213 Miles From Shea

The Mets look to take a critically important series tonight against the Diamondbacks. On Tuesday the Mets opened the series with an impressive 8-3 win that included a six run fifth inning where the Mets had five extra-base hits, including four doubles. The Padres and the Braves also won, so the Mets remain three games out of the last wild card spot. Since the Diamondbacks hold the first wild card spot, the Mets at least succeeded in collapsing the space between all four teams.

Luis Severino has tossed 147 2/3 innings over 25 games with a 3.84 ERA, 4.27 FIP, 1.239 WHIP and a 103 ERA+. In his last two starts he has allowed only one run over 14 innings, scattering nine hits and five walks while striking out 13. This includes a complete game shutout and a slightly shorter start against the Padres due to walking four batters. Severino struggled in his earlier start against the Diamondbacks this season where he allowed five runs, four earned, over 5 1/3 innings. The Diamondbacks have the following career numbers against him:

• Josh Bell 1-8, BB, K
• Corbin Carroll 2-3
• Randal Grichuk 2-6, HR
• Luis Guillorme 1-3
• Lordes Gurriel Jr. 2-13, 5 K
• Jake McCarthy 0-2
• Kevin Newman 1-4, 2 K
• Joc Pederson 1-2, K
• Eugenio Suarez 2-5, 2B, HR, BB

The Mets bats will finally get a look at Eduardo Rodríguez tonight who was originally set to start the first game of the series. Rodríguez started the season on the injured list with a lat muscle injury and made his 2024 debut in early August. Over three starts this season he has pitched 16 innings with a 3.94 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 1.250 WHIP and a 106 ERA+. He’s coming off of his best start so far where he held the Marlins to one run over 5 1/3 innings, scattering six hits and a walk. The Mets have the following career numbers against Rodríguez:

• Pete Alonso 0-4, BB, 3 K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-2
• Harrison Bader 0-1, 2 BB
• José Iglesias 5-12, 2 2B, HR, K
• Francisco Lindor 3-16, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Starling Marte 1-5, BB, K
• J.D. Martinez 3-5, 2 HR, 2 BB
• Jeff McNeil 0-3, K
• Brandon Nimmo 1-6, 3 K
• Luis Torrens 1-3, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. We are here for a Brandon Nimmo hot streak. Brandon Nimmo opened August with a 3-for-5 performance against the Angels. In the 18 games after that he struggled, hitting .164/.260/.343. Tuesday night he went 3-for-5 with a double. The last time he had multiple hits in back-to-back games was June 30th and July 2nd. The Mets need that Nimmo back!
2. J.D. Martinez. Is he getting Dad strength? Martinez has gone 4-for-8 in his last two games with a homer, a walk and three runs scored. He’s also going to be a Dad real soon with his wife due next week. Congrats J.D.!
3. Mark Vientos. Vientos might as well be the player to watch for the series. He recorded his second straight multi-hit game on Tuesday. Since August 15th Vientos has 16 hits with seven of them being for extra-bases. He’s slashed .314/.352/.608 over this stretch. He’s had multiple hits in six of the twelve games since the 15th.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets open up a big series in Arizona against the Diamondbacks tonight. The Diamondbacks, Mets, Padres and Braves are all chasing three wild card spots. The Mets are coming off of a four game split with the Padres, where the Padres walked-off against the Mets on Sunday afternoon. The Mets trail the Braves by three games for the last wild card spot and the Diamondbacks seven games for the first spot.

Sean Manaea has pitched 137 innings over 25 starts with a 3.48 ERA, 3.77 FIP, 1.168 WHIP and a 113 ERA+. He has allowed exactly three runs over seven innings in his last two starts and has pitched seven innings in four of his last five starts. Over those five starts he has a 2.61 ERA and a 2.39 FIP, striking out 37 batters in 31 innings. Manaea pitched against the Diamondbacks on June 1st, allowing six runs, five earned, from six hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings. He did strikeout 10 batters which was a season high at the time. The Mets have the following career numbers against Manaea:

• Josh Bell 2-6, 2B
• Corbin Carroll 0-5, BB, 2 K
• Randal Grichuk 6-16, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 2 BB, K
• Luis Guillorme 0-4, 2 BB, 2 K
• Lourdes Guirriel Jr. 0-4, K
• Jake McCarthy 2-7, 2B, K
• Kevin Newman 1-1, BB
• Geraldo Perdomo 1-6, 2 BB
• Pavin Smith 0-3, 2 K
• Eugenio Suarez 1-6, BB, K

