213 Miles From Shea

The Mets and Cardinals will try to end their four game set during an afternoon getaway game! It has been raining across the region for a better portion of the night and rain should stop in Flushing in the late morning. The Mets and Cardinals should be able to get the game in today as long as the field conditions held up overnight.

The Mets turn to Chris Bassitt to lead the way to a series victory this afternoon. Over his first seven starts and 42 1/3 innings, he has a 2.34 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.016 WHIP and a 167 ERA+. He has almost identical pitching lines in his last two starts, pitching 5 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and one run. Bassitt locked the Cardinals down over six innings at the end of April allowing no runs and only two hits. The Cardinals have the following career numbers against Bassitt:

• Albert Pujols 5-12, 2B, HR
• Nolan Arenado 2-3, 2 BB
• Paul Goldschmidt 1-5, BB, K
• Dylan Carlson 0-3, K
• Tommy Edman 0-2, BB
• Tyler O’Neill 0-3, K
• Harrison Bader 0-2
• Brendan Donovan 0-1
• Yadier Molina 1-2

The Mets bats finally broke out late in last night’s game, scoring 5 runs in the 8th inning to put the game out of reach for the Cardinals. Hopefully the Mets can continue that late momentum from last night against today’s starter, Dakota Hudson.

Hudson has made seven starts and pitched 35 1/3 innings this season with a 3.06 ERA, 5.04 FIP, 1.330 WHIP and a 125 ERA+. He has three starts season where he has allowed no runs, totaling 17 2/3 innings (this includes his last start, five shutout innings against the Giants). He has allowed exactly three earned runs in each of his of his other four starts. Even stranger his season so far has been a pattern of allow three runs in back to back starts, shutout out for back to back starts, allow three runs in back to back starts, shutout. If the pattern holds he should shut the Mets out today. Hopefully the Mets can end the pattern! The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 2-5, HR, BB, K
• J.D. Davis 1-3
• Eduardo Escobar 1-3, HR, K
• Tomás Nido 0-3, K
• Brandon Nimmo 0-3, 2 K
• Dominic Smith 1-2, 2B, BB
• Mark Canha 2-2
• Jeff McNeil 0-2, K

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets and Cardinals split a back and forth traditional doubleheader yesterday. The Mets took the first game 3-1 thanks to some early runs and the ability to hold off a late Cardinals threat. The second game featured multiple lead changes, missed opportunities by both teams and mistakes by both teams. The Mets got a split against a good team and try to clinch the series split this evening.

The series finale tomorrow is an early afternoon game. If that game takes about 3 hours to complete than both clubs will play a total of four complete games in a span of 51 hours. Bullpen management and depth are going to be critical for both clubs tonight.

For the Mets, Max Scherzer looks to make an easier night for the pen a reality. Over seven starts and 44 innings he has a 2.66 ERA, 3.01 FIP, 0.909 WHIP and a 145 ERA+. He’s coming off of a strong start against the Mariners where he allowed only one run from three hits over seven innings. He also faced the Cardinals already this season didn’t allow any runs over seven innings while striking out 10 batters. The Cardinals have the following numbers against Scherzer:

• Paul Goldschmidt 7-35, BB, 16 K
• Yadier Molina 1-19, 2B, 5 K
• Corey Dickerson 5-15, HR, 2 K
• Albert Pujols 1-12, 2B, 3 BB, 3 K
• Nolan Arenado 2-13, BB, 5 K
• Tommy Edman 4-11, 2B, HR, BB, 3 K
• Harrison Bader 2-12, 2B, 4 K
• Dylan Carlson 0-10, 6 K
• Edmundo Sosa 1-6, 4 K
• Tyler O’Neill 0-6, 4 K

Jordan Hick gets the start for the Cardinals. Over seven games and five starts this year he has tossed 21 2/3 innings with a 4.15 ERA, 4.42 FIP, 1.154 WHIP and 94 ERA+. All ten runs he’s allowed this year have from his 17 2/3 innings as a starter (5.09 ERA). When the Mets saw him at the end of April, he was making his second start of the season and allowed two runs from two hits and two walks over two innings. He is slowly getting stretched out though to go deeper into games. He tossed 42 pitches against the Mets that day, since then he has tossed 63, 68 and 77. In that most recent start where he threw 77 pitches he pitched five innings. This is what the Cardinals need from him today. The Mets have the following career numbers against himg:

• Brandon Nimmo 1-2, BB
• Pete Alonso 1-2
• Francisco Lindor 0-2, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 1-2, 2B
• Mark Canha 0-1
• J.D. Davis 0-1
• Eduardo Escobar 0-0, BB
• Dominic Smith 0-1

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets are in a tough stretch of the schedule now. From the start of game one of the doubleheader, the Mets and Cardinals are on track to play four complete games in the span of 50-51 hours.

