213 Miles From Shea

The Mets found themselves on the correct side of a 1-0 win on Saturday. Now the Mets have a chance to at least clinch a series split with the Marlins this afternoon in Miami. Saturday’s game featured strong pitching from both teams. Luis Severino stepped it up for the Mets. The Marlins had another struggling starting pitcher turn out an ace-like performance against the Mets. Can the Mets bats snap that streak today?

Christian Scott has pitched 43 1/3 innings over eight games with a 4.36 ERA, 4.48 FIP, 1.108 WHIP and a 90 ERA+. Scott was trying hard to finish the fifth inning in his last start to be in line for first career win, but the Rockies pushed him out early. He allowed three runs over 4 1/3 innings from seven hits. This afternoon will be the first time that Scott faces a team he has seen before! The Marlins got to Scott in their first match up, tagging him for four runs on seven hits over four innings. The Marlins have the following career numbers (from that one game) against Scott:

• Josh Bell 1-3
• Vidal Brujan 2-2
• Jake Burger 0-2
• Jazz Chisholm Jr. 0-3, K
• Bryan De La Cruz 1-3, K
• Nick Fortes 1-1, HR, BB
• Nick Gordon 1-2, K
• Otto Lopez 0-1
• Jesús Sánchez 1-1

Trevor Rogers has made 19 starts totaling 95 1/3 innings for the Marlins this season with a 4.72 ERA, 4.48 FIP, 1.552 WHIP and a 93 ERA+. In his last two starts he has allowed four runs from eight hits and five walks over 11 innings (3.27 ERA, 4.07 FIP). Rogers has been one of the few pitchers for the Marlins who has been healthy and in the rotation all season. He’s also managed to miss all previous series against the Mets. The Mets have the following career numbers against Rogers:

• Pete Alonso 2-17, 2 HR, 2 BB, 6 K
• Ben Gamel 0-3, 3 K
• José Iglesias 0-1, BB
• Francisco Lindor 4-15, 2B, 4 K
• J.D. Martinez 2-4, 2 2B, K
• Jeff McNeil 4-12, 3 2B, 3 BB, 2 K
• Brandon Nimmo 4-15, 2 2B, 2 BB, 2 K
• Tyrone Taylor 3-8, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Unlucky Mets. If you have watched the Mets over the last two games, you have seen the Mets hit more than a handful of screamers, that have landed as outs. John Harper noted after the game that between Friday and Saturday the Mets hit more 23 total pitches with an exit velocity of 95 mph or greater. Eventually the hard hit balls will fall as hits.
2. Striking out the Marlins. The Mets relievers got the strikeouts when they needed them on Saturday to keep the Marlins off of the board – six strikeouts in three innings. Núñez allowed two hits but struck out the side to keep the Marlins off of the board. Over the first two games in this series the Mets bullpen has pitched six innings allowing one run and struck out 11 batters.
3. Hitting with runners in scoring position. Getting hits with RISP is going to determine today’s game. Both teams on Saturday went 0-for-7 when they had runners in scoring position. Fourteen batters at the plate failing to get a hit. Both teams on Saturday left 10 runners on the basepaths. Twenty runners left on the base paths, 1-0 final score.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets second half of the season did not get off to a roaring start on Friday night. Sean Manaea had an off night and while the Mets were able to climb back into the game to make it close, they just couldn’t finish the job. The Marlins this year seem to bring their best game against the Mets, and now the Mets look to even the series this afternoon in Miami.

Luis Severino has pitched 109 2/3 innings over 18 games this season with a 3.78 ERA, 4.34 FIP, 1.195 WHIP and a 103 ERA+. Severino had a rough start to begin July where he allowed seven runs over six innings. He rebounded nicely before the All-Star break where he held the Pirates to only two runs over 6 1/3 innings.

