213 Miles From Shea

The Mets look to take the four game series this afternoon as they take on the Diamondbacks one last time in 2023. The Diamondbacks and Reds are now tied for the last Wild Card spot due to the Mets victory last night. The Giants and Marlins are now only half a game out of that last spot. The Mets are now agents of chaos!

Kodai Senga takes the mound for the Mets this afternoon. Over 149 1/3 innings Senga has a 3.07 ERA, 3.56 FIP, 1.232 WHIP and a 136 ERA+. Since July 5th Senga has made 11 starts (67 2/3 innings) with a 2.53 ERA and 3.05 FIP. In his last four starts (26 2/3 innings) he has a 2.03 ERA and 3.67 FIP (with 32 strikeouts). As the season has continued Senga has gotten better and better. One of his best starts this season was against the Diamondbacks where he held them to one run over eight innings while striking out 12 batters. The Diamondbacks have the following numbers against Senga:

• Jack McCarthy 1-3, 2 K
• Geraldo Perdomo 1-4, K
• Jace Peterson 0-3, 3 K
• Corbin Carroll 1-3, 2 K
• Lourdes Guriel Jr. 0-3, 2 K
• Alek Thomas 0-3
• Christian Walker 1-2, HR
• Evan Longoria 0-2, K
• Ketel Marte 0-1

The Diamondbacks have two solid starters in Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. The Mets were able to knock out the former last night and go for Kelly tonight. Kelly has made 26 starts this season tossing 154 innings with a 3.16 ERA, 3.76 FIP, 1.188 WHIP and a 138 ERA+. On August 29th he allowed seven runs from 12 hits over five innings to the Dodgers. Since then he has allowed two runs from eight hits over 12 2/3 innings over two starts. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 4-13, 3 HR, K
• Daniel Vogelbach 2-8, BB
• Omar Narváez 2-5, BB
• Francisco Lindor 2-6, 2B, 2 K, BB
• Jeff McNeil 1-6, HR, K
• Rafael Ortega 1-5, K, BB
• Brandon Nimmo 0-2, 2 K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Is Brett Baty getting out of his slump? Before last night’s game Baty had gone 0-for-15 in five games only working two walks while striking out eight times. Last night he went 2-for-3 scoring both times and striking out in his other at bat. Baty is the only baby Met right now that hasn’t seen the September boost yet – could last night be the sign of things to come?
2. Francisco Lindor OPS watch. The big season stat we are looking for with Lindor is a 30-30 season. He’s still sitting at 26 home runs and 26 stolen bases. Lindor had a huge night at the plate though going 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, raising his OPS for the year to .794. Will he inch even closer to the .800 mark tonight?
3. The Mets bullpen is doing okay. The last week or so the starting rotation has given the Mets bullpen a lot of space to breathe. Drew Smith is the only pitcher that has thrown over 30 pitches in the last three days, Trevor Gott has tossed 29. Brooks Raley hasn’t pitched since Monday and Jeff Brigham hasn’t pitched since Saturday. It’s amazing how getting consistent innings from starting pitchers has taken a load off of the bullpen.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets and Diamondbacks will try to squeeze a game in today’s rainy weather this evening at Citi Field. The Diamondbacks won the first game of the series. The Mets were able to muscle up last night and win with multiple homeruns. With the loss the last night the Diamondbacks lead on the last Wild Card spot has shrank to one game.

The Mets are mixing in a sixth starter to the rotation tonight bringing back fan-favorite Joey Lucchesi to Citi Field. In six major league starts he has pitched 28 innings with a 3.54 ERA, 4.26 FIP, 1.286 WHIP and a 120 ERA+. His last start on August 18th was a great one where he held the Cardinals scoreless over 5 2/3 innings. Since that start in the majors things haven’t been so great in Syracuse for Joey. He’s allowed 13 runs runs over 14 innings. The Diamondbacks have the following career numbers against him:

• Ketel Marte 7-16, 2 2B, HR, 3 BB, 2 K
• Evan Longoria 4-13, BB, 3 K
• Christian Walker 1-6, K
• Tommy Pham 1-4, HR
• Lourdes Gurriel 1-2, HR, K

