SB Nation New York - Mets Struggle With RISP, Lose 4-2 To Giantshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48977/ny-fave.png2011-07-10T23:39:54-04:00http://newyork.sbnation.com/rss/stream/20309992011-07-10T23:39:54-04:002011-07-10T23:39:54-04:00Mets-Giants Score: Mets Struggle With RISP, Lose 4-2
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k4AZ3zUXGjVqYFKP2-sft2B2rWA=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828127/large_newyork.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - <span>Nate Schierholtz</span> went 4-for-4, <span>Pablo Sandoval</span> extended his hitting streak to 21 games and <span>Matt Cain</span> tossed six scoreless innings to help the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a>, 4-2, in the rubber match of a three-game series.</p>
<p>Sandoval doubled in the third inning to extend the streak. It's the longest by a Giant since <span>Buster Posey</span> hit safely in 21 straight last season. Jack Clark holds the San Francisco era record for longest hit streak with 26 games from June 30-July 25, 1978. The franchise record is 33 games, held by George Davis in 1893.</p>
<p>Schierholtz drove in a run and scored a run for the Giants, who head into the All-Star break with victories in four of their last five games.</p>
<p>Cain (8-5) gave up five hits for San Francisco, which sits in first place in the NL West with a 52-40 record. He struck out four and walked three. Since Cain started Sunday, he will be replaced by <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Braves</a> closer <span>Craig Kimbrel</span> for Tuesday's All-Star Game.</p>
<p><span>Nick Evans</span> hit a solo homer for New York, which has lost three of four to drop to 46-45 on the season. <span>Justin Turner</span> went 4-for-5 with an RBI.</p>
<p><span>Mike Pelfrey</span> (5-8) allowed two runs on eight hits over six innings. He struck out five and walked two in the loss.</p>
<p>The Mets had a great chance to score in the third, loading the bases with two outs. <span>Daniel Murphy</span> lined out to second to end the threat.</p>
<p>San Francisco made New York pay with a two-run bottom of the third. <span>Andres Torres</span> led off with a double and scored on Sandoval's one-out double off the wall in left-center field. Schierholtz followed with an RBI single for a 2-0 lead.</p>
<p>The Giants added two more runs in the seventh. <span>Mike Fontenot</span> led off with a single off <span>Jon Niese</span>. Schierholtz hit a one-out double to put men on second and third. <span>D.J. Carrasco</span> came in from the bullpen and allowed <span>Miguel Tejada</span> to hit an RBI single. <span>Aaron Rowand</span> did the same to make it 4-0.</p>
<p>The Mets got on the board in the eighth. With two outs, pinch-hitter Evans hit a solo homer to left off <span>Jeremy Affeldt</span>.</p>
<p>New York made things a bit interesting in the ninth. <span>Brian Wilson</span> gave up a one-out double to pinch-hitter <span>Willie Harris</span>, who scored on Turner's two-out ground-rule double. <span>Carlos Beltran</span> struck out swinging to give Wilson 26 saves on the season.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-mets/2011/7/10/2269476/mets-giants-score-mets-struggle-with-risp-lose-4-2Jimmy Hascup2011-07-10T14:30:05-04:002011-07-10T14:30:05-04:00Mets At Giants: Mets Look To Go Into Break On Winning Note
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k4AZ3zUXGjVqYFKP2-sft2B2rWA=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828127/large_newyork.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>(Sports Network) – Assured of going to the All-Star break in first place in the NL West, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">San Francisco Giants</a> have been riding the incredible bat of <span>Pablo Sandoval</span> in their recent success. He’ll take a 20-game hitting streak into tonight’s finale of a three-game series against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">New York Mets</a>.</p>
<p>Sandoval’s streak is currently the second-longest in the majors behind Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun (22 games). It’s the longest by a Giant since <span>Buster Posey</span> hit safely in 21 straight last season. Jack Clark holds the San Francisco era record for longest hit streak with 26 games from June 30-July 25, 1978. The franchise record is 33 games, held by George Davis in 1893.</p>
<p>Last night, Sandoval came through by going 2-for-4 with an <span class="caps">RBI</span> in San Francisco’s 3-1 win. The Giants scored twice in the first inning and it held up for <span>Tim Lincecum</span> and the bullpen. Lincecum (7-7) lasted six innings and gave up one run on four hits and four walks to win for just the second time in eight starts. <span>Santiago Casilla</span>, <span>Javier Lopez</span> and <span>Sergio Romo</span> combined to keep New York silent over the final three frames.</p>