The Mets bats will get a look at Eduardo Rodríguez tonight. Rodríguez started the season on the injured list with a lat muscle injury and made his 2024 debut in early August. Over three starts this season he has pitched 16 innings with a 3.94 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 1.250 WHIP and a 106 ERA+. He’s coming off of his best start so far where he held the Marlins to one run over 5 1/3 innings, scattering six hits and a walk. The Mets have the following career numbers against Rodríguez:

• Pete Alonso 0-4, BB, 3 K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-2
• Harrison Bader 0-1, 2 BB
• José Iglesias 5-12, 2 2B, HR, K
• Francisco Lindor 3-16, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Starling Marte 1-5, BB, K
• J.D. Martinez 3-5, 2 HR, 2 BB
• Jeff McNeil 0-3, K
• Brandon Nimmo 1-6, 3 K
• Luis Torrens 1-3, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. A chance to breath. The Mets are coming off of a disappointing loss on Sunday where where they held the lead pretty much the entire game and gave up runs in the 8th and 9th inning. The main issue was the bats not providing really any support. It had been a grueling stretch for the Mets in the midst of another west coast road trip with barely any off days. Hopefully the Mets were able to get some rest, clear their heads. We’ll see if this is true tonight in their approach to at-bats.
2. Mark Vientos. Vientos was one of the few effective hitters Sunday afternoon going 2-for-4 at the plate with his 21st homer of the season. He’s up to a 148 OPS+ on the season and is hitting .277/.334/.551. Not sure where the Mets would be without Vientos this season.
3. Luis Guillorme. The Met legend has gone on a tour of the major leagues this year. In January he signed with the Braves. The Braves traded him to the Angels in May. He was released by the Angels about two weeks ago and then signed by the Diamondbacks. Luis had a dreadful time with the Braves but looked more like himself as an Angel hitting .231/.302/.298. He has gone 3-for-12 as a Diamondback working five walks.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to win the four game set against the Padres this afternoon in San Diego. This has been a series of blowouts with the Mets winning two games by a lot, and the Padres crushing in one game. Can the Mets make some magic happen one more time?

Jose Quintana has pitched 134 innings over 25 starts this season with a 4.57 ERA, 5.14 FIP, 1.321 WHIP and an 85 ERA+. He’s coming off a terrible start against the Orioles where he allowed seven runs over five innings. In the month of August he has allowed 19 runs over 20 2/3 innings from 22 hits and 12 walks. Quintana is need of a good start and he had one in June against the Padres where he held them to one run and two hits over six innings. The Padres have the following career numbers against Quintana:

• Luis Arráez 0-3
• Xander Bogaerts 6-16, 2 K
• Jake Cronenworth 1-5, 2 K
• Kyle Higashioka 0-5, 4 K
• Manny Machado 5-25, 2B, HR, 3 BB, 6 K
• Jackson Merrill 1-2, HR
• David Peralta 1-4, K
• Jurickson Profar 2-10, hR< BB, 2 K
• Donovan Solano 2-7, 2B, K

Martín Pérez has made 20 starts this season for the Pirates and Padres totaling 106 innings with a 4.67 ERA, 4.89 FIP, 1.500 WHIP and an 88 ERA+. Since being traded to the Padres he has made four starts totaling 23 innings with a 2.74 ERA. He’s coming off of his worst start though as a Padre where he allowed three runs from seven hits over 4 2/3 innings. Against the Mets this year he allowed three runs from six hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against Pérez:

• Pete ALonso 0-12, 3 BB, 2 K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-2, 2 BB
• Harrison Bader 0-2
• José Iglesias 5-21, HR, K
• Francisco Lindor 7-17, 2B, 5 BB, K
• Starling Marte 6-11, 2 2B, HR, K
• J.D. Martinez 1-11, 3 BB, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 4-13, 2B
• Brandon Nimmo 4-14, 2B
• Tyrone Taylor 2-3, BB
• Luis Torrens 0-5, 2 K
• Mark Vientos 0-2, K
• Jesse Winker 2-9, 3 K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Francisco Lindor, the MVP. Francisco Lindor is now at 6.5 fWar, 0.2 ahead of Shohei Ohtani for the National League lead. Saturday night Lindor went 2-for-5 with two home runs including a grand slam, increasing his RBI total to 78 on the season. Lindor has played in 17 games since August 7th hitting .375/.416/.708 with 11 multi-hit games. His 135 OPS+ is the best in his career.
2. Both teams have their best bullpens ready to go. As the SNY booth noted early in Saturday’s game that because of the blowouts early in the series, neither team needed to use their best relievers. Well Saturday’s game was also a blowout with neither dipping into high-leverage relievers.
3. Harrison Bader. Harrison Bader had been mired in a slump. Before his 8th inning home run Saturday night, he was 0-for-his last 14 at bats. There was a time this season where Harrison Bader provided a spark at the bottom of the lineup that would push the Mets forward, hopefully his homer yesterday is a sign of things to come!