Severino has had two very different starts against the Marlins this season. In his first game in Miami he allowed five runs from six hits and three walks over 6 2/3 innings. In his next start he allowed only one run from seven hits, three walks over six innings. The Marlins have the following numbers against Luis:

• Josh Bell 1-6
• Vidal Brujan 0-4, BB
• Jake Burger 3-8, 2B, 2 HR, BB, K
• Jazz Chisholm Jr. 3-7, HR
• Bryan De La Cruz 0-5, BB, K
• Nick Fortes 0-3, K
• Nick Gordon 3-4, 2B, 2 BB
• Otto Lopez 2-6, 2B, K
• Emmanuel Rivera 0-3, 2 K
• Jesús Sánchez 1-5, 2B, BB, 2 K

Roddery Muñoz has tossed 51 innings for the Marlins over 10 games this season with a 5.47 ERA, 6.99 FIP, 1.412 WHIP and an 80 ERA+. Muñoz has had two quality starts this season, everything else has been a bit rough. In his last five starts he has allowed 21 runs, 18 earned over 25 1/3 innings from 28 hits, 14 walks including seven homers (6.39 ERA, 7.35 FIP). One of his best starts this season was against the Mets where he held the Mets to one hit and no runs over six innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Muñoz:

• Pete Alonso 0-2, K
• Harrison Bader 1-2, K
• Francisco Lindor 0-2
• J.D. Martinez 0-2
• Jeff McNeil 0-2
• Brandon Nimmo 0-2, K
• Luis Torrens 0-2
• Mark Vientos 0-2, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. A walking record? The SNY broadcast noted on Friday night that Francisco Lindor tied a Mets record. Friday night was his fourth consecutive game where he walked twice. The only other Met to do reach this obscure feat – David Wright. Two walks this afternoon and the record is only Lindor’s.
2. Is this Jeff McNeil’s half? It’s no secret that Jeff McNeil had a rough first half of the season. He started Friday night making a catch in the outfield over the outfield wall. He then went on to go 3-for-4 at the plate including two home runs. Is the Flying Squirrel back?
3. Another good outing for Phil Maton. The Mets would probably like to avoid using Phil Maton on back-to-back nights, especially with the bullpen fully rested after the All-Star break. Friday Night he allowed a hit and got two strikeouts in a scoreless inning of relief. Since June 12th Maton has pitched in 15 games with a 1.20 ERA, 3.03 FIP striking out 17 batters over 15 innings.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets are back for the second half of the season! What a first half for the Mets who stumbled out of the gate, when on a run, free-fell for the better part of the month and then just lit baseball world on fire for the last month and a half. The Mets find themselves in playoff contention with slightly less than two weeks until the trade deadline. Hope you are ready for the second half of 2024, let’s go!

Sean Manaea looks to build off of his terrific first half of the season. Over 96 1/3 innings he has a 3.46 ERA, 3.75 FIP, 1.215 WHIP and a 112 ERA+. In his last four starts he has allowed five runs, four earned over 25 innings (1.44 ERA, 3.80 FIP) with opponents slashing .165/.268/.247 against him. His last start was blemished by two homers, his first two allowed since June 14th. In Manaea’s only start against the Marlins this season, he allowed two runs from five hits including a homer over five innings. The Marlins have the following career numbers against him:

• Josh Bell 1-3, 2B
• Vidal Brujan 0-2, K
• Jake Burger 0-2
• Jazz Chisholm Jr. 0-6, 2 K
• Bryan De La Cruz 2-6, 2 K
• Nick Fortes 2-2, 2 HR
• Emmanuel Rivera 2-4, HR, BB, K

Edward Cabrera has pitched 28 1/3 innings over seven games with a 8.26 ERA, 5.67 FIP, 1.588 WHIP and a 53 ERA+. He’s made two starts since returning from the injured list. In his first start he allowed two runs over 3 2/3 innings. His last time out on July 13th he allowed seven runs from six hits, including four homers, over 3 1/3 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Edward:

• Pete Alonso 3-12, 3 HR, 3 BB, 5 K
• José Iglesias 0-2
• Francisco Lindor 1-13, 2 BB, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 2-12, 2B, BB, K
• Brandon Nimmo 3-9, 6 BB, 2 K
• DJ Stewart 1-2, K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-5, 2 K
• Mark Vientos 1-2

