Mets vs. Giants Is Always A Tightly-Contested Series

On Friday, the Mets will open a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants at Citi Field.  The Mets come into the series with a 7-5 record while the Giants are 6-6.  The early-season records for both teams reveal that this should be a tightly-contested series.  But looking back at the Mets' and Giants' recent history against one another shows that tightly-contested may be an understatement.

Since the Mets moved to Citi Field in 2009, they have played a total of 21 games against the Giants, with 10 games being played in New York and 11 in San Francisco.  What's the Mets' record against the Giants in those games?  10-11.  The Mets and Giants have split their games at Citi Field, while the Giants have taken six out of 11 at their ballpark to be named later.  (Hey, it's been called Pac Bell Park, SBC Park and AT&T Park since it opened in 2000.  By the time you read this, it might be called something else.)

You think the two teams are evenly matched because of their won-loss record against each other?  That's not all, folks!

In the 21 games played between the two teams since 2009, a whopping 19 of them were decided by three runs or less.  The only two games in the rivalry decided by more than three runs were a 10-1 Giant victory over the Mets at Citi Field on August 17, 2009 and an 8-4 Giant win at AT&T Park on July 17, 2010.  (Editor's note:  The Studious Metsimus staff was in attendance at both of those games.  Yes, we flew out to San Francisco in 2010 just to see them lose.  Please don't blame us for the only two non-close games of the last 21 played between the two teams.)

Of the 19 games decided by three or fewer runs, seven were one-run games and four went into extra innings.  Naturally, the Mets split the four extra-inning games while losing four of the seven one-run games.  That's how close this series has been over the past three seasons.

Since 2009, the Mets and Giants have been incredibly competitive against each other.  However, that is where the similarities end.  In 2012, the Giants are seeking their fourth consecutive winning season, while the Mets are looking to avoid their fourth straight losing campaign.  In fact, the last time both teams finished on the same side of .500 was in 2001, when the Giants went 90-72 and the Mets barely finished with a winning record, ending the season with an 82-80 mark.

On Friday, the Mets and Giants will resume their rivalry at Citi Field in the first game of a four-game series.  Although the Giants have been more successful in the standings over the past three years, that doesn't mean you should turn away from this series.  In fact, if recent history repeats itself, we could be looking at one of the best and most tightly-contested series the Mets will play all year.

Without question, this weekend should be a fun weekend for baseball at Citi Field!