213 Miles From Shea

The Mets beat the Braves in the tenth inning on Thursday night. On paper it was a tough night for the Mets, facing a team they are chasing in the standings. The Braves had their best pitcher on the mound who already had 13 wins this season. The Mets stayed resilient all night and now find themselves only a half game behind the Braves.

Kodai Senga finally makes his 2024 debut tonight! The Mets ace heading into the season has been dealing with a triceps injury most of this season, which later got compounded with nerve inflammation. Senga was a revelation for the Mets in 2023, making 29 starts tossing 166 1/3 innings with a 2.98 ERA, 3.63 FIP, 1.220 WHIP and a 140 ERA+. He had a staggering 10.9 K/9, was named to the All-Star game in his rookie season, finished 7th in Cy Young voting and 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting. The Braves have the following career numbers against Senga:

• Brian Anderson 0-2, 2 K
• Orlando Arcia 0-2
• Adam Duvall 0-2, K
• Ramon Laureano 1-2, BB
• Whit Merrifield 1-1, 2B, BB
• Sean Murphy 0-2, 2 K
• Matt Olson 1-2, BB, K
• Marcell Ozuna 1-3, 2B
• Austin Riely 0-3, K
• Eddie Rosario 0-3

The Mets bats will face off against the ageless Charlie Morton who has tossed 103 1/3 innings over 18 starts for the Braves this season. In 2024 Morton has a 3.83 ERA, 4.05 FIP, 1.219 WHIP and a 108 ERA+. He’s coming off of a strong start against the Cardinals where he allowed one unearned run over six innings. His last five game ERA of 3.64 only tells part of the story. He has two games where he has allowed no earned runs, and then three games where he could not get a quality start.

Morton has faced the Mets twice already this year, and the two starts were quite different. At Citi Field the Mets scored four times off five hits and five walks. In May, in Atlanta, the Mets only mustered one run over seven innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against Morton:

• Pete Alonso 7-30, 2 2B, 4 BB, 7 K
• Francisco Alvarez 2-13, HR, 4 K
• Harrison Bader 0-4, K
• Ben Gamel 2-8, HR, BB, K
• José Iglesias 2-3, 2B, K
• Francisco Lindor 7-47, 3 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB, 13 K
• J.D. Martinez 13-39, 2 2B, HR, BB, 13 K
• Jeff McNeil 6-28, 2 HR, 4 BB, 7 K
• Brandon Nimmo 7-29, HR, 5 BB, 12 K
• DJ Stewart 2-7, 2 2B, 3 BB, 2 K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-4, BB, K
• Mark Vientos 2-3

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Ghost fork! Kodai Senga’s signature pitch returns to the major league’s tonight. We can have debate later if it’s more of a splitter than a forkball. His ghost fork has some serious movement that is just exciting to watch. I cannot wait to see everyone sharing videos on social media of the ghost fork overlayed with his fastball.
2. Francisco Lindor is on another planet. Over his last four games Lindor has gone 7-for-18 at the plate with five homeruns and 10 RBI’s. He is slashing a ridiculous .389/.450/1.278. After yesterday’s game he hit 5.0 WAR for the season. Keep showing the world why you are the best shortstop in baseball Francisco!
3. Jeff McNeil. Thursday night was McNeil’s third game in a row with two hits. He also had the walk-off single Thursday night. Over his last nine games McNeil is 12-for-31 with four doubles, four homers, seven runs scored and 12 RBI’s (out of the 33 he has on the season). What a comeback for McNeil.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets are flying high after Wednesday night’s sweep of the Yankees. Since the All-Star break the Mets are 4-2 and are the only team in baseball winning more than 60% of their games since the start of June. This weekend they have a huge four game series against the Braves in which the Mets could capture the top wild card spot.