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Hug Watch in Miami. The Marlins have the worst record in the National League heading into play today and they will probably be in sell mode at the deadline, the opposite of a team that traded a couple of prospects to the Mets for David Robertson a year ago. Reliever Tanner Scott is drawing a lot of interest (a rental arm with a 1.42 ERA, 1.079 WHIP over 37 games). Jazz Chisholm Jr. is also rumored to be moved. Further players drawing interest include Josh Bell, Declan Cronin and Calvin Faucher.
2. Homers. Sean Manaea’s strong run to end the first half was due in large part to keeping the ball in the park. He did allowed two homers in his last outing. Edward Cabrera has allowed home runs now in five consecutive starts. His best start of the season where he allowed one run over six innings, was his first start of the year and only one of two games where he kept the ball in the park. The Mets are second in the national league in homers hit.
3. Francisco Lindor. Lindor has been one of the best players in baseball – no matter what the league says via All-Star bids. He is currently hitting .253/.329/.454 this season with a 124 OPS+. From 2021 to 2023 his OPS+ as a Met was 100, 125 and 122. Where he goes the second half of the season, the Mets will as well! Will he have a second consecutive 30-30 season? He currently has 17 homers and 18 stolen bases. One hot streak can put this milestone right in reach.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to complete the sweep of the Rockies and end the first half of the season on a high note today. The Mets were in 13th out of 15 teams back on May 29th. Since then the Mets have gone 27-12 and now hold onto a Wild Card spot. It has been a wild ride for the Mets. A win today would put the Mets five games above .500, which would be their best mark this entire season.

Jose Quintana has tossed 96 2/3 innings for the Mets over 18 starts with a 3.91 ERA, 4.72 FIP, 1.262 WHIP and a 99 ERA+. Over his last five starts he has allowed only four runs, three earned in 30 1/3 innings (0.89 ERA, 3.53 FIP). In the month of July has allowed no runs over 14 innings, scattering five hits and four walks. He is on a tremendous run right now. The Rockies have the following career numbers against him:

• Charlie Blackmon 10-19, 2B, HR, 3 K
• Elias Díaz 4-13, 2B, 3 BB, 2 K
• Peter Lambert 1-4, K
• Ryan McMahon 1-7, 3 K
• Brandan Rodgers 4-12, 2B, HR, BB, 4 K
• Jacob Stallings 2-9, 2 K

Germán Márquez makes his first major league start this afternoon since undergoing Tommy John early last season. Márquez, a mainstay in the Rockies rotation, has a career 4.41 ERA, 4.61 FIP, 1.100 WHIP and 101 ERA+. He has had an ERA+ above 100 in six of his eight major league seasons. Across seven rehab outings in 2024, Márquez allowed 17 runs (15 earned) over 19 innings from 26 hits and five walks. It’s difficult to read too much into his rehab work since there are specific throwing plans early on and minor league stadiums out west have interesting aerodynamics for baseballs. The Mets have the following career numbers against Márquez:

• Pete Alonso 0-8, BB, 4 K
• Harrison Bader 3-9, HR, 2 BB, 4 K
• Ben Gamel 1-11, 2B, 5 K
• José Iglesias 1-7, BB, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 2-14, 2B, 2 BB, 2 K
• J.D. Martinez 3-7, 2B, HR, K
• Jeff McNeil 4-9, 3 2B
• Brandon Nimmo 4-14, 2 BB, 5 K
• Luis Torrens 0-3, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Harrison Bader. The Mets were talking earlier in the week about giving Bader the day off on Saturday, but it still came as a surprise after his massive Friday night game where he went 2-for-4 with two homers. Bader’s career slash line is .247/.311/.400. This season Bader is hitting .277/.317/.427 with a 113 OPS+. The last time he had an OPS+ north of 100 was in 2021 (114 OPS+ in 2020, 2021).
2. Pitch Counts. Germán Márquez will be on some sort of pitch count this afternoon. Probably somewhere between 75-90 pitches. There’s a lot that factors into that too. Longer innings are more taxing. The weather today is pretty harsh. If the Mets can give him tough at bats early, hopefully they can get into the Rockies bullpen earlier. The Rockies bullpen has been one of the worst in the leagues this season but hasn’t quite looked that way (outside of a massive Lindor home run yesterday) this series.
3. Deplete the pen! With the All-Star break looming the pen use could be a bit more liberal today. Everyone has pitched in the last three days with the exception of Houser who hasn’t been in a game since July 8th. Danny Young and Adam Ottavino, who pitched a lot on Thursday, haven’t pitched in a few days.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to clinch a series this afternoon at Citi Field. Friday night was crazy as the Mets and Rockies combined for nine home runs. The Rockies got on the board first with a two-run homer in the top of the second. The Mets responded in the bottom of the second with three solo shots. Fast forward a bit and the Mets had a 7-2 lead before the bullpen hit some bumps and brought the game to 7-6. Edwin Díaz held on in the ninth and the Mets got the win.