Taijuan Walker gets the start for the night cap. Over four games and 18.0 innings this year, Walker has a 3.00 ERA, 4.49 FIP, 1.056 WHIP and a 132 ERA+. Walker is coming off of a strong start against the Nationals his last time out on the mound, shutting them out over seven innings while allowing only three hits. Also it was the first time this season he faced a team not named the Phillies. That being said, with a start against the Cardinals tonight, all five starts will be against teams that primarily use red as a color (does this qualify as a fun fact?). In his one start against the Cardinals last year, Walker held the birds to one unearned run over seven innings of work and only one hit while striking out eight. The Cardinals have the following numbers against him:

• Nolan Arenado 4-15, 2B, 2 BB, 2 K
• Albert Pujols 3-13, HR, 2 K
• Paul DeJong 1-0, BB, K
• Yadier Molina 4-9, K
• Corey Dickerson 4-8, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 2 K
• Harrison Bader 0-4, 2 K
• Dylan Carlson 0-3, K
• Tommy Edman 0-3, K
• Paul Goldschmidt 0-3, 3 K

Steven Matz returns to Citi Field! On the season Matz has made seven starts and pitched 32 1/3 innings with a 6.40 ERA, 4.06 FIP, 1.515 WHIP and a 60 ERA+. Matz had a great start at the beginning of May where he shut down the Royals over six innings with no runs. Since then he’s allowed 11 runs over 8 2/3 innings in two starts. Against the Mets this season he allowed four runs over four innings from six hits and two walks in a game the Cardinals eventually won 10-5. The Mets have the following career numbers against Matz:

• Starling Marte 1-14, BB, 5 K
• Eduardo Escobar 4-8, HR, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 2-8, 2 2B, 2 K
• Brandon Nimmo 2-5, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Pete Alonso 2-4, HR, BB
• Mark Canha 2-4
• J.D. Davis 0-4, BB, 2 K
• Travis Jankowski 0-2, BB
• Dominic Smith 0-3, K
• Tomás Nido 1-2, 2B, K

Let’s Go Mets!

Those of us who live in the tri-state area started to get warnings on Sunday about how bad the weather was going to be yesterday afternoon and evening. I’m a teacher in Newark and we cancelled all afternoon activities. Around the same time, the Mets cancelled the game. Anecdotally, it seems the strength of the storms varied greatly where you live.

The baseball result is the Mets and Cardinals will now play four games over a compact three days. The Mets, with the possibility of more bad weather looming over the weekend, are still going to use Trevor Williams today bring in a 27th man for the bullpen.

Trevor Williams has pitched 11 innings this year over five games and a start with a 5.73 ERA, 3.19 FIP, 1.636 WHIP and a 70 ERA+. In his one start against the Diamond backs towards the end of May, he allowed four runs from seven hits in two innings. Since that game, he has only been used in long relief outings. He’s pitched 3 2/3 innings twice. First against the Braves where he allowed three runs from three hits. Then against the Nationals after Megill’s last start where he allowed no runs and only two hits. Overall in these last three games he has gone from 62 pitches, to 53 to 51, which gives us an idea of where his ceiling will be tonight (in his previous two games he tossed 21 and 16 pitches respectively). The Cardinals have the following numbers against him:

• Yadier Molina 10-30, 4 2B, 7 K
• Paul DeJong 7-21, 3 2B, HR, 2 BB, 6 K
• Paul Goldschmidt 7-22, 2B, HR, BB, 4 K
• Harrison Bader 6-14, 2B, 4 K
• Tyler O’Neill 3-12, HR, BB, 4 K
• Tommy Edman 3-12, K
• Nolan Arenado 4-9, 2 HR
• Dylan Carlson 1-3, 2B
• Corey Dickerson 2-3

The Mets bats draw Miles Mikolas who is off to a career start this year. Over seven games and 42 1/3 innings, Miles has a 1.49 ERA, 2.96 FIP, 0.945 WHIP and a 257 ERA+. He’s allowed two runs in two starts this season, every other start has allowed one run or less and this includes a start against the Mets where he shut the Mets out over seven innings holding them to only four hits. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Starling Marte 5-35, 2B, 2 BB, 6 K
• Eduardo Escobar 1-9, 2 K
• Pete Alonso 2-7
• Brandon Nimmo 0-6, BB, 2 K
• Travis Jankowski 0-6
• Jeff McNeil 2-5, 2B, BB, K
• Mark Canha 0-1, BB
• J.D. Davis 0-3
• Francisco Lindor 0-3
• Dominic Smith 0-1, K

