-2). The defending champs are hitting the ball pretty well, which could be a scary combo for the National League, as the Giants pitching are still very good.

MLB Power Rankings Week 1

bleacherreport.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Week 1 Power Rankings

It is 2013 and baseball is officially back, and with a long season ahead some teams are showing that they are ready to live up to off-season expectations, and some teams didn’t get off to the hot starts that they would have liked to.

1.) Cincinnati Reds (4-2) - The Reds have grabbed the first spot in the opening week for baseball, as they had impressive series wins over two likely playoff teams in the Los Angeles Angels, and then the Washington Nationals. Todd Frazier is the man doing the most damage for the Reds, as he has three homeruns and nine RBIs in the first week.

2.) Atlanta Braves (5-1) - The Braves are off to a hot start, as they took the first series of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies, and then swept the Chicago Cubs. Newly acquired Justin Upton has made an impact early with five homeruns in six games.