213 Miles From Shea

The Mets played all the 2026 hits yesterday. The team only mustered three hits, all from the bottom of the lineup. Collectively went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. Committed three errors. Had a starter allow four runs, including two in the first. Just a poor showing all the way around. But the Mets won on Thursday, and a win today means the Mets would win the series.

Nolan McLean has made 19 starts this season totaling 107 1/3 innings with a 3.52 ERA, 3.44 FIP, 1.118 WHIP and a 118 ERA+. Over his last three starts he has allowed only two earned runs (five runs total) over 18 innings from 15 hits and five walks while striking out 19 batters (1.00 ERA, 2.16 FIP). In his last eight starts he has a 2.35 ERA, 3.19 FIP and that includes a start where he allowed six runs over six innings. The Phillies have the following career stats against McLean:

• Alec Bohm 2-3
• Bryce Harper 1-6, 3 K
• J.T. Realmuto 0-5, BB
• Kyle Schwarber 0-5, BB
• Edmundo Sosa 1-2, K
• Bryson Stott 1-5, K
• Trea Turner 0-2, K

Alan Rangel has pitched in five games this season (two starts) totaling 19 1/3 innings with a 4.19 ERA, 4.40 FIP, 1.397 WHIP and a 109 ERA+. His first start on July 2nd was solid, holding the Pirates scoreless over four innings. Last time out he allowed three runs, including two home runs against the Reds over 3 1/3 innings. On June 27th he pitched four innings in bulk relief against the Mets allowing four runs from four hits and two walks. The Mets have the following numbers against Rangel:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-2, K
• Brett Baty 0-2
• Carson Benge 0-2
• Bo Bichette 1-2, K
• A.J. Ewing 1-2, K
• Francisco Lindor 1-2, 3B
• Juan Soto 1-1, BB
• Jared Young 0-1, BB

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Get Hits. Yesterday the Mets only had three hits as a team, with Tyrone Taylor and A.J. Ewing getting all three as the 7th and 8th hitters in the lineup. Since the Red Sox series last weekend, the Mets have gone an astounding 1-for-33 with runners in scoring position. This has been a problem for most of the season, and almost impossible to win games without getting big hits. At some point that number has to regress to the mean, and for the Mets that would mean actually getting some big hits.
2. Stealing Bases. In the last five games the Mets have stolen five bases and haven’t been caught stealing at all. For most of this season the Mets were stealing bases at a clip far lower than last season but being caught at a much higher rate. With the Mets struggling at the plate, there’s a lot of pressure to manufacture runs on the base paths.
3. Bullpen Arms. The Mets used Senga and Curry yesterday to finish off the last 3 1/3 innings they needed, saving all of the arms in the bullpen that may be moved in the next two weeks. The Mets need to both show case arms they want to move and protect players from bad outings and injuries. With all the high leverage relievers last pitching on Thursday, the group of tradeable relievers are all available today.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets and Phillies are playing through weather that should be in a science fiction movie. Smoke from wild fires. Extreme thunderstorms. It’s a lot to handle. The Mets beat the Phillies Thursday night and had a scheduled off-day yesterday, which ended up being for the best. The smokey conditions were bad at first pitch on Thursday but continued to get worse as the night progressed.

The Mets survived the Phillies and the weather in the first game of the series, hopefully they can do it again!

Sean Manaea has pitched in 20 games this season totaling 75 innings with a 4.56 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 1.320 WHIP and a 91 ERA+. His last six games have all been starts where he has pitched 32 innings with a 3.94 ERA, 4.35 FIP. In his last start he pitched seven innings for the first time this season allowing three runs, two earned from six hits including two home runs. He last pitched against the Phillies mid-June allowing three runs, two earned over 5 1/3 innings while striking out five. The Phillies have the following career stats agaisnt him:

• Alec Bohm 6-18, 2B, HR, 3 K
• Justin Crawford 0-2, K
• Bryce Harper 7-21, 2 2B, HR, BB, 4 K
• Dereck Hill 2-5, 2B
• Brandon Marsh 0-6, BB, 4 K
• J.T. Realmuto 1-14, BB
• Kyle Schwarber 3-16, HR, 3 BB, 4 K
• Edmundo Sosa 7-16, 2 2B, 2 3B, HR, 4 K
• Bryson Stott 5-11, HR, 2 BB, K
• Garrett Stubbs 1-2
• Trea Turner 7-21, HR, BB, 6 K

Jesús Luzardo has made 19 starts this season totaling 110 1/3 innings with a 3.51 ERA, 2.84 FIP, 1.224 WHIP and a 128 ERA+. He is in the midst of a career year and was named to the All-Star team for the first time in his career. Luzardo has been on fire recently allowing only three earned runs in his last four starts (24 2/3 innings) leading to a 1.09 ERA, 1.15 FIP while striking out 39 batters. This includes a start against the Mets where he held the Mets to one run over 5 innings, scattering four hits and three walks. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-8, K
• Brett Baty 1-4, BB
• Carson Benge 1-3, K
• Bo Bichette 3-5, HR, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 7-28, 2 BB, 4 K
• Jorge Polanco 1-2
• Marcus Semien 1-6, 2 K
• Juan Soto 7-21, 2B, HR, 7 BB, 3 K
• Tyrone Taylor 5-11, 2B, K
• Luis Torrens 2-10, HR, 2 K
• Eric Wagaman 4-13, 2B, HR, 2 BB, 4 K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Marcus Semien. Semien was scheduled to be in the lineup today and Andy Green said Semien will have a lot of playing time moving forward. Semien landed on the injured list in June due to a grade 3 hip flexor strain. This injury usually takes 4-6 six weeks to heal but he’s back already. Semien is hitting .214/.271/.341 this season with a 70 OPS+ and a -0.6 bWAR. Before landing on the IL Semien went 1-for-19 with a walk in his last five games.
2. Brett Baty. With Semien back, the Mets will need to get more creative about how they incorporate Brett Baty. Baty has played in the outfield, second and third and as the veterans start to get healthy (Semien, Polanco, Luis Robert Jr.), there are less at bats to go around. Baty went 2-for-4 Thursday night with a home run. It was the second time in four games that Baty had multiple hits in a game including a home run.
3. Hug Watch. It’s been reported over the last couple of days that almost everyone except Benge, Ewing, Scott, McLean and Soto. It sounds like the Mets are going to have a disorienting couple of weeks heading into the deadline. There are still several players who the Mets would like to raise the value of in the next couple of days, which could dictate playing time. Tyrone Taylor falls into this category as does Luis Robert Jr., whenever he is activated. As of writing, there are no concrete, specific rumors involving the Mets heading into this afternoon’s game.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets head to Philadelphia after a dreadful series against the Red Sox. The Phillies host the Mets after hosting the 2026 All-Star game. ESPN has the rights for tonight’s game which is why the Mets and Phillies are the only teams playing today (and probably why the teams have an off-day tomorrow). The weather though today is closer to science fiction than normal summer in Philadelphia. Wild fire smoke has invaded Canada. In 2023 the Phillies played a game between 150-200 AQI. They then postponed the game the next day when the AQI was above 200. It’s the Mets vs Phillies plus the Mets & Phillies vs the smoke. Let’s start the second half of the season!

Christian Scott has made 12 starts this season totaling 54 innings with a 3.17 ERA, 4.10 FIP, 1.296 WHIP and a 132 ERA+. He’s coming off of a solid start eight days against the Royals where he held them scoreless over five innings, scattering three hits and a walk while striking out five. He has had some bumps overall in his last four starts averaging to a 4.50 ERA, 6.10 FIP over 18 innings. His strikeout count has also jumped, racking up 24 in his last 18 innings. This stretch includes a start against the Phillies where he allowed two runs over 4 1/3 innings from three hits and two walks. The Phillies have the following stats against Scott:

• Justin Crawford 0-2, K
• Bryce Harper 1-2, HR, K
• Rafael Marchan 1-2
• Brandon Marsh 1-2, K
• Gabriel Rincones Jr. 0-2, K
• Kyle Schwarber 0-1, BB, K
• Edmundo Sosa 0-2
• Byrson Stott 0-2
• Trea Turner 0-1, BB, K