The Diamondbacks back of the rotation is being held together by magic and sheer will – the front of the rotation is held together by Zac Gallen. The 2023 All-Star has made 30 starts this season tossing 187 2/3 innings with a 3.31 ERA, 3.25 FIP, 1.082 WHIP and a 132 ERA+. He bounced back in his last start pitching a complete game shutout against the Cubs, holding them to only three hits. Before that start he allowed 11 runs over 10 2/3 innings against the Dodgers and the Orioles. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 2-11, 6 K, 2 BB
• Jeff McNeil 2-13, 2B, 3 K
• Francisco Lindor 1-7, K
• Rafeal Ortega 1-8, 3 K
• Omar Narváez 0-6, 2 K
• Daniel Vogelbach 1-5, 2 K
• Brandon Nimmo 1-4, 2B, K, BB

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Ronny Mauricio is a power hitter now. Well his calling card all season has been the pop in his bat. He had a double in his first game and then didn’t hit another double until Monday night. Yesterday he finally hit his first major league home run which traveled 440+feet into the second deck.
2. Pete is inching closer to 50 homers. Pete Alonso hit his 44th home run of the season last night, getting ever so closer to 50 on the season. Matt Olson’s recent homerun tear, putting him at 51 home runs probably puts the season title out of reach for Alonso. Alonso getting to 50 homers on the season and Lindor achieving a 30-30 season are two big season milestones we’ll keep following the rest of this month.
3. Branon Nimmo’s extra base hit spree. Brandon Nimmo had three hits last night – two doubles and a triple. Since September 3rd he has gone 12-for-34 with three doubles, a triple and three homers leading to a .353/.405/.765 batting line.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets let the lead the slip away late last night and the Diamondbacks were able to take game one of the series. The Diamondbacks with the win increased their lead on the last Wild Card spot to 1.5 games over the Marlins and the Giants. The loss means the Mets continue to “control” their destiny to a protected draft pick (as much as you can control tanking).

José Butto rejoined the Mets rotation last week. He had a terrific start, allowing two runs from six hits and a walk over 6 1/3 innings. Butto now has an opportunity to get an early start on 2024 spring training competition for a rotation spot during the last two weeks of the season. Overall this season he has pitched in five games and 21 innings with the Mets with a 3.86 ERA, 4.50 FIP, 1.571 WHIP and a 110 ERA+. The only player on the Diamondbacks who has faced Butto in an official game before is Jace Peterson (0-for-2, BB).

Ryne Nelson has made 25 starts tossing 130 2/3 innings in his second major league season. He has a 5.30 ERA, 5.07 FIP, 1.423 WHIP and an 82 ERA+. This is his first start in the rotation since being sent down to Reno to work on his pitching. He had back to back starts in August where he allowed a combined 12 runs from 15 hits over six innings of work. He faced the Mets in July and allowed seven runs from nine hits over three innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Francisco Lindor 2-2, 2 3B
• Daniel Vogelbach 1-2, 2B, K
• Brandon Nimmo 0-2
• Pete Alonso 2-2, HR
• Jeff McNeil 1-2, 2B
• Francisco Álvarez 1-2, HR

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Jeff McNeil wants all the hits. Last night McNeil went 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run. Since August 2nd Jeff has hit .313/.350/.469 over 37 games including five of his eight home runs of the season. Jeff has really turned things around since mid-July and is playing like his 2022 self again. In addition to collecting hits, if he gets two more home runs he’ll be at double digits for just the second time in his career.
2. Power for Mauricio. Ronny already has ten hits in nine games this season, collecting hits in eight of his ten starts so far. His very first hit was a rocket, stand-up double. Since then it’s all been singles until last night were he had another double, picking up two more RBI’s. We are looking to see more signs of power as the season starts to wind down.
3. Mets dramatically improve their strikeout to walk ratio. The Mets won on Sunday but struck out 16 times and only walked twice (8:1!). Last night the Mets lost but struck out 10 times and were able to work five walks (2:1!). We were hoping to see the Mets take a more patient approach yesterday and they did! Also five different Mets worked walks in last night’s game. Let’s hope they can keep the same approach tonight.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets escaped Minneapolis with a win this weekend and welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks to Citi Field tonight. After yesterday’s win and a Nationals loss, the Mets now 1.5 games ahead of the Nationals for last place in the Division. The Diamondbacks have a lot to play for this week – they currently have a 0.5 game lead for the last wild card spot right above the Miami Marlins. The Diamondbacks are being chased by three teams for the last spot, all a maximum of 1.5 games out. Win or lose today, the Mets are going to help someone’s chances and hurt someone else’s.