A win today will put the Mets four games above .500, which will the tie the high mark they had for the season a couple of months ago.

Christian Scott has a 4.15 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 1.026 WHIP and a 94 ERA+ over seven starts and 39 innings this season. On July 3rd he returned to the Mets rotation and flew through the first several innings but then hit a bump towards the end of his outing ending up with four earned runs over 5 2/3 innings. His last start against the Pirates was much better – two runs over 5 2/3 innings from only one hit and a walk.

Ryan Feltner has made 18 starts this season totaling 98 2/3 innings with a 5.29 ERA, 4.02 FIP, 1.429 WHIP and an 86 ERA+. He’s been much better though in his last three starts though only allowing four earned runs, seven total, over 18 innings (2.00 ERA, 3.11 FIP). Even through this good stretch he has allowed a lot of base runners from 16 hits and six walks. The Mets got to Feltner last year tagging him for four runs from four hits and six walks over 3 1/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 2-3, HR, BB
• Francisco Alvarez 1-1, 2B, BB
• Ben Gamel 1-2, K
• Francisco Lindor 0-3, 3 BB
• J.D. Martinez 0-2, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 2-4
• Brandon Nimmo 1-3, 2 BB
• Tyrone Taylor 0-2, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Will the ball fly out of the ballpark again? Friday night was really insane for both teams. The Rockies had four different hitters each it a homerun. The Mets hit five total home runs including two home run days for both Bader and Iglesias. For Iglesias, it was his first multi-homer day of his career. Christian Scott for the Mets has allowed five homers this season, 1.2 HR/9. Ryan Feltner has allowed 12 homers this season, 1.1 HR/9.
2. The Mets are second in the National League for home runs. I did not realize this until the SNY booth mentioned it during the broadcast Friday night. The Mets have hit 119 home runs, which is second to the Dodgers (127) and fourth overall in the major leagues. The Mets are doing it throughout the lineup. Pete Alonso leads the team in home runs with 18, which is tied for 17th overall in the majors. There are sneaky power threats up and down the Mets lineup.
3. Mark Vientos. In his last five games Vientos has gone 7-for-18 with three doubles and a homerun. He also has 4 RBI’s over this stretch. If we expand this out to his last 13 games, he has gone 16-for-50 at the plate with five doubles and three homers. He’s finishing the first half of the season strong!

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to end the first half of the season on a high note as they welcome the Rockies to Citi Field for a three game set! Going into today’s slate of games, the Mets currently hold the third wild card spot and officially control their own destiny in an uncomplicated way. The vibes continue to be good, let’s get another win!

Sean Manaea has tossed 89 1/3 innings over 17 starts with a 3.43 ERA, 3.68 FIP, 1.243 WHIP and a 113 ERA+. Over his last three starts he has allowed only two runs, one earned, in 18 innings while striking out 14 batters (0.50 ERA, 3.45 FIP). The only blight he’s had is a high walk rate, walking 10 batters in his last three starts. The Rockies have the following career numbers against Sean:

• Charlie Blackmon 5-14, 3 2B, 3B, BB
• Jake Cave 0-1, K
• Elias Díaz 2-8, HR
• Brenton Doyle 0-5, 2 K
• Kyle Freeland 0-3, K
• Hunter Goodman 1-3, HR
• Nolan Jones 2-5, K
• Ryan McMahon 1-5, 2B, BB, K
• Brandan Rodgers 3-6, K
• Jacob Stallings 0-2, B
• Michael Toglia 0-2, K
• Exequiel Tovar 2-7, 2 K

Tanner Gordon will pitch in his second major league game after making his debut a week ago. In his first game he allowed five runs from eight hits over 6 1/3 innings against the Royals. He allowed two homers in the start. Gordon tossed four different pitches in first start including a low-90’s four seamer, mid-80’s change up, mid-80’s slider and exactly one sinker. In the minors he allowed made seven starts totaling 33 2/3 innings with a 5.35 ERA and 1.455 WHIP (it’s also the PCL, so take the stats with a grain of salt). Gordon was originally drafted by the Braves and was traded in the Pierce Johnson trade after struggling in the Atlanta farm system.