Let’s Go Mets!

Friday’s game against the Padres was pretty much the opposite of Thursday’s. The Mets bats couldn’t get much going, Paul Blackburn struggled on the mound before leaving the game after taking a comebacker to his pitching hand. The Braves won. Just an ugly night for the Amazin’s.

But tonight is a new night and the Mets hottest pitcher for the last month, David Peterson is on the mound. Can the Mets behind Peterson get through Michael King during his meteoric season?

David Peterson has made 14 starts this season totaling 78 innings with a 3.00 ERA, 4.27 FIP, 1.359 WHIP and a 130 ERA+. His 130 ERA+ is his best mark for his career, his closest being a 125 ERA+ during his rookie season. Peterson has made four starts throughout August totaling 24 1/3 innings with a 1.85 ERA (3.09 FIP) striking out 21 batters. The Padres batters have the following career numbers against Peterson:

• Luis Arráez 1-2, BB
• Xander Bogaerts 0-11, BB, 2 K
• Luis Campusano 2-2
• Jake Cronenworth 2-7, BB, K
• Bryce Johnson 0-0, BB
• Manny Machado 2-7, 2B, BB, 2 K
• David Peralta 0-1, K
• Jurickson Profar 1-1
• Donovan Solano 1-4, K
• Tyler Wade 0-1

Michael King has tossed 141 1/3 innings this season with a 3.18 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 1.175 WHIP and a 127 ERA+. Since the end of June Michel King has been on an absolute tear with a 2.08 ERA, 2.16 FIP over 47 2/3 innings, striking out 58 batters and allowing only two homers. The Mets batters have the following career numbers against King:

• Pete Alonso 1-5, 2 K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-1
• José Iglesias 1-4
• Francisco Lindor 0-3, 2 K
• J.D. Martinez 2-11, 2 2B, 3 K
• Jeff McNeil 3-5
• Brandon Nimmo 0-4, 3 K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-2, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Mets bullpen. The Mets bullpen was in a pretty good position going into Friday’s game, but with Paul Blackburn only lasting 2 1/3 innings, the bullpen needed put in extra work. Stanek, Danny Young and Adam Ottavino each tossed multiple innings, allowing only two runs, but the game was already out of reach at that point. Dedniel Núñez rejoined the team before Friday’s game. Díaz and Buttó now have had two days off so they are good to go. Seems like the game plan is to get Peterson through six and rely on Núñez, Díaz and Buttó to close it out.
2. Strikeouts. Michael King has been striking out the world over the last two months. With exception of a handful of games, the Mets batters have been striking out a ton over the last week to two weeks. Friday night the Mets struck out a combined 14 times with Vientos, Martinez, Marte, Alonso and McNeil all have at least two. Lindor was the only Mets hitter who didn’t strike out last night.
3. Can Lindor set a personal best for doubles? Lindor hit is 34th double of the season Friday night. That was his fourth double in his last four games. He is now only 10 doubles behind his career best, 44, which he did way back in 2017. His 34th double was his best as a New York Met (33 last season).

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets started their west coast road trip with a big win on Thursday, beating the Padres for the fourth time this season. Overall the team had 17 hits and had a massive ninth inning where they scored five runs.

The Braves still won though, so the Mets stay 1.5 games out of the wild card. Every game this series is huge and hopefully the Mets can bring Thursday’s energy back to Petco tonight.

