The Mets try to win back-to-back games for the first time in forever tonight as they head to Williamsport for the Little League game!
The Mets are coming off a much needed win Saturday behind Nolan McLean’s dazzling debut. McLean allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings, showing that Mets starting pitchers can in fact record an out in the sixth inning. The bullpen held on to a 1-0 lead that eventually got stretched into a 3-1 win. With a win under their belt the Mets just need to focusing on winning more, and taking a series from the Seattle Mariners is a great start.
Clay Holmes has pitched 126 innings over 24 starts with a 3.71 ERA, 4.20 FIP, 1.349 WHIP and a 107 ERA+. He’s coming off a tough game against the Braves where he allowed five runs over 3 2/3 innings from six hits and six walks. Similar to other Mets losses in this stretch, it was the fourth inning that did Holmes in. He allowed only one run through the first three innings while the Mets bats gave the Mets a 5-1 lead. Then everything fell off in the fourth. What a moral booster it would be for Holmes and the Mets to have a solid five innings today. The Mariners have the following career numbers against Holmes:
- Randy Arozarena 2-12, 8 K
- Dominic Canzone 0-0, RBI
- J.P. Crawford 1-2
- Mitch Garver 2-2, 2B
- Dylan Moore 0-1, 2 BB, K
- Josh Naylor 2-4, 2B
- Jorge Polanco 1-1
- Cal Raleigh 0-4, BB
- Luke Raley 2-3
- Julio Rodriguez 1-5, BB, 2 K
- Donovan Solano 0-1, K
- Eugenio Suarez 1-7, BB, 2 K
The Mets bats will get a look at George Kirby tonight who has pitched 85 innings over 15 starts with a 3.71 ERA, 3.22 FIP, 1.071 WHIP and a 101 ERA+. Kirby is coming off of a fantastic start where he shutout the Orioles over seven innings. In his last three starts he has allowed only two runs over 19 innings, scattering 11 hits and four walks. The Mets have the following career stats against George Kirby:
- Pete Alonso 2-3, HR< BB
- Francisco Alvarez 1-1
- Brett Baty 0-1
- Francisco Lindor 1-3
- Starling Marte 2-2, 2B, 3B
- Ronny Mauricio 1-2
- Jeff McNeil 1-3
- Cedric Mullins 3-17, 2B, 2 BB, 4 K
- Brandon Nimmo 1-4
- Juan Soto 3-3
Three Things To Watch For:
- Francisco Lindor. He’s been the player to watch on the Mets now for about a week. Lindor now has at least two hits in four consecutive games and has reached base at least twice in five consecutive games. During this stretch Lindor is hitting 11-for-20 with two doubles, three home runs, seven runs scored and two stolen bases (.550/.609/1.100). His stolen base on Saturday clinched his third consecutive 20-20 season and a second consecutive 30-30 season is in reach. Despite the massive slump he just got out of, Lindor has a 121 OPS+, the same OPS+ he had in 2023 and just lightly behind his 2022 125 OPS+.
- Can the bullpen do it again? Gregory Soto pitched 1 2/3 innings of perfect relief Saturday. Edwin Díaz was called on for a six out save and allowed one run on two hits while closing the door. This gave the rest of the Mets bullpen a much needed day off. The Mets bullpen let the Mets down on Friday with Tyler Rogers allowing a run, Helsley allowing two runs and Raley allowing three. With Díaz most likely unavailable tonight, the other big names in the Mets bullpen will have to step up.
- Journey Bank Ballpark. It’s always fun for players and fans to see the team play in a different stadium. Last season we got to see the Mets play in London. The Mets last played in the Little League Classic against the Phillies back in 2018, a game that the Mets won 8-2. The Statcast numbers suggest it’s a difficult park to hit in, but there’s also a fairly small sample size. If you’re a fan of the spectacle that MLB creates, the Little League classic is one of the better special games they put on.
Let’s Go Mets!