Aaron Nola has made 19 starts this season totaling 97 innings with a 5.75 ERA, 4.67 FIP, 1.433 WHIP and a 79 ERA+. Nola’s last five starts have been close to his season performance, posting a 5.47 ERA, 5.11 FIP over 26 1/3 innings while striking out 31 batters. This includes a start against the Mets where he allowed three runs, two earned over five innings from seven hits including two home runs. Homers have been issue for Nola this season. He’s allowed nine his last six starts including two long balls in four consecutive starts to end June. The Mets have the following career stats against Nola:

• Francisco Alvarez 3-8, HR, 2 K
• Brett Baty 1-12, 3 BB, 4 K
• Carson Benge 1-3, K
• Bo Bichette 4-13, 2B, HR, 3 K
• A.J. Ewing 2-3, 2B
• Francisco Lindor 8-41, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB, 11 K
• Juan Soto 12-45, 3 2B, 5 HR, 17 BB, 11 K
• Tyrone Taylor 5-14, 2 2B, BB, 4 K
• Luis Torrens 2-6
• Jared Young 1-5, HR, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Juan Soto. After being snubbed last year, Soto finally played as a Met in the All-Star game earlier this week. He has a 2.8 bWAR and 167 OPS+ this season slashing .290/.405/.562 over 78 games played. He’s been working walks (55) and crushing the ball (21 home runs). Not only does Soto have excellent career numbers against Aaron Nola (1.134 OPS in 45 AB’s), he has terrific numbers in Philadelphia. Over his career he has played 48 games in Citizens Bank Park slashing .335/.438/.687 with 18 home runs.
2. Francisco Lindor. Lindor’s error cost the Mets in a big way last Sunday, but Lindor was also the reason why the Mets had the lead in the first place, going 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and a home run. Lindor has played in 16 games since returning from injury going 12-for-60 at the plate with a double, a triple and three home runs (.200/.273/.400). If the Mets were to pull off a miracle, they’ll need Lindor to put together a scorching hot stretch.
3. Hug Watch. We are now in the stretch run for the 2026 trade deadline. The Mets bullpen has been a strength this season and there are several players who will and could be moved. Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter are both free agents at the end of the season and are very likely to be moved. Luke Weaver will be one of the best relievers on the market, but he’s still under contract for another season, so there’s no guarantee the Mets move him. Tyrone Taylor, who has flashed power since returning from injury will probably be traded. There are also rumblings about Luis Robert Jr. despite his injury. Luis Torrens and Francisco Alvarez have both been in the rumor mill. Not a factor for today’s game, but starting pitchers Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes will be on the trading block as well. Keep watch for hugs!

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to salvage the series against the Red Sox this afternoon before heading into a long, All-Star break. The old Mets issues have returned over the last two games with the Mets struggling to score. A win today would mean the Mets have gone 3-3 in their last six. A loss means the Mets enter the All-Star break 17 games below 500.

Zach Thornton returns to the majors! In his first two starts he allowed five runs over 10 1/3 innings from nine hits and three walks while striking out 10 batters. His second major league start was great holding the Phillies to one run over six innings while striking out seven batters. Since then he has pitched 7 2/3 innings over two outings in Syracuse allowing three runs, two earned. He was pulled after two perfect innings in his last start a few days ago with five strikeouts, in preparation for tonight. With Senga back in the bullpen, and the potential departure of Freddy Peralta looming, there is room for Thornton to stick around in the big leagues if he does well this afternoon.

Payton Tolle has made 14 starts for the Red Sox totaling 80 1/3 innings with a 3.14 ERA, 3.39 FIP, 1.071 WHIP and a 129 ERA+. Since the start of June, Tolle has made seven starts pitching 39 innings with a 3.69 ERA and 4.11 FIP. In three of those starts he has allowed no runs over 19 innings, scattering 10 hits. In the other four starts he has allowed 16 runs over 20 innings. Which version of Tolle will the Mets see today? The only hitter on the Mets who has seen Payton Tolle is Zack Short (0-for-2, K).

