213 Miles From Shea

The Mets have another challenging weekend ahead of them as the Seattle Mariners, one of the hottest teams in baseball, roll into town. The Mariners have one of the best rotations in baseball, their bullpen closes the door and recently they’ve started to collectively hit.

On the other hand, it doesn’t matter who the Mets are facing right now as the team is just struggling on all fronts. If starting pitching is rolling or the bullpen is carrying the load, the bitters are scoring runs. If the bats are scoring runs and the bullpen is tight, the rotation is putting the team in a hole to start. If the bats make the comeback, the bullpen lets the lead slide. The vibes are bad right now, but as always winning a game is the first step to turning it all around.

The Mets are hoping Sean Manaea can help stabilize the rotation. Over six games this season Manaea has pitched 27 innings with a 4.33 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 1.111 WHIP and a 93 ERA+. July was great for Manaea. He had a 2.08 ERA over four games allowing exactly one run in each outing. In his two August starts he has allowed nine runs from 13 hits and two walks over 9 2/3 innings. The Mariners have the following career numbers against Manaea:

• Randy Arozarena 3-7, 2B, 2 BB, K
• J.P. Crawford 6-22, 2 BB, 7 K
• Mitch Garver 1-7, 2B, BB, 3 K
• Dylan Moore 3-11, 2B, BB, 5 K
• Josh Naylor 0-3
• Jorge Polanco 0-8, BB
• Cal Raleigh 0-4, 2 K
• Julio Rodriguez 2-4, HR
• Donovan Solano 3-10, BB, 5 K
• Eugenio Suarez 1-9, BB, 3 K

Luis Castillo has made 24 starts totaling 138 1/3 innings with a 3.19 ERA, 3.72 FIP, 1.186 WHIP and a 117 ERA+. In his last three starts he has pitched 18 1/3 innings with a 2.45 ERA and 4.31 FIP. The only blemish recently has been three home runs allowed over his last two starts (and home runs are a Mets specialty!). The Mets have the following career stats against Castillo:

• Pete Alonso 1-11, BB, 4 K
• Francisco Lindor 5-12, 3 2B, K
• Starling Marte 1-15, 2 BB, 5 K
• Ronny Mauricio 2-2
• Jeff McNeil 5-11, 2B, 2 HR, K
• Cedric Mullins 1-4, K
• Brandon Nimmo 1-8, 2B, 4 BB, K
• Juan Soto 2-10, HR, 6 BB, 5 K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-2, K
• Luis Torrens 2-5, K
• Mark Vientos 2-3, HR

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Francisco Lindor. The Mets may have dropped their last two games but Francisco Lindor has started to awaken from his struggles at the plate. Over his last two starts going 5-for-7 at the plate with a double, home run, two walks and four runs scored. He’s now scored a run four consecutive games. His home run (22) and stolen base (19) Thursday night have revived hopes that a hot streak at the end of the season could mean another 30-30 season for Lindor. Look for Lindor to continue leading the lineup tonight.
2. The back of the Mets lineup. The Mets have found new ways to frustrate. As one part of the team fixes itself, the part that was carrying the load starts to fall apart. For the first half of the season the Mets top four hitters were doing the work. When the rest of the lineup started to contribute, the top four collectively went into an awful slump. The top four are back now and the Mets 5-9 hitters collectively went 0-for-16 Thursday night with a walk.
3. Juan Soto 20 Stolen Bases. Juan Soto steals bases now. Thursday night he went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. His next stolen base will give him first 20 stolen base season. He is one hot month of baseball away from 40 home runs (currently at 11, so unlikely but not impossible) and could put up a 40-20 season. It’s one of a couple of career and franchise milestones we’ll be watching Soto for as the season heads into it’s final six weeks.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets demons are back, unfortunately.

Monday night was a feel good night for the Mets. They were hitting home runs all over the place, Pete Alonso set the franchise record for home runs and the Mets just absolutely crushed the Braves. Tuesday night started the same way. By the end of the second inning the Mets had a 6-0 lead. The middle innings have been plaguing the Mets of late. The Mets had multiple big leads get erased, but none as bad as Tuesday night. The Braves scored nine runs in the fourth inning, flipping the script on their way to beating the Mets 11-6. Utterly demoralizing. The Mets desperately need a win.

