Just Mets

The Mets will look for a series win against the Marlins in Game 2 of their three game series tonight at 7:10 PM at Marlins Park in Miami.

Here is today’s starting lineup for New York:

1) Curtis Granderson – RF
2) Juan Lagares – CF
3) Lucas Duda – 1B
4) Eric Campbell – 3B
5) Daniel Murphy – 2B
6) Ruben Tejada – SS
7) Kirk Nieuwenhuis – LF
8) Anthony Recker – C
9) Rafael Montero – RHP

Here’s what I am looking for tonight from the Mets…

Rafael Montero has to mix up the program.

Terry Collins and the Mets are clearly concerned about Montero’s approach to pitching, which is why they decided to start the veteran Anthony Recker to catch him tonight. He’s done a good job throwing strikes at this level in 2015, but it’s important he use all of his pitches, especially his change-up which can be a valuable weapon in his arsenal.

Montero’s reportedly not throwing as hard as he was earlier in the season due to a mechanical adjustment, so I wonder if Dan Warthen addressed that with him ahead of tonight’s outing. If Montero’s fastball is in the low 90s, it’s clear Warthen fixed whatever Montero was doing wrong.

Relievers will get their work in tonight.

Montero is on an approximate 90-pitch limit tonight, so the Mets bullpen will certainly be injected at some point during tonight’s game. They’re all pretty well rested thanks to the length provided by Dillon Gee last night.

No hangovers!

The Mets are coming off a dramatic and emotional win on Monday, so hopefully they don’t show up flat tonight. It’s an intra-division game against a team who is looking a lot sharper than their first meeting in New York 12 days ago, so hopefully the Mets are fresh and firing on all cylinders as they go for a series win.