José Quintana takes the mound for his 10th start of the season. Over his first nine starts and 54 innings, Quintana has a 3.00 ERA, 3.22 FIP, 1.259 WHIP and a 140 ERA+. He’s coming off of a brilliant start where he allowed one run over seven innings to the Nationals, scattering four hits. Over his last two starts he has allowed only one run from seven hits in 13 innings of work while striking out nine. The Diamondbacks have the following career numbers against him:

• Tommy Pham 4-19, HR, 4 K, BB
• Evan Longoria 5-20, 3 K, BB
• Ketel Marte 3-8, 2B, K
• Christian Walker 2-4
• Jace Peterson 0-1, K, BB
• Emmanuel Rivera 2-2

Zach Davies makes his 16th start of the season tonight. Over 71 1/3 innings he has a 6.81 ERA, 4.54 FIP, 1.598 WHIP and a 64 ERA+. His first two starts since returning to the rotation were great – he allowed only two earned runs over 11 innings. His last start – not so much. Against the Rockies he allowed five runs from six hits and three walks over three innings. He faced the Mets back in July where he allowed four runs from five hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 0-7, 2 K, BB
• Brandon Nimmo 4-8, 2 2B, 3B, HR, K, BB
• Francisco Lindor 2-6, 2 HR, 2 K, 2 BB
• Omar Narváez 0-5, BB
• Jeff McNeil 4-9, K
• Daniel Vogelbach 2-6, HR, K, BB
• Rafael Ortega 1-5
• Tim Locastro 1-5, K
• Francisco Álvarez 0-2, K
• Brett Baty 1-2

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Welcome Back Tommy Pham! Tommy Pham was one of the surprise signings for the Mets this offseason and essentially carried the Mets offense in early summer. Over 79 games for the Mets he hit 10 homers and slashed .268/.348/.472 with a 125 OPS+. In 33 games with the Diamondbacks he’s hit five home runs and has a .248/.289/.451 slash line with a 99 OPS+.
2. Don’t forget about DJ Stewart! DJ Stewart is still playing good baseball down the stretch of the season. Since August 28th he has hit five home runs and has gone 7-for-26 (.885 SLG) at the plate with 11 RBI’s. He pushed the only two runs scored in yesterday’s game across the plate. While our eyes have started to shift over to the baby Mets since the start of September, Stewart is still here, still making noise, still making a case to be part of the 2024 Mets.
3. Will the Mets cut down on strikeouts today? Yesterday the Mets struck out a combined 16 times. Lindor, McNeil, Alonso, Mauricio and Vientos all struck out two times each. Stewart, the hero of the game, had three strikeouts!

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to avoid the sweep this afternoon in Minneapolis as they take on the Twins for one last time in 2023. The story for the Mets has been the same for the last two games – they’ve gotten quality starts from their starters but each day one pitcher in the bullpen self-destructed giving the first-place Twins a new chance to hold on to. Can the Mets buck the trend today?

Tylor Megill will make his 22nd start this season. Over 102 1/3 innings he has a 5.28 ERA, 5.16 FIP, 1.661 WHIP and a 79 ERA+. He hit the 100-innings pitched this season mark in his last start, the first time in his career! In his last start he allowed three runs from five hits, including two homers, over 5 1/3 innings. Those two homers have been part of a trend since he returned to the majors in August. He’s allowed seven homers now over six starts and 31 innings (5.52 ERA, 5.33 FIP. Further, he’s allowed two homers in the same start on three different occasions in his last six starts. The only player on the Twins roster who has seen Megill in a major league game before is Andrew Stevenson (1-for-3).