Kodai Senga will try to get the Mets back on the right track tonight. Over 18 starts and 94 innings, Senga has a 2.30 ERA, 4.05 FIP, 1.245 WHIP and a 173 ERA+. It’s been a rough stretch for Senga since returning from the injured list. Over five starts he has allowed less than three runs only once and gone at least five innings only once. In four of five starts he has walked at least three batters. The Braves have the following career numbers against Senga:

• Ozzie Albies 0-2, BB, K
• Nacho Alvarez Jr. 0-2
• Michael Harris II 0-2, K
• Sean Murphy 0-2, 2 K
• Matt Olson 1-4, BB, 3 K
• Marcell Ozuna 1-4, 2B, K
• Jurickson Profar 0-2, BB, 2 K

The Mets bats will look to keep hitting tonight against Bryce Elder. Over 19 innings he has pitched 100 innings with a 6.12 ERA, 5.15 FIP, 1.560 WHIP and a 68 ERA+. Elder is coming off of a rough start where he allowed five runs over six innings. Through his first ten starts this season he had a 4.08 ERA, 4.33 FIP. Since then he’s had a 8.86 ERA, 6.25 FIP over 42 2/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against Elder:

• Pete Alonso 3-8, 2B, HR
• Francisco Alvarez 0-2
• Brett Baty 1-4, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 4-7, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB
• Starling Marte 1-6, 4 K
• Jeff McNeil 1-9, BB, K
• Cedric Mullins 1-2, 2B, BB
• Brandon Nimmo 1-7, 3 K
• Juan Soto 2-3, HR

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Juan Soto. Soto has been doing everything he can to keep the line moving. He has reached base in 11 straight games, every game so far in August. He’s slashing .279/.392/.558 (.950 OPS) over this stretch with four home runs and seven walks. He’s now one home run away from his fourth 30 home runs season, his third in a row. To put this season in context, Soto has a 151 OPS+, behind his absurd 178 OPS+ last season but on par with his 155 OPS+ in 2023.
2. Can a starter go five innings? David Peterson was supposed to be the chose one. He has been the one the Mets have been relying on to go six innings if not more. With his early exit yesterday, the Mets went a full rotation without a starter going five innings. Luckily Justin Hagenman put four innings in on Monday and Paul Blackburn returned to the majors Tuesday with a five inning relief outing. They have saved the bullpen. It will go a long way for everyone’s moral if Kodai can be effective through five innings tonight.
3. Pete Alonso. Alonso continues to be scorching hot for the Mets with his second consecutive three hit game on Tuesday night. Over his last four games he has gone 9-for-17 with three doubles and three home runs (.529/.556/1.235). Over 11 August games Pete is slashing .386/.408/.886 with six home runs. He has raised his season stat line from .259/.351/.491 to .272/.356/.530, something that’s difficult to do this late in the season!

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to win back-to-back games tonight for the first time in 37 years!

Monday night was a night of breaking records and slumps. Pete Alonso became the Mets all-time home run leader hitting his 253rd (and later his 254th) career homer. Francisco Alvarez hit two home runs. Brett Bat hit a home run. Even Brandon Nimmo who was 0-for-19 heading into Monday night hit a homer!

The Mets current losing streak has been littered with giant innings, teams putting up huge crooked numbers against the Mets, often right after when the Mets did the same. The Braves did this in the top of the 4th, knotting the game at 5-5. For a moment it did feel like “not again”. But the Mets had a huge bottom of the 4th and hopefully now the Mets can start to move past some of the things that have been plaguing them over this losing streak.

David Peterson is the pitcher on the Mets you want on the mound for the Mets to build on Monday’s win. Peterson has now made 22 starts, the most in his career totaling 133 innings with a 2.98 ERA, 3.45 FIP, 1.233 WHIP and a 132 ERA+. Peterson is coming off of his first rougher start in a while where he allowed four runs over six innings from five hits (including two homers) against the Guardians last week. He’s been the only pitcher going at least six innings for the Mets and he has done that six consecutive starts. Earlier this season he allowed three runs from five hits over seven innings against the Braves who have the following career numbers against Peterson:

• Ozzie Albies 3-15, K
• Nick Allen 0-2, BB
• Nacho Alvarez Jr. 1-2
• Vidal Brujan 1-1, 2B, BB
• Michael Harris II 1-13, 2B, 6 K
• Sean Murphy 0-7, K
• Matt Olson 5-19, 4 HR, 3 BB, 8 K
• Marcell Ozuna 4-20, 2 HR, BB, 6 K
• Jurickson Profar 2-5, 2B
• Eli White 1-3
• Luke Williams 1-8, 3 K

The Mets will face an old friend tonight in Carlos Carrasco. Carrasco started the season with the Yankees pitching 32 innings over eight games with a 5.91 ERA, 5.32 FIP, 1.531 WHIP and a 70 ERA+. Over his first two starts (11 2/3 innings) with the Braves he has a 6.94 ERA, 5.16 FIP, 1.714 WHIP and a 62 ERA+. The Mets have the following career stats against Carrasco:

• Cedric Mullins 2-9
• Juan Soto 2-10, 2B, 2 BB, 2 K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-4, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Pete Alonso. Alonso’s chase for the franchise lead is over, now we need to watch him because he has one of the hottest bats in the Mets lineup. In his last three games he has gone 6-for-13 at the plate with three doubles and three home runs. Every hit he’s had has been an extra base hit (1.385 SLG). Alonso now has 30 doubles and 28 home runs, just two home runs shy of his second straight 30 doubles / 30 homers season. His next double will tie his career best for doubles set last season. Alonso is also now 3.0 bWAR, 0.4 bWAR more than he had all of 2024 and 0.3 away from 2023 bWAR.
2. Frankie Montas. The Mets announced before Monday’s game that Montas will be moving to the bullpen. The Mets only needed to relievers on Monday thanks to the offense finally waking up and Hagenman picking up a massive four inning save. There’s a solid chance we’ll see Montas tonight, especially if the game isn’t close after Peterson exits. Montas last pitched on the 9th allowing three runs over three innings from three hits and two walks coming in as bulk relief. Over 36 2/3 innings he has a 6.38 ERA, 5.26 FIP, 1.555 WHIP and a 62 ERA+.
3. Cedric Mullins (and the bottom half of the lineup). Mullins is starting to come around! Over his last three games he has gone 5-for-12 with a double, home run, walk and three runs scored. As the Mets top of the lineup starts to wake up out of their slumber, it’s the bottom half that can make the lineup feel relentless. Mullins, Alvarez and Baty combined to go 7-for-13 Monday with two doubles and three homeruns.

Let’s Go Mets!

It’s a brand new week for the Mets as they look to snap a terrible two week period.

The Mets had a seven game winning streak in late July. Since then they have lost 11 of their last 12 including seven games in a row. This past weekend in Milwaukee was just emblematic of a team where everything is going wrong. Several heartbreaking losses were capped with Sunday’s loss, where the Mets had a five run lead evaporate. The only thing that can flip the vibes for the Mets is a win!

Clay Holmes has pitched 122 1/3 innings over 23 starts with a 3.46 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 1.300 WHIP and a 113 ERA+. Holmes is coming off of a better start against the Guardians where he allowed only two runs from three hits and a walk over five innings. It was his sixth start in his last seven where he pitched at least five innings. Holmes is still chasing a run he had earlier in May and June where he went six of seven starts going at least six innings.

The Braves faced Holmes in back-to-back starts towards the end of June. It Atlanta they worked him hard getting three runs from four hits and six walks over 4 2/3 innings. Holmes was better the following week allowing only one run from three hits over five innings. The Braves have the following career numbers against Holmes:

• Ozzie Albies 3-5, 2B, 2 BB, K
• Nick Allen 1-4, 2B, K
• Drake Baldwin 1-3, HR, 2 BB
• Vidal Brujan 0-4, K
• Michael Harris II 0-5
• Sandy Leon 1-1
• Sean Murphy 0-2, 2 K
• Matt Olson 1-3, 3 BB
• Marcell Ozuna 1-8, BB, 2 K
• Jurickson Profar 0-0, BB

The Mets bats will get a look at Spencer Strider tonight who has pitched 82 1/3 innings over 15 starts with a 4.04 ERA, 4.04 FIP, 1.300 WHIP and a 103 ERA+. He’s coming off of a rough start where he allowed five runs from 11 hits, including two home runs over 4 2/3 innings against the Brewers. Strider got the better of the Mets in his first game against them, holding them to one run from five hits over six innings. The next week the Mets flipped the script getting three runs from two hits and four walks over five innings. In both starts Strider struck out eight Mets. The Mets have the following career stats against Strider:

• Pete Alonso 4-17, 2B, HR, 2 BB, 8 K
• Francisco Alvarez 1-7, HR, BB, 4 K
• Brett Baty 3-6, K
• Francisco Lindor 6-21, 3B, 3 BB, 4 K
• Starling Marte 2-11, 3 BB, 4 K
• Ronny Mauricio 1-4, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 3-17, 2B, 4 K
• Cedric Mullins 1-5, HR, 3 K
• Brandon Nimmo 9-22, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 3 BB, 6 K
• Juan Soto 3-11, 5 BB, 6 K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-2, K
• Luis Torrens 0-1, BB, K
• Mark Vientos 0-5, 2 K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Pete Alonso. Alonso had a good day at the plate on Sunday (2-for-4, 2 2B), but those aren’t the hits we are waiting for! Alonso sits at 252 home runs, tied at the top with Darryl Strawberry for most home runs in franchise history. Alonso has a chance tonight at home to become the lone home run leader!
2. Cedric Mullins. Mullins had a rough start at the plate for the Mets, going 1-for-17 over his first six games. He worked three walks and scored three of the four times he was on base. In his last two games he has gone 3-for-7 with a walk and two RBI’s, including his first home run as a Met. The Mets can sure use someone breaking out of a slump right now.
3. Juan Soto. Soto put together a big weekend in Milwaukee and looks on the verge of breaking out and carrying the team. Soto went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in three consecutive games. On Sunday Soto went 2-for-4 with an RBI, two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base. He now has an RBI in four consecutive games, scored in four consecutive games and reached base in nine straight.

Let’s Go Mets!

When you’re on a winning streak, everything just seems to break your way.

When you’re on a losing streak, everything just seems to fall apart spectacularly right in front of you.

Saturday night’s game may have been one of the more difficult losses of the season for the Mets who scored one run at a time for four consecutive innings. Things completely imploded in the 7th inning where Ronny Mauricio misplayed a difficult hop allowing two runs to score. The Mets thought they were out of the inning getting William Contreras to pop out but the umpire called a late pitch clock violation. Contreras got another chance and slammed a two-run home run, which personally broke my spirit.

The team needs to win a game! Winning generally fixes everything!

Sean Manaea has pitched 23 innings over five games this season with a 3.52 ERA, 3.54 FIP, 0.957 WHIP and a 113 ERA+. The line for Manaea’s last start (five runs over 5 2/3) doesn’t accurately describe what happened. Manaea was really cruising through the first five innings. He allowed no runs, producing a mix of flyouts and groundouts and barely any strikeouts. His pitch count was low and the feeling was that he would be the first pitcher not named David Peterson in over a month to give the Mets six innings. Things just fell off the rails in the fifth inning with the Guardians scoring five runs. Hopefully the Mets get the first five inning version of Manaea and hopefully he can go deep into the game. The Brewers have the following numbers against him:

• William Contreras 3-9, 2B, 2 BB, 4 K
• Sal Frelick 1-4, K
• Joey Ortiz 0-4
• Blake Perkins 1-4
• Brice Turang 5-5, 2 2B
• Andrew Vaughn 1-6, 2B, BB, K
• Christian Yelich 0-6, 3 K