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Getting hits with RISP. On Friday the Mets recorded 10 hits but went 0-for-8 with RISP leaving seven runners on base. Saturday the Mets did it again, going 0-for-8 with RISP and leaving nine on base. The Mets worked seven walks as a team but only mustered three hits. The bats were bursting at the start of the week!
2. Carson Benge stealing bases. Benge has stolen a bag in three consecutive games and four times in his last five games. His steal on July 7th was his first stolen base since June 18th. Benge actually had only two stolen bases the entire month of June. More impressive, Benge hasn’t been caught stealing this month yet, a problem that has plagued the Mets this season.
3. Checking in on Trade Targets. It’s still a bit early in the month for the deluge of trades the Mets are heading towards. Relievers on the Mets should almost all be available. A.J. Minter pitched in back-to-back days, so he should be unavailable today. Brooks Raley pitched for the first time since Wednesday yesterday pitching a clean inning. We still haven’t seen Luke Weaver from the start of the week as he continues his strong season. Luis Torrens over the last month has been basically playing like his season slash line. Tyrone Taylor has gone hitless in his last three at-bats over two games, after homering three times in five games. There is a non-zero chance that someone here will not be a Met after the All-Star Break.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Red Sox overcame their plane issues and beat the Mets in the first game of the series last night. The Mets were able to string together 10 hits but old problems returned and they went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Now the Mets need to win the next two games in order to end the first of the season with a series win.

This is a huge start for Freddy Peralta. Unless the Mets go on a historic run for the rest of the month, Peralta will be dealt at the trade deadline. He has started 19 games this season totaling 100 innings with a 4.68 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 1.420 WHIP and an 88 ERA+. Peralta allowed three runs, only one earned in his last start totaling 4 2/3 innings. His starts have been weird recently. He’s been ineffective in two of his last five, allowing a total of 15 runs. In his other three starts in his last five he has allowed only two earned runs but seven runs total thanks to the defense behind him. The Red Sox have the following career stats against him:

• Wilyer Abreu 0-3, 2 K
• Jarren Duran 3-5
• Ceddanne Rafaela 2-2, HR
• Connor Wong 1-2
• Masataka Yoshida 0-3, 2 K

The Red Sox needed a starter today after an injury to Ranger Suárez after his last start. This was a perfect opportunity for the Red Sox to bring back Brayan Bello after his struggles in the rotation earlier this season. Instead the Red Sox are going with Eduardo Rivera who pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings against the Yankees in his Major League debut back at the end of April. Across two levels in the minors, Rivera has pitched 87 innings over 20 games with a 2.48 ERA. He’ll probably go a few innings then its on to the bullpen for the rest of the game.

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Brett Baty. Baty has been quietly putting together a hot streak in his last 10 games. In his last 10 he has gone 13-for-38 with four doubles, a home run, two stolen bases and eight runs scored. Before this streak he was hitting .208/.295/.290 and now he’s hitting .226/.301/.322. For context he is a career .230/.296/.360 hitter.
2. Watch Fielding Alignments. On Thursday A.J. Ewing played in center then saw time at second base before going back to center. In the same game, Brett Baty moved between second, third and back to second. Yesterday Ewing started the game in center until Tyrone Taylor came in as a pinch hitter and stayed in the game at center. Ewing then took over second from Zack Short. With Marcus Semien injured, Polanco working his way back as a DH, and the inevitable return of Luis Robert Jr, the Mets need to find ways to keep A.J. Ewing (and to a lesser extent, Brett Baty) in the lineup. Let’s see if the defensive alignment changes continue today.
3. Trade Targets. Tyrone Taylor came in late as a pinch hitter yesterday and then played center going 0-for-2 at the plate. In his last six games he has a double and three home runs going a combined 4-for-12 with a walk. Raley and Luke Weaver, who both could be traded this month, had another day of rest yesterday. Weaver hasn’t pitched since Monday and has a 1.89 ERA over 38 innings. Raley hasn’t pitched since Wednesday and has a 2.16 ERA over 37 games.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to end the first half the season on a high note! The Mets have won two games in a row, taking the series from the last place Royals. Wednesday the Mets had a five run 8th inning. Yesterday afternoon the Mets had a no-stress, straight-forward win. Now they welcome the 4th place Red Sox to Queens.