<p>“When you dig yourself a hole in the first inning, you can get frustrated and it can turn into a snowball effect. But they scored those two [runs] and let me relax,” Lincecum said.</p>
<p><span>Chris Capuano</span> (8-8) yielded a pair of runs on four hits and four walks in a six-inning start to take the loss.</p>
<p>“[Capuano] gave us a chance to win, that’s all you can ask,” Mets third baseman <span>Daniel Murphy</span> said. “He threw the ball well.”</p>
<p><span>Matt Cain</span> gets the ball in the final game before the All-Star break. The right-hander took the loss on Tuesday as San Diego beat the Giants, 5-3. He allowed five earned runs on seven hits in seven frames. It marked the first time since September 22, 2009 at Arizona that Cain was on the losing end of a decision when receiving three or more runs of support. The Giants have gone 24-4 since that game when scoring at least three runs to support Cain.</p>
<p>This will be Cain’s ninth career start vs. the Mets. He’s 4-3 with a 4.03 <span class="caps">ERA</span> against them and has pitched well against New York over the last three outings, going 2-0 with 2.21 <span class="caps">ERA</span>.</p>
<p>Countering for the Mets will be <span>Mike Pelfrey</span>, who is 2-1 with a 2.04 <span class="caps">ERA</span> in five career games vs. the Giants. Pelfrey stifled the Giants by allowing one earned run over 7 2/3 innings of a 5-2 win at Citi Field on May 2. The righty threw six shutout innings in his most recent start, in a win Tuesday against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>.</p>
<p>San Francisco took two of three at New York in early May.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-mets/2011/7/10/2268865/mets-at-giants-mets-look-to-go-into-break-on-winning-noteJimmy Hascup2011-07-10T08:42:07-04:002011-07-10T08:42:07-04:00Mets-Giants Score: Lincecum Silences Mets in 3-1 Loss
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k4AZ3zUXGjVqYFKP2-sft2B2rWA=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828127/large_newyork.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) – The Giants scored twice in the first inning and it proved to be enough for <span>Tim Lincecum</span> and the bullpen, as San Francisco eked by the New York Mets, 3-1, in the middle installment of a three-game series.</p>
<p>Lincecum (7-7) lasted six innings and gave up one run on four hits and four walks to win for just the second time in eight starts. <span>Santiago Casilla</span>, <span>Javier Lopez</span> and <span>Sergio Romo</span> combined to keep New York silent over the final three frames.</p>
<p><span>Pablo Sandoval</span> extended his hitting streak to 20 games, going 2-for-4 with an <span class="caps">RBI</span> for San Francisco, which has won three of its last four.</p>
<p><span>Chris Capuano</span> (8-8) yielded a pair of runs on four hits and four walks in a six-inning start to take the loss.</p>
<p>Lincecum entered Saturday’s tilt with a 16-inning scoreless streak against the Mets, but consecutive two-out doubles by <span>Carlos Beltran</span> and <span>Daniel Murphy</span> staked the visitors to a 1-0 advantage in the first inning.</p>
<p>The lead didn’t last a half-inning, as the Giants loaded the bases in the bottom half and <span>Nate Schierholtz</span> beat out an infield single to knock in <span>Miguel Tejada</span>. <span>Aubrey Huff</span> grounded into a fielder’s choice to plate Sandoval with the go-ahead run.</p>
<p>“When you dig yourself a hole in the first inning, you can get frustated and it can turn into a snowball effect. But they scored those two [runs] and let me relax,” Lincecum said.</p>
<p>Sandoval drove in an insurance run in the seventh when he beat out a potential inning-ending double-play ball.</p>
<p>Casilla hurled a 1-2-3 seventh behind Lincecum, and Lopez recorded the next five outs before walking <span>Ruben Tejada</span> with two outs in the ninth.</p>
<p><span>Scott Hairston</span>, who hit a go-ahead, pinch-hit homer in Friday’s win, again came off the bench, but Romo struck him out to record his first save since 2009.</p>
<p></p>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker">
<div class="pane sports_data_widget events clearfix">
<table class="box-score">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="td-left"> <span>Final – 7.9.2011 </span> </th> <th> 1 </th> <th> 2 </th> <th> 3 </th> <th> 4 </th> <th> 5 </th> <th> 6 </th> <th> 7 </th> <th> 8 </th> <th> 9 </th> <th>R</th> <th>H</th> <th>E</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-name"><span class="loss"> <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">New York Mets</a> </span></td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td class="highlight">1</td>
<td class="highlight">4</td>
<td class="highlight">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-name"><span class="win"> <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">San Francisco Giants</a> </span></td>