Paul Blackburn has pitched in 13 games this season totaling 73 innings with a 4.19 ERA, 4.34 FIP, 1.192 WHIP and a 95 ERA+. As a member of the Mets he pitched 22 innings spread across four starts with a 3.68 ERA, 3.75 FIP, 1.273 WHIP and a 108 ERA+. In three of those four starts Blackburn has allowed exactly one earned run. The Padres have the following career numbers against Blackburn:

• Luis Arráez 1-3
• Xander Bogaerts 0-4, BB
• Manny Machado 2-4, 2B
• Jurickson Profar 1-3
• Donovan Solano 2-2
• Tyler Wade 1-4

The Mets bats will get to face an old foe in Joe Musgrove tonight. Over 12 starts (58 innings) he has a 4.97 ERA, 5.04 FIP, 1.397 WHIP and an 82 ERA+. Musgrove has been battling elbow and triceps injuries this season that knocked him out from the end of the May until mid-August. Since returning to the rotation he has allowed one run from five hits and three walks over 8 2/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against Musgrove:

• Pete Alonso 4-13, HR, BB, 2 K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-2, K
• Harrison Bader 1-11, HR, 2 BB, 6 K
• José Iglesias 6-15, 2 2B, HR, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 7-23, 2 2B, 2 HR, BB, 11 K
• Starling Marte 3-11, BB, K
• J.D. Martinez 1-3, HR, K
• Jeff McNeil 2-12, 2B, 2 K
• Brandon Nimmo 0-12, K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-3, K
• Jesse Winker 2-13, BB, 3 K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Hit Parade. The Mets offense can be frustrating. The team has talent up and down the lineup and they can go weeks struggling to get hits with runners in scoring position. There are also nights like Thursday where the team can put up 17 hits and go 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Five different Mets hit doubles on Thursday. Seven Mets had two hits on Thursday. Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil each had three hits.
2. Francisco Lindor. Lindor continued to make his MVP case on Thursday going 2-for-4 at the plate with a leadoff double. In his last three games he has gone 6-for-12 with four runs scored, three doubles and a homer. Since August 7th he has hit .381/.427/.651 raising his season line from .253/.329/.455 to .268/.341/.479. Going into Thursday’s game he had a 6.2 fWAR, best in the National League over Ohtani and De La Cruz (both at 6.0).
3. Mets Bullpen. The Mets were able to win Thursday night without using their best relievers (Díaz and Buttó) giving them both the night off. Adam Ottavino has only through eight pitches in the last five calendar days (Tuesday) and Ryne Staneck has tossed only 16 (also Tuesday).

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets have finally made it to decision week! Over the next seven games the Mets will face the National League wild card leaders San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks. The Mets can make their path to October much easier with a strong week. These two teams last met during the height of the Grimace-era Mets and the Mets swept the Padres. If the Mets win just one game this series they will clinch the tiebreaker against Padres.

Luis Severino did something his last time out that no Mets pitcher had done since Jacob deGrom circa 2021 – Severino tossed a complete game shutout. Over 24 starts this season (142 2/3 innings), Severino has a 3.91 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 1.220 WHIP and a 100 ERA+. He needed that complete game shutout as the three starts before it, he allowed 15 runs, 14 earned over 13 innings. The Padres have the following career numbers against Severino:

• Luis Arráez 1-2
• Xander Bogaerts 3-29, 2B, BB, 8 K
• Jake Cronenworth 0-3
• Manny Machado 4-17, 2B, 3 HR, BB, 10 K

The Mets bats draw Dylan Cease for the season opener. Over 26 starts, 148 1/3 innings, Cease has a 3.46 ERA, 3.20 FIP, 1.025 WHIP and a 118 ERA+. In his last two starts he has allowed eight runs, five earned, over 10 2/3 innings (4.22 ERA, 5.69 FIP). One of his worst starts of the season this year was against the Mets in June where the Mets racked up seven runs over 3 2/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 1-5, HR, 3 K
• Harrison Bader 1-3, 2B, BB, K
• José Iglesias 1-2, K
• Francisco Lindor 3-9, 3 HR, K
• Starling Marte 0-3, 2 BB, K
• J.D. Martinez 4-8, 2B, 3 BB, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 1-5
• Brandon Nimmo 2-3
• Tyrone Taylor 0-3, K
• Luis Torrens 1-2, K
• Mark Vientos 0-2, 2 K
• Jesse Winker 0-9, 2 BB, 6 K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. The Power is back. The Mets scored three of their four runs on Wednesday on solo home runs. This isn’t always a recipe for success, and speaks to the Mets problems in general at hitting with runners in scoring position (0-for-4 Wednesday, left eight runners on). What made the June Mets so good was it felt like power could come from any point of the lineup and we saw that on Wednesday.
2. Strikeouts. For the last several games we’ve discussed looking at strikeouts as a bellwether. In the three games before Wednesday the Mets struck out a combined 37 times. Wednesday they only struck out five times, compared to four walks.
3. MVP Watch. On Monday Francisco Lindor had an off night, going 0-for-3 at the plate with a walk and a stolen base. Since then he has gone 4-for-8 with two doubles and a home run. He now has a .815 OPS and a 131 OPS+, his best ever as a Met.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets lost a frustrating game against the Orioles Tuesday night, filled with defensive mistake. The Orioles scored early and the Mets made a comeback late, but the Orioles poured on a few insurance runs to keep the Mets at bay. The Mets can still win the series in the rubber game this afternoon in Citi Field.