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Can the Mets use Phil Maton two days in a row? Phil Maton had a stellar debut on Thursday for the Mets. He tossed only 10 pitches, nine of them were strikes and he got two strikeouts. He showed a devastating curveball. An all around memorable debut for a bullpen that desperately needed a boost. This was his third outing in his last four where he pitched one inning and recorded two strikeouts.
2. Get to the Rockies Bullpen. The Rockies have the worst run differential in baseball (-167, two runs worse than the White Sox) and a lot of that has to do with the bullpen. The bullpen has a 5.91 ERA, worst in the league (next closest is the Blue Jays at 4.83). They also have the worst WHIP (1.63), hits (390) and earned runs (223).
3. Brandon Nimmo – run producing machine. Brandon Nimmo had one hit yesterday, and it was a big one. He hit a bases clearing double, good for 3 RBI’s which puts him at 62 on the year. Pete Alonso trails him at 49 and then Lindor at 48. To put this in context, Nimmo is tied for ninth in the league with 62 RBI’s. What a season for Nimmo and hopefully that continues tonight!

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to complete the sweep of the Nationals this afternoon at Citi Field. On Tuesday the Mets had to hold on tight to the lead after a bullpen implosion. On Wednesday the Mets pretty much cruised to victory with everyone doing their part. They’ll look for another drama-free afternoon closing out their second to last series before the All-Star Break.

David Peterson makes his 8th start of the season today for the Mets. Over 37 2/3 innings, Peterson has a 3.58 ERA, 4.71 FIP, 1.460 WHIP and a 108 ERA+. He’s coming off of a short start against the Pirates where he only lasted 4 1/3 innings after giving up five hits and walking two, but that only translated into two runs. Before that he pitched against the Nationals holding them to two runs on seven hits and a walk over 6 1/3. Since June 17th, Peterson has posted a 3.00 ERA over four starts. The Nationals have the following career numbers against him:

• CJ Abrams 3-11, BB, 2 K
• Luis García Jr 3-12, 3 K
• Harold Ramirez 1-3
• Keibert Ruiz 4-13, BB
• Lane Thomas 3-12, 2B, 2 BB, K
• Ildemaro Vargas 4-12, 2 2B, K
• Jesse Winker 2-4, 3B, K
• James Wood 1-3, K
• Jacob Young 2-4, BB

MacKenzie Gore has had two poor starts sandwiched around a good start against the Mets. His last time out against the Cardinals he allowed five runs over 3 1/3 innings. Before facing the Mets he allowed five runs over five innings. Against the Mets though he allowed only one run over 5 2/3 innings while striking out eight. On the season he has made 18 starts totaling 94 innings with a 3.83 ERA, 3.06 FIP, 1.436 WHIP and a 104 ERA+. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 2-13, HR, BB, 2 K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-4, 2 BB, 2 K
• Harrison Bader 2-6
• José Iglesias 3-6
• Francisco Lindor 2-12, BB, 2 K
• J.D. Martinez 1-6, HR, 2 BB, 3 K
• Jeff McNeil 7-9, BB, K (Yes, that is correct)
• Brandon Nimmo 3-11, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-7, HR, 2 K
• Luis Torrens 0-2, 2 K
• Mark Vientos 2-5, 2B, HR, 2 BB, 2 K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. David Peterson gets a lot of ground balls. Peterson has a 53.8% ground ball percentage which puts him in the 91st percentile in the league. We have seen over the last few Peterson starts that he can get himself into trouble quickly and then gets a double play to get out of it. While that’s living a bit too much on the edge, it has been working for him.
2. MacKenzie Gore is the opposite. We’ll see a clash of approaches tonight between the starting pitchers. Gore is in the 88th percentile for fastball velocity (average 96.4 mph) and gets a lot of whiffs (30.4%, 85th percentile). Because of this he only gets ground balls 34.7% of the time which is good for the 12th percentile). While the Mets struggled against Gore at the start of the month, they did have success against him in June because they worked walks, got hits and had a homer leading to six runs over 4 1/3 innings. The big difference? Two strikeouts in June, eight in July.
3. Mark Vientos. Vientos went 2-for-3 in Wednesday’s game with two doubles and a walk. Before the game Mark Vientos was in a mini-power outage, going five games without an extra-base hit, going 4-for-19 in the process with zero walks and seven strikeouts. Hopefully the two double game is the start of a hot streak!

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets took the first game of the series! It was way more stressful than it needed to be with the Mets taking a 6-0 lead and with Jose Quintana tossing seven scoreless innings to start the game. Ottavino and Garrett struggled in relief, allowing five runs but the Mets were able to hold on. Now they look for a much more straight forward victory tonight.