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets were *this close* to another amazing, comeback win yesterday afternoon. In the bottom of the ninth, they scored twice to bring the score to 8-7, the bases were loaded, it was a full count and Pete Alonso struck out. The energy in the comeback attempt though has been a key feature of this club, and hopefully they bring it tonight as they open a four game set with the Cardinals.

The Mets tonight will battle two different uncertainties. Before yesterday’s game, the Mets announced that Tylor Megill, who was scheduled to go tonight, was heading to the IL with biceps inflammation. David Peterson is the long term solution in the rotation but he just went for Syracuse so Trevor Williams will get the spot start. Second, the weather. A line of severe storms will roll through the area starting in the late afternoon in Jersey and into the early evening in the City.

Trevor Williams has pitched 11 innings this year over five games and a start with a 5.73 ERA, 3.19 FIP, 1.636 WHIP and a 70 ERA+. In his one start against the Diamond backs towards the end of May, he allowed four runs from seven hits in two innings. Since that game, he has only been used in long relief outings. He’s pitched 3 2/3 innings twice. First against the Braves where he allowed three runs from three hits. Then against the Nationals after Megill’s last start where he allowed no runs and only two hits. Overall in these last three games he has gone from 62 pitches, to 53 to 51, which gives us an idea of where his ceiling will be tonight (in his previous two games he tossed 21 and 16 pitches respectively). The Cardinals have the following numbers against him:

• Yadier Molina 10-30, 4 2B, 7 K
• Paul DeJong 7-21, 3 2B, HR, 2 BB, 6 K
• Paul Goldschmidt 7-22, 2B, HR, BB, 4 K
• Harrison Bader 6-14, 2B, 4 K
• Tyler O’Neill 3-12, HR, BB, 4 K
• Tommy Edman 3-12, K
• Nolan Arenado 4-9, 2 HR
• Dylan Carlson 1-3, 2B
• Corey Dickerson 2-3

The Mets bats draw Miles Mikolas who is off to a career start this year. Over seven games and 42 1/3 innings, Miles has a 1.49 ERA, 2.96 FIP, 0.945 WHIP and a 257 ERA+. He’s allowed two runs in two starts this season, every other start has allowed one run or less and this includes a start against the Mets where he shut the Mets out over seven innings holding them to only four hits. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Starling Marte 5-35, 2B, 2 BB, 6 K
• Eduardo Escobar 1-9, 2 K
• Pete Alonso 2-7
• Brandon Nimmo 0-6, BB, 2 K
• Travis Jankowski 0-6
• Jeff McNeil 2-5, 2B, BB, K
• Mark Canha 0-1, BB
• J.D. Davis 0-3
• Francisco Lindor 0-3
• Dominic Smith 0-1, K

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets go for the series win today as they take on the Mariners in a Sunday rubber game! Last night was just an all-around bizarre affair. The Mariners made multiple, spectacular catches against the Mets. The Mariners made multiple, head-scratching mistakes against the Mets. Patrick Mazeika and Chris Bassitt struggled to be on the same page at the start of the game. Patrick Mazeika hit the go-ahead homer in the bottom of the 7th after the Mariners tied the game in the top half of the frame. An odd night at Citi Field.

Carlos Carrasco will try to bring sanity back to the Mets today. In six starts and 36 2/3 innings, Carrasco has a 3.19 ERA, 3.04 FIP, 1.009 WHIP and a 123 ERA+. Eight of the 13 runs he’s allowed this year have come from one start. Another way to phrase it – if you delete that start from the log, he’s allowed five runs over 33 innings this year. Since that one terrible start he has tossed 14 2/3 innings, allowing two runs from 13 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10 batters. The Mariners have the following numbers against Carrasco:

• Eugenio Suarez 3-15, HR, BB, 7 K
• Steven Souza Jr. 1-8, 2 BB, 5 K
• Jesse Winker 2-7, 2 2B, 2 K
• Adam Frazier 2-5, BB, 2 K
• Dylan Moore 2-5, HR, 2 K

The Mets bats draw Robbie Ray for the series finale. Ray, a long time Diamondback, is now in Seattle after a stint with the Blue Jays. He’s coming off of a career year where he won the Cy Young Award after pitching 193 1/3 innings (league leading) with a 2.84 ERA (league leading), 3.69 FIP, 1.045 WHIP (league leading) and a 157 ERA+ (league leading). He also struck out 248 batters which led the league.

