The Mets look to avoid being swept by the Dodgers this afternoon. It’s been a frustrating series for the Mets who have lost the first two games by a score of 4-2 and 4-3. The Mets had opportunities to win both games but just couldn’t get it done for a variety of reasons.
Today is probably the most important game of the series for the Mets because Freddy Peralta will be on the mound. Peralta is one of the larger names that will be available at the end of this month, despite his recent state of play. A strong start against a strong Dodgers lineup can go a long way for both him and the Mets.
Freddy Peralta has made 21 starts this season totaling 109 2/3 innings with a 5.01 ERA, 4.51 FIP, 1.459 WHIP and an 83 ERA+. His ERA+ is the lowest in his career, and the first time it’s been below 100 since 2019. He’s coming off of a dreadful start against the Brewers where he allowed seven runs over 5 1/3 innings. In the two starts before that he allowed five runs but only three earned over nine innings while striking out 12 batters. The Dodgers have the following career numbers against Peralta:
- Mookie Betts 1-14, HR, BB, K
- Alex Call 0-4, BB, 3 K
- Tommy Edman 7-26, 2 2B, BB, 7 K
- Freddie Freeman 6-29, HR, 2 BB, 5 K
- Teoscar Hernández 3-9, 2B, HR, BB, 3 K
- Max Muncy 3-13, 2B, 3B, HR, BB, 4 K
- Shohei Ohtani 3-12, 2 HR, 2 BB, 4 K
- Andy Pages 1-8, 2B, BB, 2 K
- Miguel Rojas 4-16, BB, 2 K
- Kyle Tucker 5-14, 2B, 6 BB, K
Emmet Sheehan has made 18 starts totaling 87 2/3 innings, both are career highs. He has a 5.13 ERA, 4.50 FIP, 1.266 WHIP and an 81 ERA+ this season which is a massive departure from his 2.82 ERA, 2.93 FIP, 0.968 WHIP and 146 ERA+ over 73 2/3 innings last season. His HR/9 has jumped from 0.9 in 2025 to 1.7 in 2026. Sheehan was starting to build momentum with three consecutive strong starts with a 2.45 ERA, 3.11 FIP but in his last start he allowed six runs over 5 1/3 innings. The only Mets who have faced him in a Major League game before are Bo Bichette (0-for-1, K) and Marcus Semien (1-for-3).
Three Things To Watch For:
- Please stop Freddie Freeman. Freddie Freeman went 3-for-4 again last night. In this series he is 6-for-8 with a double and a stolen base. It’s actually his third consecutive game collecting three hits (9-for-12, 3 2B, 4 R, 2 SB). He’s as locked in as you can be right now.
- Fielding. The Mets had another rough night fielding, with Brett Baty picking up his seventh error on the season on a throw. Baty was playing first base as the Mets continue to try to figure out where to put Baty with Marcus Semien, Luis Robert Jr. and Bo Bichette all playing. After the game Andy Green lamented the rules that allow base runners to make that throw more difficult. Ultimately fielding has cost the Mets so much this season.
- Tyrone Taylor. Taylor had a massive two-run, pinch hit double last night. It was his eighth double on the season. The Mets collectively went 2-for-11 with RISP and left 10 runners on base, those stats would have been worse if it wasn’t for Taylor. Taylor has seen his play time drop recently with the Mets getting healthier. He has came in as a pinch hitter in his last three games and is 2-for-4 with two doubles and two walks.
Let’s Go Mets!