Luis Severino eclipsed the 100 inning mark for the Mets in his last start and now has 103 1/3 over 17 starts this season. He has a 3.83 ERA, 4.35 FIP, 1.200 WHIP and a 101 ERA+. He is coming off of a rough start in Pittsburgh though where he battled through six innings allowing seven runs on nine hits including three homers. His one start against the Nationals this season was brilliant, holding the Nationals to one run on seven hits over eight innings. The Nationals have the following numbers against him:

• CJ Abrams 0-6, 2 K
• Luis García Jr. 1-3, K
• Keibert Ruiz 2-6
• Lane Thomas 0-6, K
• Ildermaro Vargas 1-4, BB
• Jesse Winker 2-3, K
• Jacob Young 1-3

Patrick Corbin missed the Mets during their four game set at the start of the month. Over 18 games this season he has pitched exactly 100 innings with a 5.48 ERA, 4.74 FIP, 1.530 WHIP and a 72 ERA+. He currently leads the league in hits allowed (third time in the last five years) and earned runs (third time in the last four years). The Mets roughed him up earlier in June, scoring six runs on seven hits and a walk including three homers over 5 1/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against Corbin:

• Pete Alonso 15-46, 3 2B, 5 HR, 10 BB, 12 K
• Francisco Alvarez 1-4, HR, 2 BB
• Harrison Bader 3-13, 2B, HR, BB, 9 K
• Ben Gamel 3-9, 4 K
• José Iglesias 5-13, 2 2B
• Francisco Lindor 13-41, 2 2 B, 3 HR, 8 K
• J.D. Martinez 2-4, 2B, 2 BB
• Jeff McNeil 10-37, 2B, 2 BB, 5 K
• Brandon Nimmo 11-40, HR, 2 BB, 14 K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-6, 3B, 2 K
• Luis Torrens 2-2, 2 HR
• Mark Vientos 2-5, 2B, 3B, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. All-Star snubs continue to hit big. The Mets All-Star snubs have continued to have big games this week. Tuesday Francisco Lindor went 3-for-4 with his 16th home run of the season. Nimmo only had one hit, but it was a big one, his 15th home run of the year. Combined they had six of the seven Mets RBI’s. As the Mets go, they go!
2. Phil Maton, please save us. The Mets bullpen is in a difficult place right now. Season ending injuries and severe injuries have forced several pitchers to into over exposure. The Mets traded for Phil Maton before Tuesday’s game (for cash or a PTBNL). Overall this season he has a 4.58 ERA, 5.63 FIP over 35 1/3 innings. Since June 19th, his last eight games, he has had a 0.96 ERA, 2.74 FIP. Opponents are hitting .103/.133/.241 against him in that stretch.
3. Harrison Bader: Bader went 3-for-4 at the plate last night and has now gone 15-for-44 in his last 12 games as he starts to heat up again. Those 15 hits include four doubles, two homers and he has stolen four bases on top of all of that. The only thing he has done during this stretch is work walks (only one) but he’s still getting on base!

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets come back home after splitting a road trip 4-4 against the Nationals and the Pirates. They now have two more big series ahead of them before heading into the All-Star break. They play the Nationals again followed by the Rockies. How much the Mets lean into being buyers or sellers can depend on what they do in this last week of the first half of the season.

Jose Quintana has made 17 starts for the Mets this season totaling 89 2/3 innings with a 4.22 ERA, 4.89 FIP, 1.338 WHIP and a 91 ERA+. In Quintana’s last four starts he has allowed only four runs, three earned, over 23 1/3 innings (1.16 ERA, 3.81 FIP). This includes a fantastic start his last time out on July 4th against the Nationals where he held them scoreless over seven innings, scattering four hits and three walks. The Nationals have the following career numbers against Quintana:

• CJ Abrams 0-6, K
• Riley Adams 3-9, 2 K
• Luis García Jr. 1-2, 2B, K
• Harold Ramirez 2-5
• Keibert Ruiz 1-5
• Lane Thomas 3-10, BB, K
• Ildemaro Vargas 1-8, 3 K
• Jesse Winker 3-15, 2B, 5 K
• James Wood 1-2, BB
• Juan Yepez 0-1, BB, K
• Jacob Young 1-5, 2B, BB, K