<td>2</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>X</td>
<td class="highlight">3</td>
<td class="highlight">6</td>
<td class="highlight">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="13">WP: Tim Lincecum (7 – 7) <br> SV: Sergio Romo (1) <br> LP: Chris Capuano (8 – 8)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="foot clearfix"><span class="link-more"><span>Complete Coverage ></span></span></p>
</div>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker">
<p></p>
<p><br id="1310279725996"></p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-mets/2011/7/10/2268423/mets-giants-score-lincecum-silents-mets-in-3-1-lossJimmy Hascup2011-07-09T20:52:52-04:002011-07-09T20:52:52-04:00Mets Injury News: Ike Davis, David Wright Finally Progressing In Rehab
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k4AZ3zUXGjVqYFKP2-sft2B2rWA=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828127/large_newyork.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>This afternoon, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">New York Mets</a> coach Terry Collins spoke to reporters and relayed some very encouraging progress on the injury front -- for all four players on the disabled list.</p>
<p>Collins reported that <span>David Wright</span> ran at almost full speed in Port St. Lucie, Fla. on Saturday and will move onto full running and sliding Monday. The Mets expect Wright to play in his first rehab game Wednesday, and will be activiated after 30-40 at bats.</p>
<p>For All-Star <span>Jose Reyes</span>, Collins expects his return to be on July 22 froma strained left hamstring. And Wright, he said, should return within days from that date. Reyes has already progressed to taking grounders and swinging a bat, which he will do before tonight's showdown with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a>.</p>
<p><span>Ike Davis</span>, who hasn't played since May 10 after suffering a broken ankle, had some very positive news. He ran on a treadmill with no issue: "He came out of it great." This is great news for Davis, as after being shutdown for three weeks, if he had not experienced noticeable progress, he would've been ticketed for microfracture surgery. The Mets believe the cartilage damage has healed. Davis is expected to run on the field next week.</p>
<p>"Three more weeks we should be in pretty good shape," <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/28974/wright-ike-take-steps-forward">Collins said</a>.</p>
<p>If the Mets can stay in contention during this time, the return of these three prominent regulars will be a huge shot in the arm.</p>
<p>And for <span>Johan Santana</span>, if he has no trouble this weekend, the Mets plan to have him begin his "<a href="http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2011/07/mets_hear_good_news_on_first_b.html">spring training</a>" Monday.</p>
<p>ESPN NY's Mets beat writer <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/AdamRubinESPN/status/89819996888371200">Adam Rubin said it best on twitter</a>: "That's a franchise record for positive injury news."</p>
<p><a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/28974/wright-ike-take-steps-forward">H/T to Rubin for the timetable info.</a></p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-mets/2011/7/9/2268145/new-york-mets-injury-news-ike-davis-david-wright-jose-reyes-johan-santanaJimmy Hascup2011-07-09T20:16:13-04:002011-07-09T20:16:13-04:00Mets At Giants: Amazin's Face Tough Test With Lincecum On The Mound
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k4AZ3zUXGjVqYFKP2-sft2B2rWA=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828127/large_newyork.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>(Sports Network) – With five wins in their last six games, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> have been playing good baseball of late, and <span>Chris Capuano</span> is one of the reasons New York is three games over .500.</p>
<p>The 32-year-old left-hander gets back on the mound tonight when the Mets continue their weekend series against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a>. Capuano is just 1-4 with a 5.31 <span class="caps">ERA</span> against the Giants and hasn’t won in three decisions (6.11 <span class="caps">ERA</span>) at AT&T Park. But maybe his recent stretch will turn fate into fortune.</p>
<p>Capuano has won three consecutive starts and five of his last six outings. Most recently, he threw six innings in a 5-2 road victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> on Monday.</p>
<p>Countering on the hill for the Giants will be <span>Tim Lincecum</span>, who is going in the opposite direction of Capuano. He’s 1-3 over his last seven appearances, but has received little run support. San Francisco has put up three runs or less in each of his last five outings.</p>