The Mets get to face an old foe today in Pablo López. López spent his first five major league seasons in the NL East as a member of the Miami Marlins. There were a lot of rumors that the Marlins were going to trade him during the 2022 season but they held on to him, and traded him in January to the Twins for Luis Arráez, a trade that has helped both clubs! López had his first All-Star season this year playing for the Twins. Over 28 starts he has pitched 170 2/3 innings with a 3.59 ERA, 3.46 FIP, 1.184 WHIP and a 122 ERA+. He’s coming off of a strong start where he allowed one run over six innings against the Guardians. Since August 1st he has made seven starts with a 1.93 ERA allowing only 10 runs, 9 earned over 42 innings. These numbers are even better because five of those nine runs came in just one bad start. The Mets have the following career numbers against Pablo:

• Pete Alonso 5-21, 2B, HR, 4 K, 2 BB
• Brandon Nimmo 8-25, 2B, HR, 3 K, 3 BB
• Francisco Lindor 7-20, 3 2B, HR, 3 K
• Jeff McNeil 10-19, 3 2B, HR, K, BB
• Daniel Vogelbach 2-9, 3 K
• Rafael Ortega 1-4
• DJ Stewart 0-2, 2 K
• Omar Narváez 0-1, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Nimmo’s power run: Brandon Nimmo has been showing a bit more power this month, already hitting four homers in seven games. In those seven games he’s gone 9-for-30 with two doubles, four homers and six runs scored slashing a .300/.344/.767. He has an OPS+ of 123 this season, making it his fifth season now with an OPS+ above 120.
2. Pete Alonso home run watch. Pete Alonso hit his 43rd homer of the season yesterday. It was a week ago when Alonso ended his homer-less streak and hit two home runs in the same game against the Mariners before hitting another home run in the Mets following game Tuesday night against the Nationals. He still has a chance to get to 50 on the season!
3. Raley, Gott and Bickford out of the pen. The Mets have had an unusual week thanks to an off-day before and after the series with the Nationals. The Mets have also had two quality starts in a row from the pitchers in Minnesota. Because of that, Raley, Gott and Bickford, the only pitchers used out of the pen on Wednesday, haven’t pitched in a baseball game since Wednesday. In fact, there are no pitchers in the Mets bullpen who have pitched in back to back days since Tuesday. I don’t remember another point this season where this was true.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets will try to get back in the win column this afternoon as they take on the Twins in game two of their three game set. Kodai Senga kept the Mets in the game last night but the bullpen behind him melted down as the Mets allowed three runs in the seventh inning to give the Twins a 5-2 lead. The Twins never looked back after that and could take the series today.

David Peterson goes for the Mets tonight. Over 23 games and 88 1/3 innings he has a 5.40 ERA, 4.73 FIP, 1.608 WHIP and a 77 ERA+. He’s coming off of a start where he allowed four runs over four innings against the Mariners, his second time in three starts he allowed that many runs. Curiously, thanks to the new interplay roles in baseball, this will be his third consecutive start against an American League team. Very few Twins have faced him before in a major league game:

• Christian Vázquez 0-2, 2 K
• Kyle Farmer 1-2, 2B, K
• Donovan Solano 0-2, K

The Mets bats will get to see Kenta Maeda this afternoon. In 17 starts throwing 83 2/3 innings, Maeda has a 4.73 ERA, 4.08 FIP, 1.267 WHIP and a 92 ERA+. Over his last four starts he has pitched 18 innings, allowing 15 runs (7.50 ERA, 6.04 FIP) from 27 hits including five homers. The Mets have the following career numbers against Maeda:

• Omar Narváez 1-8, K, 2 BB
• Francisco Lindor 1-5, 2 K, 2 BB
• Tim Locastro 0-2
• Brandon Nimmo 1-1, HR
• Rafael Ortega 0-1, K
• DJ Stewart 0-1