The Mets bats will be facing Jake Irvin again. Over 18 games and 106 innings, Irvin as a 2.80 ERA, 3.38 FIP, 1.000 WHIP and a 142 ERA+. In his last eight starts he has posted a 1.65 ERA (3.11 FIP) over 49 innings. He’s been even better in his last three games holding opponents to only two runs across 20 innings while striking out 23 batters. He was phenomenal against the Mets in his last start holding the Mets to a walk and a hit and nothing else over eight innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 0-5, 3 K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-5, 2 K
• Ben Gamel 0-3, K
• Francisco Lindor 2-6, 2B, 2 K
• J.D. Martinez 1-4, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 1-5, K
• Brandon Nimmo 1-6
• DJ Stewart 0-2, BB, K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-3, 2 K
• Mark Vientos 0-3, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Brandon Nimmo: Nimmo, snubbed again by the All-Star committee on Sunday night had a huge day at the plate Monday for the Mets going 2-for-4 at the plate with his 14th homer of the season. In his last 30 games he has a .403 OBP and a .581 slugging.
2. Familiar Foes: Both Quintana and Irvin had great outings against their opponents the last time out. It also was an unusual game for everyone with an 11:00 AM start time. How will the hitters adjust seeing their opposing pitchers so recently?
3. James Wood update. The last time the Mets and Nationals Met, the Nationals called up their top prospect James Wood. Wood went 4-for-13 against the Mets, all singles, while working four walks (leading to a very good .471 OBP). Since then he has finally hit a double and a homer and still has a .400 OBP for his career. His strikeouts however have increased since facing the Mets. He only struck out twice in four games against the Mets. He has seven strikeouts in four games since.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to take the series against the Pirates this afternoon and extend their winning streak to three games as they take on the Pirates for last time in the regular season. Yesterday the Pirate took the lead from the Mets late in the game but some heroics by Iglesias and Lindor snatched that lead right back in the ninth inning. Let’s keep riding that momentum!

Christian Scott has pitched 33 1/3 innings for the Mets over six games with a 4.32 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 1.140 WHIP and an 90 ERA+. His last start was his first back with the Mets since rejoining the major league roster. Scott cruised through the first four innings of the game and then then wheels fell off in the fifth and sixth inning. His final line was 5 2/3 innings with four runs allowed on six hits. Today will be Scott’s first start against the Pirates.

Mitch Keller has made 17 starts this season totaling 103 1/3 innings with a 3.48 ERA, 3.64 FIP, 1.248 WHIP and a 117 ERA+. He has been at his personal best for most of the season, with the exception of the last couple of weeks. In his last four starts he has allowed 14 runs, 12 earned, over 23 2/3 innings leading to a 4.56 ERA and 4.65 FIP. This stretch even includes a spectacular seven innings no runs performance, so it speaks to the struggles in the other three starts. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 0-5, K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-3, K
• Harrison Bader 0-7, BB, K
• José Iglesias 3-10, HR, 3 K
• Francisco Lindor 2-7, 5 BB, 2 K
• J.D. Martinez 0-3, 2 BB, K
• Jeff McNeil 1-9, HR, K
• Brandon Nimmo 1-8, 3 K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-4 K
• Mark Vientos 0-2, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Francisco Lindor. The Mets were lead to victory Sunday afternoon by their best player, Francisco Lindor, who is in the midst of another All-Star quality season who got snubbed again on the initial roster release on Sunday night. He was the hero on Sunday going 3-for-4 with a double and a walk. He now has 26 doubles the season, which is on pace to break his personal best and has an OPS+ of 120 (his third season in a row of a 120+ OPS+).
2. Adrian Houser. Today feels like an Adrian Houser day. He last pitched for the Mets on Thursday when he tossed 15 pitches. Three pitchers in the Mets bullpen have been used on back-to-back days this weekend. Since May 26, Houser has pitched 23 2/3 innings out of pen over 10 games with a 1.52 ERA and 2.04 FIP. At the end of his last start he had a 7.88 ERA and 5.24 FIP, he has lowered those stats to 5.43 and 4.39 respectively.
3. Doubles. If you feel like the Mets have been hitting a lot of doubles recently, you are right! The Mets had three doubles in Sunday’s game (Lindor, Alvarez and Nimmo) and have 164 as a team this season, which is good for fourth in Major League baseball behind the Twins (181), Dodgers (169) and Braves (167). They are ahead of the Orioles (161) and Diamondbacks (159).

Let’s Go Mets!