In seven starts and 42 2/3 innings this year he has a 4.22 ERA, 4.15 FIP, 1.172 WHIP and an 86 ERA+. Over two starts in May he’s allowed six runs from night hits and three walks over 12.1 innings (4.38 ERA) while striking out 15 batters. Robbie’s career is defined by his strikeout rate. When he’s on and having a good day, he’s striking out the world. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Starling Marte 7-20, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 BB, 7 K
• Mark Canha 0-5, BB, K
• J.D. Davis 1-5, 2 K
• Eduardo Escobar 3-4, 2B, 2 HR
• Jeff McNeil 0-3
• Dominic Smith 0-4, K
• Pete Alonso 0-3, 2 K
• Travis Jankowski 0-2, K
• Brandon Nimmo 1-2, HR, K

Let’s Go Mets!

Max Scherzer pitched a gem last night, but the Mets bats couldn’t lift him up, thus the Mets lost the opener to the Mariners by a score of 2-1. The Mets will look to get their bats going tonight as they are in jeopardy of losing their first series of the year.

Chris Bassitt has pitched 36 2/3 innings over six starts this season with a 2.45 ERA, 3.46 FIP, 0.955 WHIP and a 160 ERA+. He’s coming off of a start against the Phillies where he allowed only one run over 5 2/3 innings from five hits and a walk. Unlike other members of the rotation, since Bassitt was in the AL West last year he has a lot of familiarity with the Mariners. He faced them four times last year allowing nine runs over 15 1/3 innings from 15 hits and eight walks. He also struck out 17 Mariners in that stretch. Seattle has the following career numbers against him:

• J.P. Crawford 7-20, 3 2B, 6 K
• Ty France 4-10, 2B, 2 BB, 2 K
• Dylan Moore 1-8, K
• Jarred Kelenic 0-5, 2 BB, 2 K
• Kyle Lewis 0-7, 3 K
• Eugenio Suarez 3-4, 2 2B, HR, K

George Kirby gets the start for the Mariners tonight. Kirby grew up in Rye, New York and will make his second major league in his home market. His major league start was pretty great. He allowed no runs and only four hits (no walks) over six innings while striking out seven batters. Kirby is one of the top prospects in the Mariners organization. Before getting called up, he made five starts in Arkansas (Double A) where he posted a 1.82 ERA and 0.892 WHIP in 24 2/3 innings. He has a career 2.34 ERA over three seasons in the minor leagues.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets welcome the Mariners to Citi Field tonight as the two clubs kick off a weekend series! Through a series of trades and signings, there are quite a few players, who used to play for the Mets or were in the Mets farm system, making a homecoming of sorts this weekend: Chris Flexen, Paul Sewald, and (most notoriously) Jarred Kelenic. There will probably be tons of talk this weekend about the trade that sent Kelenic to the Mariners for Robinson Canó and Edwin Díaz.

But there’s also actual baseball to focus on and it’s a Max Scherzer day! The Mets are finally coming out of their water logged weekend last week where back to back games were postponed due to rain – which means the rotation is finally setting itself back together. Over six starts and 37 innings this year, Scherzer has a 2.92 ERA, 3.04 FIP, 0.946 WHIP and a 133 ERA+. Seven of the twelve runs he’s given up this season have been in his last two starts, both against the Phillies. The Mariners have the following numbers against him:

• Adam Frazier 7-20, 4 2B, HR, 2 BB, K
• Eugenio Suarez 2-16, 2 HR, BB, 7 K
• Jesse Winker 0-7, BB, 4 K
• J.P. Crawford 2-3, 2B
• Mike Ford 0-3, K

The Mets bats draw Marco Gonzales for the series opener. Over six starts and 25 1/3 innings this season, Marco has a 3.91 ERA, 7.18 FIP, 1.618 WHIP and a 93 ERA+. He has allowed six runs, five earned, in his last two starts totaling 11 1/3 innings. Here’s an interesting stat line though, he has allowed 20 total runs this season, but only 11 of those runs were earned. Most of this discrepancy happened over two starts in April where he was tagged for six runs in each start, but only two of them in each start were earned. The members of the New York Mets who have spent time recently on American League clubs are the only players on the current roster who have seen Marco in a major league game:

• Mark Canha 6-33, 2 2B, BB, 5 K
• Starling Marte 2-5, HR, BB, K
• James McCann 0-5, BB, K
• Francisco Lindor 1-3, BB

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets and Nationals close out their three game set this afternoon with a rubber game! The Mets took the first game on Tuesday but last night was a different story. Tylor Megill struggled for the first time this year and gave up a lot of runs early. The Mets bats scored three runs in the top of the first, but couldn’t do anything after that. The result was an 8-3 loss the Mets can put behind them today with a win.

