Portal:Baseball/Selected list/5

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Johan Santana, 2008 and 2009 starter

The New York Mets are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Flushing, Queens, in New York City, New York. They play in the National League East division. The New York Mets have used 19 different Opening Day starting pitchers in their 48 seasons. The 19 starters have a combined Opening Day record of 25 wins, 11 losses (25–11) and 12 no decisions. Tom Seaver holds the Mets' record for most Opening Day starts with 11, and has an Opening Day record of 6–0. He also has the most starts in Shea Stadium, the Mets' home ballpark from 1964 through 2008. Dwight Gooden holds the Mets' record for most Opening Day wins with seven Opening Day wins against one Opening Day loss. Al Jackson and Roger Craig share the worst winning percentage as the Opening Day starting pitcher with a record of 0–2. From 1968 through 1983, Mets' Opening Day starting pitchers went 16 consecutive years without a loss. During this period, Tom Seaver won six starts with five no decisions, Craig Swan won two starts, and Jerry Koosman, Pat Zachry and Randy Jones won one start apiece. Furthermore, in the 31-year period from 1968 through 1998, Mets' Opening Day starting pitchers only lost two games. During that period, they won 19 games with 10 no decisions. The only losses during this period were by Mike Torrez in 1984 and by Dwight Gooden in 1990. Overall, Mets Opening Day starting pitchers have a record of 0–1 at the Polo Grounds and a 13–5 record with four no decisions at Shea Stadium. In addition, although the Mets were nominally the home team in 2000, the game was played in Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. Mike Hampton started the game in Tokyo and lost, making the Mets' Opening Day starting pitchers' combined home record 13–7, and their away record 12–4. The Mets went on to play in the World Series in 1969, 1973, 1986 and 2000, and won the 1969 and 1986 World Series championship games. Tom Seaver (1969 and 1973), Dwight Gooden (1986) and Mike Hampton (2000) were the Opening Day starting pitchers when the Mets played in the World Series, and they had a combined Opening Day record of 2–1.