The Mets try to salvage the series with the Marlins this afternoon. It’s been a wild series with the Mets beating themselves Thursday, routing the Marlins on Friday and almost completing the comeback on Saturday. At one point Saturday the Marlins were beating the Mets 8-2 in the middle of the third innings. The Mets clawed all the way back to make it 8-8, but then they allowed the Marlins to score three more runs.
The Phillies won again, extending their division lead back to six games, but the Reds lost again, staying five games back in the wild card race. The Mets could use a normal game today!
Kodai Senga has pitched 108 2/3 innings over 21 starts this season with a 2.73 ERA, 4.09 FIP, 1.288 WHIP and a 148 ERA+. The last two starts have been rough for Senga, allowing eight runs, seven earned from 12 hits and five walks over nine innings. Senga’s first two starts of the season were against the Marlins. In his first start he allowed four runs, only two earned, over five innings. Then he held the Marlins scoreless over five innings. The Marlins have the following career numbers against Senga:
- Xavier Edwards 3-10, 2B, 3 K
- Otto López 0-4
- Dane Myers 0-4, 2 K
- Eric Wagaman 0-3
- Joey Wiemer 0-1, K
Sandy Alcantara has pitched 141 innings over 26 starts in his first season back from tommy john. He has a 5.87 ERA, 4.30 FIP, 1.348 WHIP and a 75 ERA+. At the start of August, Alcantara allowed 11 runs over 12 innings across two starts. Since then he has allowed only five runs, four earned over 20 innings spread across three starts while striking out 23 batters. It feels like Sandy has started to turn a corner. Back in April the Mets scored two runs from three hits over five innings. The Mets have the following stats against Sandy:
- Pete Alonso 5-34, 3 2B, HR, 2 BB, 8 K
- Francisco Lindor 8-27, 2 2B, HR, 3 BB, 4 K
- Starling Marte 5-15, 2 3B, HR, BB, 3 K
- Jeff McNeil 10-34, 2B, HR, 3 BB, 3 K
- Cedric Mullins 4-6, 2 HR
- Brandon Nimmo 5-32, 2 2B, HR, 4 BB, 7 K
- Juan Soto 11-40, 2B, 2 HR, 6 BB, 6 K
- Tyrone Taylor 0-6, 2 K
- Luis Torrens 0-2, K
- Mark Vientos 0-2
Three Things To Watch For:
- Juan Soto. We’ll talk about the records and career firsts Soto is knocking on the door later. Soto is just on a tear right now. He hit two home runs on Thursday bringing him to 35 on the season, tied with 2023 with the second most home runs Soto has hit in a single season. He now has 5.1 bWAR, only 0.2 behind his 2023 total and 0.4 behind his 2022 total. His season OPS is now above .900 for the third consecutive season and he has a 156 OPS+, finally higher than his 2023 OPS+. Soto is here and is ready to carry the Mets through October.
- Mark Vientos. Vientos had one of the big hits on Saturday to get back into the game, smashing a three-run homer. It was his third game in his last four played with a home run and he has seven RBI’s in that stretch. He has just a remarkable turnaround this month. Before this stretch weighted stats had him as a below average hitter, he now has a 106 OPS+. He’s taken a negative win value to essentially 0. This home run stretch gives him a reach chance to end the season with at least 20.
- Stat Watch. Watchout if Juan Soto’s hot streak continues. He’s now only seven home runs away from a new career best. He currently has a lead leaguing 111 walks as he chases down John Olerud’s 1999 franchise record of 125 walks. He is only five stolen bases away from his first ever 30-30 season. Speaking of 30-30 seasons, Lindor moved closer to his second career 30-30 season hitting his 26th homer of the year. He is now four home runs and five stolen bases away. Pete Alonso had a solid day at the plate on Saturday picking up two hits, but he did not record any RBI’s. He is sitting at 110, trying to break his own franchise record of 131 in a season.
Let’s Go Mets!