Taijuan Walker gets the start today for the Mets. Over three starts and 11 innings this year he has a 4.91 ERA, 5.28 FIP, 1.364 WHIP and a 80 ERA+. He is coming off of his worst start of the season against the Phillies where he allowed seven runs, six earned, in four innings of work (in a game the Mets eventually won by scoring seven runs in the top of the ninth). For Walker, today will be a relief of sorts because it is the first time all year he does not face the Phillies. Walker made three starts against the Nationals last season. In the first start, he shut them out and held them to only three hits in seven innings of work. In the next two he allowed 10 earned runs in 8 2/3 innings. The Nationals have the following numbers against Walker:

• Josh Bell 3-10, 2B, HR, 2 BB
• Alcides Escobar 4-9, 2 2B, BB
• Maikel Franco 2-5, 2B, BB
• Victor Robles 2-6, 2B
• Juan Soto 2-5, 2B, BB
• Dee Strange-Gordon 0-3, K
• Keibert Ruiz 1-3
• Lane Thomas 2-3, HR, K
• Carter Kieboom 0-2, 2 K

Joan Adon will finish the series for the Nationals today. Over six starts and 28 1/3 innings this year, Adon has a 6.99 ERA, 5.25 FIP, 1.659 WHIP and a 54 ERA+. Adon has had one start this year where he allowed no runs (against the Diamondbacks). In his other five starts he has allowed 22 runs in 22 innings. This includes a start against the Mets, his first of the season, where he allowed four runs on four hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Adon:

• Pete Alonso 1-3, HR, K
• Francisco Lindor 0-1, 2 BB
• Starling Marte 0-2
• Brandon Nimmo 1-2, BB
• Luis Guillorme 0-1, BB, K
• Travis Jankowski 1-2
• James McCann 1-2
• Jeff McNeil 0-2
• Dominic Smith 0-2, K

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to take the series with the Nationals tonight after last night’s 4-2 win. Last night started off as a pitcher’s duel but as the game went on the Mets got more and more runners on base, working counts deeper and deeper. It just felt like a matter of time to get some runs and they did! Coming back from a deficit, the Mets were able to get the lead late in the game and then add to it before Díaz shut the door in the ninth.

Big Drip returns to the mound tonight for his seventh start of the year. In his first six starts and 33 1/3 innings, Tylor Megill has a 2.43 ERA, 2.44 FIP, 0.900 WHIP and a 158 ERA+. Tylor opened up the season against the Nationals (in DC) where he allowed no runs and struck out six batters over five innings. The Nationals have the following numbers against Tylor:

• Lane Thomas 1-8, HR, 5 K
• Alcides Escobar 3-8, HR, 2 K
• Juan Soto 0-4, 3 BB, K
• Josh Bell 2-7, HR, 2 K
• Carter Kieboom 1-5, 3 K
• Luis Garcia 1-4, 2B
• Ehire Adrianza 0-3, BB, K
• Erick Fedde 0-2
• Maikel Franco 0-2
• Riley Adams 0-2
• Cesar Hernandez 1-2, K
• Nelson Cruz 0-2, K
• Victor Robles 0-1, K

Aaron Sanchez gets the start for the Nationals tonight. Over his first three starts and 13 2/3 innings of work, Sanchez has a 8.56 ERA, 4.56 FIP, 1.537 WHIP and a 60 ERA+. He has given up at least three earned runs in each of his three starts this season. Although he has not recorded an out in the sixth inning or later yet, each start this year he has progressively thrown more pitches going from 64 to 71 to 84.

Sanchez has spent most of his career with Toronto with recent stops in Houston and San Francisco before joining the Nationals. As one would expect with a team history like that, there aren’t a ton of Mets who have seen him in a game before:

• Eduardo Escobar 2-7, 2B, HR, K
• James McCann 2-6, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 4-6, 2B, K
• Travis Jankowski 0-2, BB
• Starling Marte 0-2, BB
• Mark Canha 0-1

Let’s Go Mets!