Nolan McLean has made 18 starts this season totaling 101 1/3 innings with a 3.73 ERA, 3.52 FIP, 1.115 WHIP and a 111 ERA+. In his last two starts he has allowed three runs, two earned over 12 innings from 10 hits and three walks while striking out 12. He’s pitched at least six innings in four consecutive starts. He has also hit four batters over his last three starts, bringing him to 12 on the season, which leads the league. This will be McLean’s first start against the Red Sox and no one on the Red Sox has faced McLean in a Major League game.

Sonny Gray is having his best season since 2023. This year he has made 16 starts pitching 89 2/3 innings with a 2.61 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 1.104 WHIP and a 155 ERA+. He currently leads the league with 10 wins. For context, last season he made 32 starts with a 4.28 ERA, 3.39 FIP, 1.234 WHIP and a 95 ERA+. In his last three starts he has allowed only two runs from 11 hits over 20 1/3 innings while striking out 27 batters. The Mets have the following career numbers against Gray:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-2, K
• Brett Baty 0-3, BB
• Bo Bichette 3-7, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 8-29, 3 HR, 5 BB, 9 K
• Jorge Polanco 1-7, K
• Juan Soto 6-13, 2B, HR, 4 BB, 3 K
• Tyrone Taylor 3-11, HR, K
• Luis Torrens 0-2
• Mark Vientos 1-2, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Juan Soto. If you want to feel good about the Mets, just open up Juan Soto’s Baseball Reference page. Soto had another big day at the plate yesterday going 1-for-2 with two walks and a home run. He now has seven walks and three home runs in his last four games played. He has a 3.1 bWAR and is leading the league in OBP (.414), SLG (.579), OPS (.993), OPS+ (175) and rOBA (.418). He’s 13th in league with 54 walks despite missing two weeks.
2. Carson Benge Two-Hit Streak. Carson Benge comes into today’s game with a four game streak getting at least two hits per game. He’s also worked at least one walk per game! Overall in his last four games he has gone 8-for-13 with a double, a home run, five walks and stole two bases (.615/.722/.923). After weeks of the Mets offense flailing, it really has picked up in the last week and Benge is a major reason why!
3. Trade Targets. Unless a miracle occurs, the Mets will probably be selling at the deadline. Tyrone Taylor continues to rake since returning from the injure list. Yesterday he went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run. He now has three homers in his last five games, good for six on the season. Luke Weaver hasn’t pitched since last Monday and has put up All-Star numbers this season with a 1.89 ERA over 38 innings. He’s signed through 2027, so it will take a major package to get the Mets to trade him. Brooks Raley pitched on Wednesday where he allowed one hit but no runs against the Royals. Over 37 games this season he has a 2.16 ERA.

Let’s Go Mets!

Tuesday night was another low point for the Mets this season. They lost 16-12 against the Royals, a game they should have easily won. Last night the Mets had a come from behind win with a 5-run rally in the 8th inning. The Mets offense seems to be clicking and maybe there is hope starting to percolate through the surface! A win today would mean the Mets would win the series!

Sean Manaea has pitched in 19 games this year totaling 68 innings with a 4.76 ERA, 4.02 FIP, 1.353 WHIP and an 87 ERA+. He allowed six runs, but only three earned in his last start of five innings against the Braves. Since returning to the rotation, Manaea has pitched 25 innings over five games with a 4.32 ERA and 4.04 FIP while striking out 23 batters. The Royals have the following career stats against him:

• Jac Caglione 0-1, K
• Isaac Collins 2-3, 2B, K
• Nick Loftin 3-4, BB, K
• Luke Maile 0-3, K, BB
• Starling Marte 0-2, K
• Salvador Perez 6-18, 3 HR, 4 K
• Josh Rojas 1-9, 2B, 3 K
• Lane Thomas 2-11, 2B, BB, 4 K
• Tyler Tolbert 1-1
• Bobby Whit Jr. 3-10, HR, BB, 4 K

