The Mets look to even the series with the Braves tonight after dropping the first game 3-2. The Braves scored three runs early and that was all they needed as they were able to keep the Mets from scoring for the vast majority of the game. The Mets have now lost nine of their last 10 games and are 1.5 games out of first place. They still are 13 games above .500 though.
Frankie Montas finally makes his Mets debut tonight! The righty had a high-grade right lat strain in spring training. In 30 starts last season he pitched 150 2/3 innings with a 4.84 ERA, 4.71 FIP, 1.367 WHIP and a 90 ERA+. His rehab assignment with the Mets has been rough allowing 25 runs from 30 hits and 10 walks in just 18 2/3 innings. There was a reason though why Stearns rushed to get him this off-season and Montas is healthy at a time where the Mets desperately need him. The Braves have the following career numbers against him:
- Sean Murphy 2-3
- Matt Olson 2-4, BB
- Marcell Ozuna 1-5
- Austin Riley 1-2, HR, K
- Alex Verdugo 6-11, 3 2B, BB
- Eli White 0-4, K
What a week for Mets hitters. Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider, Chris Sale, Zack Wheeler, Spencer Schwenllenbach again and finally Spencer Strider again. Over seven starts (37 innings) Strider has a 3.89 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 1.135 WHIP and a 106 ERA+. He’s hit his groove in his last two starts allowing only one run from eight hits and two walks over 12 innings while striking out 21 batters. This includes six innings of one run ball against the Mets who have the following career stats against him:
- Pete Alonso 3-15, 2B, HR, 2 BB, 8 K
- Brett Baty 2-4, K
- Travis Jankowski 0-2
- Francisco Lindor 6-18, 3B, 3 BB, 2 K
- Starling Marte 2-10, 2 BB, 3 K
- Ronny Mauricio 1-2, K
- Jeff McNeil 3-16, 2B, 4 K
- Brandon Nimmo 9-19, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 3 BB, 4 K
- Juan Soto 3-10, 3 BB
- Tyrone Taylor 1-2, K
Three Things To Watch For:
- Francisco Lindor. Lindor now has three consecutive games with two hits. After going hitless for five straight games Lindor has bounced back, collecting hits in bunches. He has gone 6-for-13 with a double and two home runs over his last three games. When we highlighted him yesterday, we talked about how no one is actually driving Lindor in, and that continued last night. Don’t waste Lindor’s hot streak!
- The Mets Pitching Lab. We’ve seen time and time again the Mets pitching lab remake pitchers this season. In 2024 Montas threw a mid-90’s four seamer 33% of the time, a mid-90’s sinker (19.3%), low-90’s cutter (18.7%), mid-80’s splitter (18.3%) and a mid-80’s slider (10.7%). His best pitch was his splitter – opponents had a .242 xwOBA against it. Let’s see how the Mets are advising him to switch up his pitch mix tonight!
- Adjustments. The Mets faced Strider less than a week ago and the Mets got some solid hits off of Strider, they just got a bit unlucky. For example, Lindor had 108.8 mph lineout with an xBA of .760 and a 97.5 mph lineout. Alonso had a 112.1 mph groundout that had an xBA of .400. He also had a single that went 112.5 mph off the bat. How do the Mets adjust to Strider? How does Strider adjust to Mets? Strider used his slider 41% of the time which was an increase compared to his season as a whole, and he barely showed the Mets his changeup and curveball. He normally rarely uses them (less than 10% combined) but last week he used them only 5% of the time.
Let’s Go Mets!
