New York Mets: Chris Capuano Has Been a Tough Luck Pitcher

When looking at Chris Capuano’s stats, anyone unfamiliar with the Mets would think he’s having a pretty poor season.

However, it’s been quite the opposite for the lefty. Capuano has actually pitched well for the Mets but has been the victim of some tough luck this season.

He’s made 11 starts so far with a record of 4-6 and a 4.86 ERA. Despite these numbers, Capuano has kept his team in the game in the majority of his starts, but the Mets have had trouble scoring runs when he pitches.

In two of the three starts in which Capuano gave up more than five runs, he only really had one bad inning in each of these. In fact, in his recent start against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Capuano hung five consecutive zeroes on the board before being plagued by infield singles and errors in the sixth.

He only gave up one run in his last start on a home run to Prince Fielder, who continues to abuse the league in his contract year. Luckily, Jose Reyes bailed him out with a clutch two-run triple to give Capuano the win.

Coming off an injury year, Capuano has been a good find for the Mets. Unlike Chris Young, he’s been able to stay healthy all year and give the team a chance to win each time out.

The starting pitching overall has been good over the last few weeks. R.A. Dickey has put together a few solid starts, and Dillon Gee has been unconscious. Jon Niese has been serviceable as well, but Mike Pelfrey still needs some work.

That leaves Capuano, who quietly goes about his business each start. Once again, the stats may not be there, but he has shown he is a true competitor.

Depending on how the next two months pan out, the Mets might be able to get some value in a trade for Capuano, who is a free agent after the season. He can be a swing man or even a lefty specialist—he’s held lefties to a .229 BA—for a contender down the stretch.

Whatever becomes of Capuano, it’s nice to see gritty performances out of him. If the Mets are to make a play for the Wild Card, Capuano will need to continue these strong outings, but with one major change that he can’t control: The Mets have to score him some runs.