The Mets bats will face off against one-time Met, Michael Wacha. Wacha pitched for the Mets in 2020 with a 6.62 ERA over 34 innings (eight games). This season Wacha has made 18 starts and is leading the league with 114 2/3 innings. He has a 3.45 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 1.160 WHIP and a 119 ERA+. He had a pair of good starts to end June allowing two runs over 14 2/3 innings. In his last start he allowed four runs from eight hits including three home runs against the Phillies. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 1-3
• Brett Baty 2-3, 2B
• Bo Bichette 7-16, 2B, HR, 2 BB
• Francisco Lindor 2-5, BB
• Jorge Polanco 3-12, HR BB, 4 K
• Juan Soto 4-10, 2B, BB, 3 K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-3
• Luis Torrens 3-6, K
• Mark Vientos 0-2, 2 K
• Eric Wagaman 0-2

Three Things To Watch For:

1. A.J. Ewing. Ewing has been crushing the ball out of the lead-off spot the last two games. He has gone 6-for-9 with five runs scored, a double and two home runs. He has multi-hit games in three of his last four. He has a 1.8 bWAR and 126 OPS+. The Mets have been scoring a lot lately and a lot of that has to do with Ewing.
2. Bringing Down the Hammer. After last night’s game, it was reported that Dan Hammer would be getting the call up to make his Major League debut. Hammer was originally drafted by the Orioles and stayed in their system from 2019 until 2025 when he joined the Rays. Between Syracuse and Binghamton this season Hammer has pitched 27 games totaling 33 1/3 innings with a 2.16 ERA. He has a high heater that can touch 98 mph.
3. Luke Weaver. Weaver hasn’t pitched since his back-to-back outings last Sunday and Monday. He’s had a tremendous season pitching 38 innings with a 1.89 ERA, 2.54 FIP, 0.842 WHIP and a 220 ERA+. Thsis season he’s getting hitters to chase him 35% of the time (90th percentile) and Whiff 31.3% of the time (88th percentile) He could be the best bet for the Mets to acquire a serious prospect at the trade deadline if they decide to trade him.

Let’s Go Mets!

Every game only counts as one win or one loss. The Mets wrapped up a four game series with the Braves where they split the series, but played way worse than two wins. Last night just picked up with that feeling as the Mets lost 16-12 against the Royals. It’s a game the Mets should have won. The Royals made three errors on a play early in the game that lead to a little league home run for Carson Benge. The Mets scored 12 runs, until last night they always win at Citi Field when scoring at least 11 runs. Every time the Mets bats took a commanding lead the Mets pitching immediately squandered it. Rather than starting the day with a three game winning the streak the Mets the Mets look to avoid a losing streak tonight. Every game counts as one win or one loss. A simple 5-3 win today counts as much as whatever has happened in the last week.

Christian Scott has made 11 starts for the Mets season totaling 49 innings with a 3.49 ERA, 4.36 FIP, 1.347 WHIP and a 119 ERA+. The Mets need some length from Scott tonight after the last couple of taxing games on the Mets bullpen. Last time out Scott allowed three runs over four innings. In his last three starts he has pitched 13 innings allowing nine runs from 12 hits and seven walks. Home runs have also become a problem recently. Scott went five starts without allowing a home run and now has allowed six in his last three starts. The only member of the Royals to see Scott in a major league game before is Lane Thomas (0-for-3).

The Royals have a bullpen game tonight behind Steven Cruz. Over seven games and 28 1/3 innings Cruz has a 5.08 ERA, 5.87 FIP, 1.447 WHIP and an 82 ERA+. He pitched as an opener back on June 26th holding the White Sox scoreless over 1 1/3 innings. A game where the Royals eventually lost 22-1. Cruz hasn’t allowed a run in his last outings, totaling 6 1/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Brett Baty 0-1, K
• Francisco Lindor 0-0, BB
• Jorge Polanco 0-1
• Juan Soto 0-0, BB
• Tyrone Taylor 0-2
• Mark Vientos 0-1
• Eric Wagaman 0-1