<p>Lincecum limited the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a> to three runs over five innings in a 5-3 loss on Monday. The righty, who has compiled 25 strikeouts over his last three starts, is 2-1 with a 3.07 <span class="caps">ERA</span> in six starts against the Mets.</p>
<p>On Friday, <span>Scott Hairston</span> hit a go-ahead, pinch-hit home run off <span>Brian Wilson</span> in the ninth inning to push the Mets over the Giants, 5-2.</p>
<p><span>Carlos Beltran</span> and <span>Nick Evans</span> tacked on run-scoring singles in the last inning, while <span>Angel Pagan</span> hit a two-run homer earlier in the game for New York.</p>
<p>“These guys just continue to battle through it,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “We’re in a tough stretch and we have to come out here tomorrow night and battle another outstanding pitcher.”</p>
<p><span>Nate Schierholtz</span> provided the Giants’ offense with a home run and sacrifice fly. Wilson (6-2) took the loss in relief of <span>Ryan Vogelsong</span>, who battled through seven innings and yielded two runs on seven hits and five walks.</p>
<p>“He kept his poise and kept us in the game,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He leaves the ball game tied 2-2 after seven innings. That’s a pretty good job he did.”</p>
<p>The Mets countered one of the Giants’ three All-Star starters with a strong outing from <span>R.A. Dickey</span>, who also allowed two runs on seven hits over seven frames.</p>
<p>San Francisco’s All-Star closer, however, did not fare as well, as Hairston came off the bench and worked a full count against Wilson before skying one that kept carrying into the left-field seats.</p>
<p>New York piled on two more, as Beltran knocked in Pagan with a base hit and scored on Evans’ two-out single up the middle.</p>
<p>Francisco Rodriguez set down the Giants in order in the bottom half to record his 23rd save of the season.</p>
<p><span>Pedro Beato</span> (2-1) recorded the final two outs of the eighth to earn the win.</p>
<p>Giants third baseman <span>Pablo Sandoval</span> doubled to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 19 games.</p>
<p>San Francisco took two of three at New York in early May.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-mets/2011/7/9/2268117/mets-at-giants-amazins-face-tough-test-with-lincecum-on-the-moundJimmy Hascup2011-07-09T02:21:04-04:002011-07-09T02:21:04-04:00Mets-Giants Score: Scott Hairston's 9th-Inning Pinch-Hit Home Run Aids Mets' 5-2 Win
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k4AZ3zUXGjVqYFKP2-sft2B2rWA=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828127/large_newyork.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) – <span>Scott Hairston</span> hit a go-ahead, pinch-hit home run off <span>Brian Wilson</span> in the ninth inning to push the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a>, 5-2, in the opener of a three-game series.</p>
<p><span>Carlos Beltran</span> and <span>Nick Evans</span> tacked on run-scoring singles in the last inning, while <span>Angel Pagan</span> hit a two-run homer earlier in the game for New York, which has won five of six overall.</p>
<p><span>Nate Schierholtz</span> provided the Giants’ offense with a home run and sacrifice fly. Wilson (6-2) took the loss in relief of <span>Ryan Vogelsong</span>, who battled through seven innings and yielded two runs on seven hits and five walks.</p>
<p>The Mets countered one of the Giants’ three All-Star starters with a strong outing from <span>R.A. Dickey</span>, who also allowed two runs on seven hits over seven frames.</p>
<p>San Francisco’s All-Star closer, however, did not fare as well, as Hairston came off the bench and worked a full count against Wilson before skying one that kept carrying into the left-field seats.</p>
<p>New York piled on two more, as Beltran knocked in Pagan with a base hit and scored on Evans’ two-out single up the middle .</p>
<p>Francisco Rodriguez set down the Giants in order in the bottom half to record his 23rd save of the season.</p>
<p><span>Pedro Beato</span> (2-1) recorded the final two outs of the eighth to earn the win.</p>
<p>The Mets wasted a bases-loaded chance in the fourth, and Schierholtz broke a scoreless tie in the bottom half by plating <span>Pablo Sandoval</span> with a sacrifice fly. Sandoval doubled leading off the inning to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 19 games.</p>
<p>New York took the lead in its next turn as Pagan sent a two-run blast over the wall in right-center, but Schierholtz tied the game in the sixth when he found McCovey Cove for his seventh home run of the season.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-mets/2011/7/9/2267302/mets-giants-score-scott-hairstons-9th-inning-pinch-hit-home-run-aidsJimmy Hascup2011-07-08T20:10:57-04:002011-07-08T20:10:57-04:00Mets At Giants: New York Begins Last Series Before All-Star Break