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Francisco Lindor milestones. Lindor is still four homers and four stolen bases away from a 30-30 season. He had both RBI’s yesterday, putting him at 85 on the season. His best RBI season was last year where he had 107. While that’s probably not attainable in the final three weeks of the season, he’s only nine RBI from tying his second-best single-season mark (92, 2018). He’s also only 15 away from 100 on the season. It’s a reach, but not impossible.
2. David Peterson milestones. Peterson is only five strikeouts away from his second consecutive season with at least 100 strikeouts. He’s also only 11 2/3 innings away from throwing 100+ innings in the majors for the second time in his career. If Peterson throws two more quality starts, he’ll hit these milestones easily.
3. Carlos Correa. Carlos Correa was almost a Met. Honestly the whole Correa saga feels like a lifetime ago. He had a big night yesterday against his quasi-former team going 2-for-3 at the plate with his 18th homer of the season. Do the Mets keep him in check tonight or does this become the Correa weekend?

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets head to Minnesota tonight to start a three game set against the Twins. The Mets are coming off of a week with two off-days and a split series against the Nationals. Currently the Mets are 1.5 games ahead of the Nationals for last in the division. The Twins are the first place team in the AL Central, six games above .500 and 6.5 games ahead of the Guardians.

Kodai Senga continues his fantastic rookie season tonight. Over 25 starts throwing 143 1/3 innings, Senga has a 3.08 ERA, 3.47 FIP, 1.228 WHIP and a 136 ERA+. In his last three starts he has allowed four runs from 11 hits and seven walks while striking out an astounding 27 batters over 20 2/3 innings. He has a 1.74 ERA over this stretch. Tonight will be Senga’s first start against the Twins and he has not faced anyone on the Twins in any other Major League games.

The Mets bats will get a look at Dallas Keuchel tonight who is pitching in his sixth game with the Twins. Over 21 1/3 innings he has a 5.06 ERA, 4.85 FIP, 1.500 WHIP and an 88 ERA+. Keuchel has either been terrific or terrible this season. He has three games where he allowed a combine one run over 16 1/3 innings. There are two games where he has allowed a combined 11 runs over five innings. Which version will the Mets see tonight? The Mets have the following career numbers against Keuchel:

• Francisco Lindor 3-16, HR, 2 BB
• Pete Alonso 1-7, HR, 2 K, BB
• Jeff McNeil 0-2
• Brandon Nimmo 1-3, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Will Francisco Lindor make progress to a 30-30 season? On Tuesday night Lindor hit his 26th homer of the season. On Wednesday night he stole his 26th base of the season. He’s practically knocking on the door of this major milestone. His 26th stolen base on Wednesday night was a new career-best for Lindor (previous was 25 in 2018).
2. It’s Ronny’s World. Ronny Mauricio went 2-for-4 at the plate on Wednesday night and stole his third base of the season. It was the third time in five games that Mauricio has recorded two hits and he continues his five game hitting streak. He is one of the key reasons to keep watching the Mets this September.
3. Can Senga reach 200 strikeouts this season? This is going to be a tough milestone to hit, but it’s not an impossible milestone. Thanks to the tear that Senga has been on recently, he’s 24 strikeouts away from 200 on the season. If he has about three more starts this season, then he would need 8 a start to hit that milestone. It’s not probable at this point, but it is possible.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets walloped the Nationals last night 11-5, hitting four home runs and collecting 11 hits in total. It was also the first time that all four baby Mets started in the same game, collectively going 5-for-13, with Vientos and Álvarez doing most of the damage. The Mets are now 3-1 since all four baby Mets have been on the roster together and they look for the two game sweep of the Nationals tonight.