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Cool down the Royals Bats. In the last two games the Royals have scored 31 runs off of 41 hits. They have done like a month’s worth of Mets run scoring. Last night the Royals never felt out of the game, despite fielding and pitching poorly allowing the Mets to score 12 runs from 13 hits and three errors. Christian Scott have to find ways today to cool everyone from potential AL MVP Bobby Witt Jr. to 9th in the lineup Tyler Tolbert down. If you missed it, Tyler Tolbert set a record near the end of the game yesterday recording a hit in 12 consecutive at bats.
2. A.J. Ewing up top! What a table setter for the Mets! A.J. Ewing on Monday night went a disappointing 0-for-4, but everyone behind him hit. Last night went 4-for-4 including his sixth home run of the season. Soto, Bichette and Benge behind him all hit and Ewing scored in four of the five times he was on base. That’s a recipe for success!
3. Juan Soto. Soto now has a five game hit streak going where he has gone 7-for-21 with three home runs and five walks. The two things he has done exceptionally well since he has joined the Mets is hit bombs and work walks. Going into yesterday’s game (Baseball Reference still hasn’t updated at the time of writing), Soto was leading the league with a .414 OBP, his fourth highest OBP in his career. He also was leading in SLG (.570), OPS (.984) and OPS+ (173).

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets have somehow won two games in a row! Sunday afternoon the Mets took a huge lead in the ninth inning but almost squandered it away in the bottom frame. Last night the Mets took the lead in the ninth inning only the for Braves to tie it in the ninth. The Mets scored two in the tenth and again where able to hold off another last frame Atlanta rally for the win.

The Royals come to town also in last place in their division but they are coming off two wins in a row against the Phillies. They beat the Phillies yesterday 15-1 racking up 22 hits. Here’s hoping they used up all of their offnese for the next few days!

The Mets blew through their bullpen yesterday with the game going into extra innings and Freddy Peralta only giving the Mets 4 2/3 innings. The Mets will need Kodai Senga to factor in a big way today to take some of the stress off of the bullpen. Over nine games this season Senga has pitched 35 1/3 innings with a 8.66 ERA, 6.91 FIP, 1.698 WHIP and a 48 ERA+. His last time out was his first since getting sent to the bullpen. He allowed one run over 2 2/3 innings off of a solo home run. Home runs have been a major issue for Senga this season allowing them in seven consecutive outings. The Royals have the following career numbers against him:

• Jac Caglianone 0-2, K
• Isaac Collins 0-1, BB, K
• Nick Loftin 0-2, K
• Michael Massey 1-3, 2B
• Salvador Perez 2-5, 2B, 3 K
• Josh Rojas 1-2, K
• Lane Thomas 1-4, BB, 2 K
• Bobby Witt Jr. 3-5. 2B

The Mets will face an old friend tonight – Seth Lugo. Over 17 starts Lugo has pitched 96 1/3 innings with a 4.20 ERA, 4.15 FIP, 1.381 WHIP and a 98 ERA+. In his last two starts he has allowed 10 runs from 16 hits and five home runs over 11 innings while striking out 10 batters. In the two starts before that he allowed only three runs, two earned, in 9 1/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against Lugo:

• Bo Bichette 2-8, BB, K
• Juan Soto 5-19, HR, 6 BB, 5 K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-1, K
• Luis Torrens 0-0, BB

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Chasing Whiffs. Seth Lugo was with the Mets from 2016 through 2023. In 2020 and 2021, Lugo became a whiff machine, with his whiff% spiking to 30.1 and 31.1% of the time. Things dropped back down to the low 20’s for Lugo his last wo years with the Mets. This year his whiff% has reached a career low of 18.2%.
2. Carson Benge. Benge had a huge day at the plate in the last game of the Blue Jays series going 2-for-4 with a double and a home run. He was super quiet in the first three games of the Braves series going a combined 2-for-13 with two strikeouts. Last night he hit behind Francisco Lindor and had a huge day, going 2-for-4 with a double, homerun, and a walk. If the Mets want to start playing competitive baseball, they’ll need Carson’s bat.
3. Luis Torrens. Torrens came in as a pinch hitter last night and hit a two-run double in the 10th inning. Over the last couple of days there have been reports by beat reporters that the Mets catching depth has been “catching” the eye of teams looking to make a playoff push. Luis Torrens may hold more value than we thought a couple of months ago in this market, but it would also leave the Mets in a tough position going forward. Whether Torrens starts or not, we’ve seen the Mets value his bat in high leverage situations, even though he has a .605 OPS.