The Mets bats will have to deal with Quinn Priester this afternoon who leads the league with a .846 winning percentage. Priester has pitched 114 1/3 innings over 21 games (16 starts) with a 3.15 ERA, 4.01 FIP, 1.190 WHIP and a 128 ERA+. Over his last four starts he has a 1.75 ERA and 3.14 FIP striking out 23 batters over 25 2/3 innings. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Pete Alonso 1-2, 2B, BB
• Francisco Alvarez 0-3, K
• Francisco Lindor 2-3, 2B
• Jeff McNeil 1-2
• Cedric Mullins 0-2
• Brandon Nimmo 1-3
• Juan Soto 0-2, BB
• Mark Vientos 0-3, 2 K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Pete Alonso. Pete Alonso hit his 252nd career home run Saturday night, which ties the franchise record for home runs with Darryl Strawberry. He’s just one swing away from standing alone as the most feared power bat in Mets history. Alonso’s chase comes at a time where the Mets desperately need a spark and positive vibes. Here’s hoping Alonso causes all of that to happen to the Mets today!
2. Juan Soto. Soto has homered on back-to-back days six times this season. Saturday was the first time that he homered on back-to-back-to-back days (honestly, I’m not sure if that technically means he has now homered seven times on back-to-back days now). Anyway, he looks to homer for a fourth straight game this afternoon. This batting line during this streak has been predictive descriptive of what’s happening to the Mets right now. In three consecutive games he has gone 1-for-4 with a solo home run.
3. Brice Turang. I cannot wait for the Mets to never face Brice Turang again. Turang is 3-for-7 with two home runs and a stolen base so far this series. He is perfect against Sean Manaea going 5-for-5 with two doubles. Turang has played 14 games against the Mets slashing .354/.404/.625. For context, his career slash line is .251/.315/.350 (86 OPS+). The Mets need to find a way to contain Turang today.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to snap a five game losing streak tonight in Milwaukee. Last Monday the Mets had a chance in the ninth inning complete the comeback. Out of an abundance of caution (plus knowing that Soto and Alonso could still come to bat), the Mets didn’t send Tyrone Taylor on a shallow single hit in the bottom of the ninth. Friday night we got to see the alternate reality of that night. Starling Marte, who hit a solo homer earlier in the game, hit a two-out double to keep the Mets in the game. Jeff McNeil followed with a shallow, line-drive single. The Brewers made a perfect throw and got Marte out at the plate, ending the game. Heart breaking stuff.

During this five game losing streak the Mets have multiple games where they felt so close to breaking out and winning. They’ve had games where they completely fell flat. Hopefully the Mets can turn things around tonight.

Frankie Montas will get the bulk of the work this afternoon. Over seven starts and 33 2/3 innings this season, Montas has a 6.68 ERA, 5.07 FIP, 1.545 WHIP and a 59 ERA+. His last two starts have been brutal. Montas has allowed 12 runs from 15 hits over 8 1/3 innings. Before that though he allowed only three runs from 12 hits and 10 2/3 innings against the Royals and the Angels. Which Montas will the Mets get today? The Brewers have the following career numbers against Montas:

• Jake Bauers 1-14, 2B, 8 K
• William Contreras 2-6
• Sal Frelick 1-3, BB
• Danny Jansen 0-2
• Joey Ortiz 1-2, 2B, K
• Blake Perkins 2-3, BB, K
• Brice Turang 1-4, 2B, BB, K
• Andrew Vaughn 0-6, 2 K
• Christian Yelich 2-7, 2B, BB, K

Tobias Myers returns to the majors this evening. Logan Henderson was originally scheduled to start but landed on the IL after an MRI for elbow inflammation. Over eight games and five starts, Myers has totaled 23 innings this season with a 4.30 ERA, 4.02 FIP, 1.609 WHIP and a 95 ERA+. He’s been better in AAA Nashville with a 3.77 ERA over 59 2/3 innings. Myers was most recently in the majors at the end of July where he pitched three scoreless innings over two relief outings. Since then he has made one start in the minors allowing six runs from five hits over 1 1/3 innings. If he gets into a groove he can go up to 90 or so pitches. The Mets have the following career stats against Myers:

• Pete Alonso 0-4, K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-2, K
• Francisco Lindor 2-3, 2B
• Starling Marte 1-4, 2B, K
• Brandon Nimmo 0-3, 2 K
• Juan Soto 0-3
• Tyrone Taylor 0-2, K
• Luis Torrens 0-2
• Mark Vientos 0-3, 2 K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Facing your old team. The Brewers traded for Montas at the 2024 deadline. As a Red last season he had a 5.01 ERA over 93 1/3 innings. He fared better as a Brewer posting a 4.55 ERA, 4.35 FIP, 1.256 WHIP and a 90 ERA+ over 57 1/3 innings. Some players go a bit harder when they face their old club, will we see that from Montas?
2. Juan Soto. Soto saved the Mets from rock bottom on Wednesday, hitting a solo home run in the ninth inning to break up the no-hitter. He tried to jumpstart the Mets Friday hitting a solo homerun in the top of the first inning. It was the sixth time this season that Soto has homered in back-to-back days. What he has not done yet is homer in back-to-back-to-back days.
3. Pete Alonso. Pete Alonso is still chasing the franchise record for home runs. Currently one behind Darryl Strawberry’s leading 252 homers, one good day for Pete could get him the record and the spark the Mets offense needs. In his last two games he has gone 0-for-8 at the plate with two strikeouts and no walks.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets were quite close to rock bottom on Wednesday afternoon. Knocking on the door rock bottom. Possibly looking for an apartment in the Panic City neighborhood of rock bottom. Gavin Williams had no hit the Mets into the ninth inning. The last time they were in this situation, Francisco Lindor hit a homerun to break up the no-hitter and the Mets stormed back for a comeback win against the Blue Jays.