José Butto makes the start tonight as Carlos Carrasco landed on the injured list with a fractured finger before yesterday’s game. Butto has pitched in four games this season, starting two for the Mets totaling 14 2/3 innings with a 4.30 ERA, 5.65 FIP, 1.773 WHIP and a 99 ERA+. His last outing wasn’t great for the Mets on August 15th where he allowed three runs from two hits and three walks over 2 2/3 innings. He made one start against the Nationals this season back in April where he allowed two runs from four hits and six walks over 4 2/3 innings. The Nationals have the following batting lines against him:

• Joey Meneses 2-3
• Luis García 0-3
• Keibert Ruiz 1-2, HR, BB
• Dominic Smith 1-2, BB
• CJ Abrams 0-2
• Victor Robles 0-2
• Alex Call 0-1, 2 BB
• Lane Thomas 0-1, BB

The Mets bats will get a look at Joan Adon tonight. Adon has pitched in seven games this season making five starts, tossing a total of 29 innings. He has a 5.90 ERA, 4.95 FIP, 1.138 WHIP and a 73 ERA+. In the month of August he was only used as a starter, posting a 6.00 ERA and 4.30 FIP. He’s had one great start where he held the Marlins scoreless for six innings. In his other four starts he has allowed 19 runs. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Francisco Lindor 0-2, 3 BB
• Brandon Nimmo 1-2, 3 BB
• Pete Alonso 1-5, HR, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 0-3, BB
• Daniel Vogelbach 2-3, HR

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Francisco Álvarez. Last night was a huge night for Álvarez who went 2-for-3 at the plate with a homer, a double and scored three runs. Álvarez’s home run was his first since August 1st, a major drought. It would be tremendous if he could end the season on a hot streak similar to what he had earlier this season.
2. Pete Alonso. Speaking of ending home run droughts, Alonso confirmed Sunday was not a fluke. In his last two games Alonso has now hit three homers, bringing him up to 42 on the season. Reaching 50 for the season is ticking more and more towards probable, especially if he keeps this hot streak up.
3. Francisco Lindor. We are just looking for home runs and milestones across the board now. Francisco hit his 26th homer of the season last night, making 30 for the season more likely. His 26th homer last night tied his season high as a New York Met. He hasn’t hit the 30 homer mark since 2019 (he had a three year stretch of at least 30 homers from 2017-2019).

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets and Nationals start a two game series tonight, but without as much draft implications as you might think. Both teams are at the bottom of the NL East and both teams have complicated draft situations for different reasons. If the Mets don’t finish in the bottom six of the league, their draft pick us unprotected. Due to luxury tax rules, the Mets first pick would then fall 10 places back. Due to Washington DC market size, the Nationals cannot get lottery picks in back-to-back seasons. The earliest they can pick is 10th. Anyway, none of this matters anymore because the Mets have a winning record in the Ronny Mauricio era.

José Quintana makes his 9th start of the year for the Mets tonight. Over 47 innings he has a 3.26 ERA, 3.32 FIP, 1.340 WHIP and a 128 ERA+. He’s coming off of throwing six shutout innings against the Rangers where he allowed three hits, walked three batters and struck out five. This was Quintana’s sixth quality start this season. The Nationals have the following career numbers against Quintana:

• Lane Thomas 2-8, K
• Riley Adams 1-4, K
• CJ Abrams 0-2
• Michael Chavis 0-3, 2 K, BB
• Keibert Ruiz 0-2
• Ildemaro Vargas 1-3, K
• Dominic Smith 0-3, 2 K
• Joey Meneses 1-2, 2B

The Mets bats draw Patrick Corbin who has pitched 154 1/3 innings over 27 starts this season. He has a 4.90 ERA, 5.11 FIP, 1.497 WHIP and an 87 ERA+. He’s also leading the league in hits allowed at 183. It is the third time in the last four seasons he has lead the league in hits allowed. On the other hand he is not leading the league in earned runs (2021 and 2022) and home runs (2021). Over the first four starts in August Corbin looked like a different pitcher with a 2.70 ERA (6.56 FIP) allowing only eight runs, seven earned, from 16 hits and 11 walks over 23 1/3 innings. Things caught up to him in his last start where he allowed six runs from 10 hits. Corbin had a strong start against the Mets in mid-May where he allowed two runs from eight hits over six innings. In his last start against the Mets at the end of July he allowed four runs over 5 2/3. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 14-43, 2 2B, 5 HR, 12 K, 8 BB
• Brandon Nimmo 8-34, 11 K, 2 BB
• Jeff McNeil 10-35, 2B, 4 K, 2 BB
• Francisco Lindor 10-35, 2 2B, HR, 8 K
• Tim Locastro 1-9, 4 K
• Francisco Álvarez 0-3, BB
• Daniel Vogelbach 0-2, BB
• Mark Vientos 1-2, 2B