Let’s Go Mets!

By the smallest of margins the Mets were able to hold on to a lead on Sunday and now have a chance to leave Atlanta with a series split. The Mets scored first but the Braves immediately responded with a three-run first inning. The Mets went on to score four runs in the second and neither team scored again until the ninth inning. The Mets opened the frame with a huge inning, scoring five runs, putting the game seemingly out of reach with a 10-3 lead. The Braves though would work the inning, hit a grand slam and continue to get runners on bases. At the end of the game, the Mets some how survived with a 10-9 win, stranding runners on second and third.

A win is a win though! And a win today means the Mets will win the series, even though it feels like the Braves have been in control.

Freddy Peralta has a shot at redemption tonight. Overall this season he has made 18 starts totaling 95 1/3 innings with a 4.81 ERA, 4.27 FIP, 1.416 WHIP and an 86 ERA+. This is his lowest ERA+ since 2019. Most of the season he was sitting around 110-113. Anyway in his last start Peralta allowed five runs over four innings from seven hits and three walks. Peralta did have a good start against the Braves earlier in the month holding them to one run over five innings. The Braves have the following career stats against him:

• Ozzie Albies 1-18, 2B, 3 BB, 4 K
• Drake Baldwin 2-3
• Joey Bart 1-2, HR, BB
• Mauricio Dubon 1-3
• Kyle Farmer 1-14, 2B, 6 K
• Michael Harris II 2-6, BB, 2 K
• Matt Olson 4-13, 2B, HR, 3 BB, 2 K
• Austin Riley 7-18, 2B, 2 HR, BB, 2 K
• Dominic Smith 2-6, 2 K
• Eli White 1-4, HR
• Mike Yastrzemski 1-11, 2B, 2 K

Reynaldo López has pitched in 20 games this season including seven starts totaling 51 2/3 innings with a 3.31 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 1.297 WHIP and a 126 ERA+. López had been working out of the bullpen since April 29th through June 26. Over that time he had a 3.24 ERA over 25 innings. He rejoined the rotation on July 1st and allowed only one run from two hits over five innings. López pitched one inning of relief against the Mets in June allowing no runs off of no hits and two walks. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-2, 2 K
• Brett Baty 0-2, BB, K
• Bo Bichette 2-4, 2B, K
• A.J. Ewing 0-1
• Francisco Lindor 3-23, HR, 3 BB, K
• Juan Soto 1-2, BB
• Tyrone Taylor 1-3, 2B, 2 K
• Luis Torrens 0-2, K
• Mark Vientos 0-1, BB

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Tyrone Taylor. Taylor has played in six games since returning from the injured list going 5-for-14 with two home runs. He’ll look to make it three games in a row tonight. Tyrone Taylor is going to be a free agent at the end of the season and with the way the Mets are currently playing, he’ll almost certainly be traded at the deadline. This is the time for Tyrone Taylor to show that he can play for a contender, or turn the Mets into a contender. (Wishful thinking?)
2. Top of the lineup clicking. Lindor, Soto and Bichette hit 1-2-3 yesterday and combined to go 6-for-13 with two walks, five runs scored and six RBI’s. The Mets entered play yesterday at the bottom of the league in team OPS. Things will only get better for the Mets with their superstars performing like superstars.
3. Momentum? The Mets finally had a positive day hitting with runners in scoring position yesterday. They went 5-for-7 yesterday with RISP. In the previous week the Mets had six hits with RISP. On the other hand, the Mets almost let it all slip away in embarrassing fashion. Will that completely evaporate the good things the Mets did yesterday? Will the Braves come into the day pressing after almost completing a historic come back?

Let’s Go Mets!