Juan Soto couldn’t get the Mets to have a comeback victory on Wednesday, but at least his ninth inning solo home run prevented the Mets from getting no-hit. Now the Mets head to Milwaukee and face the hottest team in baseball. The last time the Mets were in Milwaukee, Pete Alonso’s pumpkin powered the Mets with a go-ahead homerun in a deciding ninth inning in the last game of a three game series. The Mets could sure use that playoff pumpkin magic tonight.

Kodai Senga looks to take a step in the right direction tonight in Milwaukee. Senga has tossed 89 2/3 innings over 17 starts this season with a 2.31 ERA, 3.89 FIP, 1.249 WHIP and a 170 ERA+. He has been struggling lately allowing 11 runs in his last three starts (12 innings) from 13 hits and 11 walks. Four of the eight home runs he’s allowed this season have come in his last three starts. The Brewers have the following career numbers against Senga:

• William Contreras 1-3, K
• Blake Perkins 0-2, K
• Christian Yelich 2-3, 2B

The Mets bats will try to breakout of their slump tonight against one of the better pitchers in the game. Brandon Woodruff returned from missing more than a year and a half of baseball without skipping a beat. Over five starts (28 1/3 innings), Woodruff has a 2.22 ERA, 3.32 FIP, 0.635 WHIP and a 184 ERA+. The only blemish in his game has been the long ball. He’s allowed five over his last five starts. The Mets have the following career numbers against Woodruff:

• Pete Alonso 4-9, 2B, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 0-2, 2 BB
• Starling Marte 3-10, HR, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 2-8, K
• Brandon Nimmo 3-6, 2B, BB
• Juan Soto 1-11, BB, 4 K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Dingers (and Pete Alonso). The Mets bats need something to pump up their confidence. Woodruff’s sparkling low WHIP but high HR/9 suggests that the long ball is the way to get to him tonight. The Mets, when they aren’t slumping, have so many bats that are capable of 20+ HR, even if they aren’t swinging like that right now. Then there’s Pete Alonso, who hit the biggest homerun of his career at this ballpark in the post season last October. He’s only one homerun away from Darryl Strawberry’s franchise leading 252 homers.
2. Brandon Nimmo. Heading into the last game of the series on Wednesday, Nimmo was mired in a three game stretch where he went 1-for-13 with seven strikeouts. The first game against the Guardians was particularly frustrating for Nimmo going 0-for-5 with four strikeouts. He took some positive steps though on Wednesday working three walks. While the Mets couldn’t bring him home, it was a relief to see the old Brandon Nimmo shine through. To put his three walks in perspective, Brandon Nimmo worked three walks over the 14 games leading into Wednesday’s game (.211/.281/.316).
3. Ryan Helsley. The Mets have already called on their new reliever three times since trading for him. Over his last seven games he has pitched seven innings striking out 11 batters and allowing only two unearned runs. Those two unearned runs were quite unfortunate as they both happened in the 10th inning Monday night, but they were due to some severe defensive blunders. In his Mets debut he allowed two hits, but struck out the side. Four of his last seven innings have been completely clean. He’s well rested for today’s game!

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to avoid being swept by the Guardians this afternoon. Vibes were good at the start of the game with the Mets scoring in the first and second inning. The Mets bats just went silent after that. At one point the Mets were barely hitting the ball out of the infield. The pitching staff kept the Mets in the game, but offense just felt lifeless.

With an off day tomorrow, it’s imperative for the Mets to change the vibes today. Let’s get some hits early, often and throughout the game today Mets!