Sean Manaea has tossed 130 innings with a 3.46 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 1.208 WHIP and a 113 ERA+. Manaea has pitched seven innings in three of his last four starts. During that stretch he has had a 2.25 ERA, 2.24 FIP over 24 innings while striking out 28 batters. He has also allowed only one home run. The Orioles have the following career numbers against Manaea:

• Eloy Jimenez 0-0, BB
• James McCann 1-5, K
• Ryan Mountcastle 1-2, K
• Cedric Mullins 0-3, K
• Austin Slater 4-22, 2B, 3 BB, 6 K
• Ramón Urías 0-2

The Mets were originally slated to face Zach Elfin today, a major trade deadline acquisition for the Orioles. Elfin landed on the injured list before the start of Tuesday’s game and now Cole Irvin is sliding back in the rotation to close things out for the Orioles. This season Irvin has pitched 94 2/3 innings over 21 games (14 starts) with a 4.85 ERA, 4.48 FIP, 1.405 WHIP and a 78 ERA+. He’s been more effective as a starter this season with a 4.06 ERA over 75 1/3 innings, compared to a 7.91 ERA over 19 1/3 innings as a reliever. The Orioles have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 1-2, BB
• Francisco Alvarez 0-1, K
• Harrison Bader 0-1
• José Iglesias 1-9, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 1-4
• Starling Marte 0-1
• J.D. Martinez 1-5, BB, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 3-5
• Brandon Nimmo 2-3
• Luis Torrens 6-9, 2B, K
• Mark Vientos 2-3, 2B, BB, K
• Jesse Winker 0-2, BB

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Keeping the ball in the park. Manaea’s success recently has been keeping the ball in the park. The Orioles are a top tier homer hitting team. For the Mets pitching, this is the main metric I’m watching for today.
2. Mets are trying to end a streak. The Mets have struck out more than 10 times in three games in a row now. Sunday the Mets struck out 12 times, Monday 14 times and Tuesday 11 times. That is 37 strikeouts in three games – way too many. In other dugout, the Orioles on struck out five times on Tuesday night.
3. The Martinez heat up is happening? Before Tuesday’s game we discussed how J.D. Martinez’s two run homer on Monday night set the tone for the Mets. It was his first home runs since August 3rd. Martinez hit a home run last night, his second consecutive game with one, that put a comeback on the table for the Mets. If the Mets are going to make a run they are going to need J.D.!

Let’s Go Mets!

Francisco Alvarez hit the biggest home run of his life Monday night, walking off the Orioles in the first game of the series. Rather than starting this article about how the Mets are trying to snap a two game losing streak, thanks to Alvarez we can talk about how the Mets have won three of their last four games. If the Mets win today they will win their second consecutive series. The Braves had the night off on Monday, with the win the Mets find themselves only 1.5 games behind the Braves.

Jose Quintana has pitched 129 innings over 24 games with a 4.26 ERA, 5.00 FIP, 1.295 WHIP and a 92 ERA+. Quintana is having a rough month of August allowing 12 runs from 14 hits and 10 walks over 15 2/3 innings (6.89 ERA, 5.65 FIP). Opponents are getting on base at a .375 clip. In July Quintana had a 2.05 ERA (4.92 FIP) over five starts and opponents were getting on base at a more reasonable .265 clip. The Orioles have the following career numbers against Quintana:

• Gunnar Henderson 0-3, K
• Eloy Jimenez 1-2
• James McCann 4-21, 2B, 3B, 2 BB, 6 K
• Ryan Mountcastle 2-4, 2B, 2 K
• Cedric Mullins 0-2
• Adley Rutschman 0-2, BB
• Anthony Santander 0-3, BB, 2 K
• Ramón Urías 2-5

Dean Kremer has pitched 90 1/3 innings over 17 starts with a 4.48 ERA, 4.79 FIP, 1.284 WHIP and an 85 ERA+. Kremer is coming off of a good start where he held the Nationals to one run over six innings. In his four starts before that he had a 5.66 ERA (4.37 FIP) allowing 16 runs, 13 earned over 20 2/3 innings. Similar to Quintana, he’s been struggling with runners on base. During his recent tough stretch he allowed 22 hits and walked 11 batters, leading opponent hitters to have a .340 OBP. Mets batters have the following career numbers against Kremer:

• Pete Alonso 0-2
• Francisco Alvarez 0-2, BB
• Harrison Bader 2-2
• Francisco Lindor 2-3, 2B
• Starling Marte 0-2, K
• J.D. Martinez 3-10, 3 2B, 2 BB, K
• Jeff McNeil 0-2
• Brandon Nimmo 0-1, 2 BB
• Luis Torrens 0-2, K
• Mark Vientos 0-2, 2 K
• Jesse Winker 0-3, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Please let J.D. Martinez get hot. Francisco Alvarez was the hero Monday night, but J.D. Martinez got things started for the Mets hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning, setting the tone for the Mets. That was his first home run since August 3rd. Since the All-Star break J.D. Martinez has only hit three home runs (compared to nine before the break).
2. Strikeouts. For a second straight game Monday night strikeouts were a problem for the Mets. Monday the Mets struck out 14 times, making 26 K’s in their last two games. Four players Monday night struck out two times or more. The Mets are facing a starting pitcher who struggles with hits and walks, their strikeout numbers should be a bellwether on how the night is going.
3. Thirty-Thirty loading? Francisco Lindor stole his 25th base of the season last night. He has 24 home runs on the season. He’s still on track for a 30-30 season. This isn’t news, I just want to celebrate this more.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to shake-off Sunday’s disappointing loss by opening their series against the Orioles with a win tonight in Queens. On Sunday the Mets were not able to take advantage of multiple opportunities, including one in the ninth inning and fell to the Marlins 3-2. Out of the three teams the Mets are chasing, only the Braves won on Sunday putting the Mets still two games out.

The Orioles have gone 5-5 in their last ten games as they battle the Yankees for the number one spot in the American League East. The Yankees have also gone 5-5 and both teams enter play today with the same record. Both the Mets and Orioles need every win this week.

David Peterson looks to continue his amazing 2024 tonight. Over 71 innings (13 starts) this season, Peterson has a 3.04 ERA, 4.37 FIP, 1.394 WHIP and a 129 ERA+. Over three starts in August Peterson has allowed four runs, three earned over 17 1/3 innings (1.56 ERA, 3.05 FIP). The Orioles have one of the more prolific offenses in the league and tonight will be a real test for Peterson. The Orioles have the following career numbers against him:

• Gunnar Henderson 0-2
• Eloy Jimenez 0-1
• James McCann 0-0, BB
• Ryan Mountcastle 1-5, K
• Cedric Mullins 2-4, 2B
• Ryan O’Hearn 0-1, K
• Adley Rutschman 0-1, BB
• Anthony Santander 0-3, BB, K
• Ramón Urías 0-1

You’ll have to take our word for it that the Marlins actually left town because the Mets bats will face former Marlin, now Oriole, Trevor Rogers. The Orioles put together a fairly large trade package for Rogers at the deadline. Before the deadline over 105 1/3 innings (21 starts), Rogers had a 4.53 ERA, 4.43 FIP, 1.528 WHIP and a 98 ERA+. Since joining the Orioles Rogers has allowed 13 runs, 12 earned over 14 1/3 innings. One of Rogers better starts this season was against the Mets where he held the Mets to two runs, one earned over 4 2/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against Rogers:

• Pete Alonso 3-20, 2 HR, 2 BB, 6 K
• Harrison Bader 0-2
• José Iglesias 1-3, BB
• Francisco Lindor 4-18, 2B, 5 K
• Starling Marte 4-12, 5 K
• J.D. Martinez 3-7, 2 2B, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 4-12, 3 2B, 3 BB, 2 K
• Brandon Nimmo 4-16, 2 2B, 4 BB, 3 K
• Tyrone Taylor 3-10, 2 K
• Luis Torrens 0-1, K
• Mark Vientos 2-2
• Jesse Winker 1-3, BB, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Yikes. Too Many Double Plays and Strikeouts. When the Mets bats struggle with RISP, its usually because they are striking out too much. On Sunday the team went a combined 1-for-9 with RISP, leaving nine batters on. They struck out 12 times (and generally things do not go well for the Mets when strikeout nine or more times in a game). The Mets also hit into three double plays yesterday, which is just killer for momentum. At some point the Mets luck will have to change.
2. Jackson Holliday is here. One of the best prospects in baseball had a difficult time adjusting to major league pitching the first time he was called up to the majors. Since returning at the start of August, Holliday has gone 16-for-58 with a double, triple and four homers hitting .276/.323/.535 with 10 RBI’s. Over the last two games he has gone 1-for-7. The last thing the Mets need this week is for Holliday to get hot.
3. McNeil / Marte / Iglesias playing time. Starling Marte returned to the Mets lineup on Sunday and now the Mets will have to navigate so playing time situations. McNeil was playing a lot in the outfield where the Mets were pretty thin. The return of Marte with McNeil’s second half resurgence should have Iglesias see a drop in playing time. Iglesias got on base though four times on Sunday. We’ll probably see Mendoza get more creative with giving players some rest, considering that he also has to find time for Winker, Bader and Taylor too.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets go for the sweep this afternoon against the Marlins. A few seasons ago MLB selected on game per Sunday to play a game that started before noon on Peacock. That contract is now owned by Roku and the start time for these games is right around noon. This will be the Mets first time on the streaming service.

Luis Severino gave the Mets the spark they needed Saturday, tossing the first complete game shutout for the Mets for the first time since Jacob deGrom did it back in 2021. The Braves also won on Saturday so the Mets are still one game out of the wild card race.

Paul Blackburn had his first rough start of the Mets earlier this week, allowing seven runs, six earned, against his old club. Before that he allowed only two earned runs over 12 innings. Overall this season he has a 4.43 ERA, 4.53 FIP, 1.224 WHIP and a 91 ERA+ across 67 innings. Blackburn faced the Marlins before his injury back in May and it was a good start. He held the Marlins to one run, a solo home run, over seven innings. This also highlights his weakness, keeping the ball in the park. In 2024 he’s allowed 1.3 HR/9. The Marlins have the following career numbers against Blackburn:

• Vidal Bruján 0-3
• Jake Burger 1-2, BB
• Nick Fortes 1-2, HR
• Dereck Hill 0-1, K
• Otto Lopez 0-0, BB
• Emmanuel Rivera 0-2
• Jesús Sánchez 1-5, 2B, BB, K

The Mets bats will close out the series against a rookie, Valente Bellozo. In his first five starts of his major league career he has a 2.28 ERA, 3.21 FIP, 0.940 WHIP and a 197 ERA+ over 27 2/3 innings. In his last two starts he has not allowed a run over 12 2/3 innings, scattering nine hits and three walks. Bellozo has posted a 4.64 ERA over 66 innings and 14 games (13 starts) in the minors this season. No one on the Mets roster has faced Bellozo in a major league game.

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Starling Marte. Marte was in the dugout on Saturday after playing a couple of full games in Syracuse. Marte has been out for a couple of months with a right knee injury. Before the injury Marte was hitting .278/.328/.416 with a 112 OPS+ and was a critical part of the Mets lineup. This is the stretch boost the Mets need!
2. Pete Alonso. Alonso hit his 100th career home run at Citi Field on Saturday. It was also his 219th career home run, putting him one homer behind Mike Piazza (220) for third all time. Topping off the list for the Mets of course is Darryl Strawberry (252) and David Wright (242). If Pete Alonso stays with the Mets after this season, the homerun title is almost certainly his.
3. Francisco Lindor. Lindor should have been an All-Star. That’s an old conversation. For the better part of the last month, Lindor has forced his way into the NL MVP conversation. Lindor went 2-for-3 in Saturday’s game, leading off the game with a home run. Since August 7th, Lindor has gone 17-for-43 at the plate with three doubles, a triple and two homers slashing .395/.435/.651. When I checked this morning Lindor had an fWAR of 5.9 and Ohtani was at 5.8.

Let’s Go Mets!