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k4AZ3zUXGjVqYFKP2-sft2B2rWA=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828127/large_newyork.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>(Sports Network) - The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> are set to face some pretty talented arms over their next two series. Not having <span>Jose Reyes</span> for the near future won't help make that stretch any easier.</p>
<p>New York begins a three-game series against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">San Francisco Giants</a> and All- Star <span>Ryan Vogelsong</span> tonight at AT&T Park looking to bounce back from a shutout loss on Thursday.</p>
<p>Beginning with yesterday's clash with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> starter <span>Clayton Kershaw</span>, the Mets could potentially face seven straight All-Star pitchers. The Giants are slated to throw their three All-Star arms in Vogelsong, <span>Tim Lincecum</span> and <span>Matt Cain</span> in this series and New York opens the second half against a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> club that could line up its three Mid-Summer Classic selections in <span>Roy Halladay</span>, <span>Cliff Lee</span> and <span>Cole Hamels</span>.</p>
<p>The Mets kicked off this tough stretch without Reyes, who landed on the disabled list prior to Thursday's game with a strained left hamstring. The All-Star shortstop hasn't played since suffering the injury running to first base last Saturday and leads the majors with a .354 batting average.</p>
<p>"I know we have some rough schedule coming up with the Giants, the Phillies, and I want to be there," Reyes told New York's website. "At the same time, I'm hurt. I just try to get better, try to get back on the field as soon as possible."</p>
<p>New York had won its first four games without Reyes, but was shut down by Kershaw and the Dodgers in Thursday's 6-0 loss. <span>Dillon Gee</span> tried to keep pace, but unraveled during Los Angeles' five-run sixth inning. Gee was charged with six runs -- five earned -- over 5 2/3 innings of work.</p>
<p>The Mets had won eight of 11 before the loss and must now deal with Vogelsong, who is 6-1 with a 2.13 earned run average in 15 games this season, his first in the majors since 2006.</p>
<p>The 33-year-old hasn't lost since May 26, winning his last three decisions, but was denied a third straight victory on Sunday after getting a no-decision in Detroit. Vogelsong allowed three runs -- two earned -- on four hits and four walks over 6 2/3 innings.</p>
<p>The righty is 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA in four career games versus the Mets, including two starts. He faced them on May 3, but was hit for five runs over four innings of a no-decision.</p>
<p>Vogelsong got his chance in the rotation due to an early-season injury to <span>Barry Zito</span>, who has won three straight starts since returning from a strained foot. He pitched the first-place Giants to a 2-1 victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a> on Thursday, allowing just one run on four hits over eight innings.</p>
<p>"He's throwing strikes," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "He's throwing any pitch at any time. You see him out there. He can't wait to get the ball and he's pitching with a lot of confidence."</p>
<p><span>Eli Whiteside</span> homered and <span>Pat Burrell</span> knocked in the other run for the Giants, who won their 25th one-run game this season and hold a two-game edge over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> for the top spot in the National League West.</p>
<p><span>Pablo Sandoval</span> extended his hitting streak to a career-best 18 straight games as San Francisco has now countered a three-game slide by winning two straight. That helped the club reach 50 wins before the All-Star break for the first time since 2003.</p>
<p>Mets starter <span>R.A. Dickey</span> will hope to make win No. 51 a much tougher task as he is slated to start tonight despite leaving his last start after only 85 pitches due to tightness in his left glute.</p>
<p>The right-handed knuckler got a no-decision in that Sunday start versus the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a>, giving up a run on two hits and two walks over five innings of his club's eventual 3-2 win. The Mets have won each of Dickey's last three starts and the 36-year-old is 1-0 in his last four outings.</p>
<p>Dickey is 4-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 18 games this season and faced Vogelsong on May 3. He was just as ineffective, allowing six runs over six innings of a no- decision, and is 0-1 with a 4.85 ERA in two games versus the Giants.</p>
<p>San Francisco took two of three at New York in early May and has won six of the past eight in this series.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/7/8/2337689/mets-at-giants-new-york-begins-last-series-before-all-star-breakJimmy Hascup