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Pete Alonso. Pete went 11 games without hitting a homer before hitting two on Sunday (3-for-4 at the plate). This brought him to 41 on the season. During his homerless drought, the chances of him reaching the 50 home run mark started to diminish. His two jack day puts him right back on course and tonight he gets to face a pitcher that he already has five homers against.
2. Ronny Mauricio. Ronny had quite a homestand in his major league debut. He had at least one hit in every game, and had multiple hits twice leading to a 5-for-11 line to start the season. He’s already stolen two bases and hit a double too. It’s the Ronny show for the rest of the season!
3. Jeff McHits. Since August 2nd Jeff has been hitting .328/.361/.488 racking up a total of 41 hits including six doubles, a triple and four homers. He has raised his season numbers from .251/.327/.327 to .270/.335/.367 over this stretch. That’s a nearly 50 point gain on his OPS. This is the Jeff McNeil we were missing for most of the season, and it’s good to see him again.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mariners and the Mets play the rubber game this afternoon in Queens. The Mariners are in a tight playoff race and need every win they can get. The Mets are just trying to see where players fit in their 2024 and 2025 plans.

Tylor Megill looks to build on one of his best starts of the season this afternoon. Over 20 starts and 97 innings, Tylor Megill has posted a 5.29 ERA, 5.02 FIP, 1.680 WHIP and a 79 ERA+. In his last start he h allowed only one run from five hits over six innings while striking out eight batters, a season high for Megill. Before that he had allowed 21 runs, 19 earned, over his previous 22 innings and five starts while striking out 18. The only Mariner that has faced Megill before is Teoscar Hernández (0-for-2, K).

The Mets bats will look to pick up where they left off last night against George Kirby. Kirby has pitched 156 1/3 innings over 25 starts this season with a 3.28 ERA, 3.20 FIP, 1.030 WHIP and a 125 ERA+. The Mets bats faced the league leader last night in H/9 (Castillo), tonight in Kirby they face the league leader in BB/9 (0.8) and K/BB (10.14). He’s looked a lot more human in his last two starts though allowing seven runs from 16 hits over 11 2/3 innings. During stretch (5.40 ERA) he has struck out 11 batters while walking zero. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Brandon Nimmo 0-2
• Pete Alonso 0-1, BB
• Jonathan Araúz 1-2
• Francisco Lindor 1-1
• Jeff McNeil 0-1

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Megill is nearing several career milestones. If Megill pitches three innings today he’ll cross 100 innings in a season for the first time in his career. He struck out eight batters in his last outing, which was unusually high for him this season. He now sits at 82 in 2023, and 100 is within striking distance if he has a good rest of the month. It would be a double milestone for Megill as reaching 100 in the season would also give him 250 in his career.
2. Mark Vientos and Brett Baty. Last night it was Mark’s turn to get the start and he took full advantage of it, going 2-for-3 at the plate with his fourth homer on the season. In his last three games he has gone 5-for-10 at the plate with two homers and three runs scored. He also had to leave the game early due to foot soreness. As hot as Mark has been lately, there’s no reason for him to push it during a day game after a night game when the Mets have Brett Baty who also needs at bats and reps in the field.
3. DJ Stewart does it again! Last night Stewart went 2-for-5 at the plate with a homer and three RBI’s. Since August 15th Stewart has hit nine homers and has gone 19-for-53 at the plate hitting .359/.414/.925. He has as many strikeouts as RBI’s during this stretch (18). Last night hit the double digit homer plateau for the season. Let’s keep the good times going DJ!

Let’s Go Mets!