David Peterson has been the rock in the Mets rotation. Over 21 starts he has tossed 127 innings (a career high) with a 2.83 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 1.236 WHIP and a 138 ERA+. He has pitched at least six innings in his last five starts totaling 31 2/3 innings with a 1.42 ERA (3.18 FIP). After the work load the Mets bullpen has had over the last week, they could use another one of those deep starts by Peterson this afternoon. No one on the Guardians has faced David Peterson in a major league game.

The Mets bats will try to find a spark against Gavin Williams this afternoon. Over 116 1/3 innings he has a 3.33 ERA, 4.43 FIP, 1.350 WHIP and a 125 ERA+. His WHIP is being dragged down by the 62 walks he’s allowed this season which leads the league. It’s a significant increase from last year, going from 3.8 BB/9 to 4.8 BB/9. That being said, Williams has been on a roll lately allowing only three runs over his last 19 innings (1.42 ERA, 2.27 FIP) and allowing only five walks while striking out 22. For the second straight day, only two Mets have faced the Guardians starter pitcher before:

• Cedric Mullins 0-2, 2 BB, K
• Juan Soto 1-5, HR, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Pete Alonso. The Mets are heading on the road after today’s game. It would be wonderful for Pete Alonso to tie (and break) the record for the most franchise home runs at home in front of Mets fans. He’s one homer away from Strawberry’s franchise leading 252 career homers. After a fairly deep slump, Alonso has been hitting the ball much better this week going 8-for-19 at the plate with a double and three home runs (.421/.435/.947).
2. Walk this way. The New York Mets are sixth in the majors in working walks, earning 394 so far this season. Juan Soto is responsible for 22% of the total walks the team has earned. He has a league leading 87 walks this season, adding two more walks Tuesday night. This speaks a lot to the Mets approach overall this season that one player has 22% of the total amount of walks. Although Gavin Williams has been more accurately lately, the Mets should work counts today and see if they can get some free passes. Soto will! Will anyone else join him?
3. Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo was a huge part of the Mets 12-6 win over the Giants last weekend going 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI’s. Since then he has gone 1-for-13. He is hitless in nine trips to the plate over his last two games while racking up an uncharacteristically high six strikeouts. Nimmo has been one of the most consistent hitters for the Mets over the years, even as he has changed what type of hitter he is. He has recorded an OPS+ over 100 in nine consecutive seasons.

Let’s Go Mets!

Monday night was a rough ride for the Mets. Sean Manaea was cruising through five innings and that bats were silent. Then the wheels fell off for Manaea and he allowed five runs in the top of the sixth. Pete Alonso started the Mets comeback in the next frame hitting a three-run home run, his 251st in his career as he chases Strawberry’s franchise leading 252. The Mets would tie the game in the bottom of the 8th and were close to taking the lead in the bottom of the 9th. Defensive miscues crushed them in the 10th ultimately costing them the game.

A win tonight would go a long way to fixing the vibes.

Clay Holmes has tossed 117 1/3 innings this season over 22 starts with a 3.45 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 1.321 WHIP and a 113 ERA+. The Padres racked up eight hits and two walks in his last outing, pushing him out of the game before completing the fourth inning – his shortest outing of the season. Since June 19th, Holmes has alternated having a solid start with a frustrating start. If the pattern continues, tonight should be solid. The Guardians have the following career numbers against him:

• Gabriel Arias 0-0, BB
• David Fry 1-2, HR, K
• Austin Hedges 0-2, 2 K
• Nolan Jones 1-3
• Steven Kwan 0-5, 2 BB
• Kyle Manzardo 0-1, K
• Bo Naylor 1-4, 3 K
• José Ramírez 2-4, 2B, K
• Brayan Rocchio 0-2
• Carlos Santana 0-7, K
• Daniel Schneemann 0-0, BB

Logan Allen has pitched 108 2/3 innings over 21 games (20 starts) this season with a 4.06 ERA, 4.48 FIP, 1.362 WHIP and a 102 ERA+. Logan is coming off of a solid start against the Rockies where he allowed only two runs over seven innings. In his two starts before that he allowed seven runs from 15 hits over 11 2/3 innings. Only two Mets have faced Logan Allen in a major league game before:

• Cedric Mullins 1-2, 3 BB, K
• Juan Soto 2-3, 2 BB

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Pete Alonso. Alonso is in striking distance now of the Mets franchise home run record! Alonso hit his 251st career homerun Monday night in a critical moment for the Mets, right after they allowed the Guardians to score five runs in the sixth inning. His home run put life back into the ballpark. Alonso’s next homer will tie Darryl Strawberry’s franchise leading 252 career home runs. If he hits two home runs he’ll be the sole franchise record holder. Alonso has 24 career games with multiple homers, his most recent happening on July 5th.
2. Another starter allowing homers. Monday night’s starter for the Guardians, Slade Cecconi, came into the game with a 1.5 HR/9. The Mets made solid contact against him through the first five innings with fly balls that just died by the time they got to the warning track. Alonso was able to flip the script in the 6th inning. Tonight’s starter has a 1.2 HR/9 and a career 1.4 HR/9. He has allowed five home runs over his last five starts.
3. Can Holmes do the impossible? The Mets desperately need a starting pitcher to go six innings. Holmes has not finished the sixth inning since June 7th. For the last six weeks or so the only Mets pitcher who has pitched at least six innings is David Peterson. Holmes had a stretch between May 2nd and June 7th where he pitched at least six innings in six of seven starts.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to shake off a bad weekend against the Giants as they welcome the Cleveland Guardians to Citi Field today. The Guardians are one game over .500 and in second in the American League Central, but the vibes have started to fall apart over the last couple of weeks. Two relievers, Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, are both on administrative leave due to MLB sports betting investigations. There was a chance that the Guardians were going to really tear down at the deadline, and trade players like Steven Kwan. Instead the Guardians only traded Shane Bieber and Paul Sewald.

The Mets just need to string some wins together. A strong start tonight from Sean Manaea can go a long way to help flip the vibes in Queens.

Sean Manaea has pitched 17 1/3 innings so far this season with a 2.08 ERA, 2.93 FIP, 0.865 WHIP and a 191 ERA+. He’s now pitched five innings in back-to-back starts allowing a total of two runs off five hits between those starts. He’s also reached the mid-80’s in pitch count. The next big step for Manaea is to pitch at least six innings in a game, something that only David Peterson has done recently for the Mets. The Guardians have the following career numbers against Manaea:

• Gabriel Arias 0-2, 2 K
• David Fry 0-1, BB
• Austin Hedges 0-0, BB
• Nolan Jones 2-5, K
• Steven Kwan 0-2, BB, K
• José Ramírez 3-15, 2 BB, 5 K
• Carlos Santana 5-15, 2B, 4 BB, 4 K

Slade Cecconi makes his 14th start of the season tonight for the Guardians. This will be the most starts he has had in a season and as long as he pitches one inning tonight, he’ll set a career high for major league innings pitched in a season. Over 76 1/3 innings he has a 3.77 ERA, 4.61 FIP, 1.218 WHIP and a 110 ERA+. Cecconi has been in a groove in July making four quality starts in four of five starts this month and pitching 34 1/3 innings. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Pete Alonso 1-2, 2B
• Francisco Lindor 1-2
• Starling Marte 0-2, K
• Jeff McNeil 1-2
• Cedric Mullins 2-4, 2B, HR, K
• Brandon Nimmo 0-2, K
• Juan Soto 0-1
• Mark Vientos 1-2, HR, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Home runs. Cecconi has allowed 13 home runs so far this season, which is good for 1.5 HR/9. This is an improvement from last year where he allowed 16 homers over 77 innings (1.9 HR/9). The Mets have plenty of hitters who can take pitchers deep. This feels like a way to both get Cecconi out of the game early and build some momentum for Mets hitters today. As a reminder, Pete Alonso is sitting at 250 career home runs, only two home runs behind Darryl Strawberry’s franchise leading 252 homers.
2. Sean Manaea. The statcast metrics for Sean Manaea look pretty positive so far. The pitchers are getting hit hard about 41% of the time, it’s happening to Manaea only 31.7% of the time. The league wide xBA is .252, Manaea’s is only .216. During the stretch run in 2024 Manaea became the Mets ace and they need that now more than ever.
3. Tyler Rogers. While Helsley is the flashier trade, Rogers has absolutely dominated this season. He’s in the 100th percentile for walk% and barrel% this season (opponents are barrel-ing him only 2.0% of the time). He’s in the 99th percentile for xERA, average Exit Velocity and ground ball%. Just outstanding stuff this season.

Let’s Go Mets!