Luis Severino has pitched 115 2/3 innings making 19 starts with a 3.58 ERA, 4.24 FIP, 1.176 WHIP and a 109 ERA+. Severino is coming off of a great start where he held the Marlins scoreless and to only one hit over six innings. In his last two starts combined he has allowed only two runs over 12 1/3 innings while striking out 11 batters. He last faced the Braves in May where he held them to two runs over five innings. The Braves have the following career numbers against him:

• Brian Anderson 0-2, 2 K
• Orlando Arcia 0-7, K
• Travis d’Arnaud 1-3
• Adam Duvall 0-3, K
• Jarred Kelenic 1-2, HR
• Ramon Laureano 1-3, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Whit Merrifield 4-12, 2B, BB, 3 K
• Sean Murphy 0-1
• Matt Olson 2-7, 2B, 4 BB, 4 K
• Eddie Rosario 3-11, 2B, HR, BB, 2 K
• Zack Short 0-0, BB

The Mets bats will have fight through a resurgent Chris Sale to start of the series. For the Red Sox in 2023, Sale had a 4.30 ERA, 3.80 FIP, 1.130 WHIP and a 106 ERA+ (102 2/3 innings). This season, over 18 starts he has pitched 110 innings with a 2.70 ERA, 2.21 FIP (league leading), 0.955 WHIP, 153 ERA+. In his last five starts he has a 1.91 ERA, 1.87 FIP over 28 1/3 innings while striking out 41 batters. The Mets have the following career numbers against Sale:

• Pete Alonso 0-3, 2 K
• Ben Gamel 1-3, K
• José Iglesias 11-33, 2 2B, HR, BB, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 13-31, 2 2B, HR, BB, 6 K
• J.D. Martinez 9-38, 2 2B, 3 HR, 3 BB, 16 K
• Jeff McNeil 2-3, 2B
• Brandon Nimmo 1-4, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Hitting vs Pitching. Part of what has made Chris Sale so successful this season is his ability to keep the ball in the park. In his last five games he has allowed only one home run. His HR/9 is at 0.6, down from 1.3 a season ago (and below his career mark of 1.0). The Mets are second in the National League and tied for fourth in Major League Baseball for home runs, sitting at 132. We’ve seen the Mets take ace pitches, like Cole on Wednesday night, and just light them up.
2. Francisco Lindor. Over his last three games Lindor has gone 6-for-14 with a double and four home runs. Four! He also has eight RBI’s. Wednesday night he reached the 20-20 plateau as he looks to put up consecutive 30-30 seasons. Francisco Lindor is the only player in baseball to go 50-50 since the start of last season. He has gone from snubbed at the All-Star game to forcing himself into the MVP conversation.
3. J.D. Martinez is starting to come around again. From July 12th to the 21st, Martinez went 2-for-14 at the plate with ten strikeouts. In two of this three game since then he has recorded multiple hits, including Wednesday night where he had a double. J.D. coming out of his mini-slump this weekend could be the x-factor the Mets need.

Let’s Go Mets!

With Tuesday night’s win, the Mets have clinched winning season series against the Yankees in 2024. A win tonight would mean a season sweep. A win tonight would also mean the Mets would finally reach five games above .500 for the season, a plateau that has alluded this team so far.

Tuesday night’s game had all the makings of a disaster for the Mets. The bullpen was short-handed. The bats left the bases loaded twice and couldn’t make the most of Yankee mistakes. Jake Diekman had to close the game and walked Juan Soto to bring up Aaron Judge, representing the winning run, with one out. The Mets walked Judge in three previous at bats. Jake Diekman reached back and got Judge to strike out looking. The sleep deprived Mets (who landed from Miami a little after five in the morning) locked the victory down. Let’s go for the sweep today!

Sean Manaea has tossed 101 1/3 innings over 19 starts with a 3.73 ERA, 3.84 FIP, 1.243 WHIP and a 104 ERA+. He’s looking to bounce back from a rough start coming back from the All-Star break where he allowed five runs from eight hits and a walk over five innings against the Marlins. Before that start, Manaea had a 2.02 ERA, 3.64 FIP over 35 2/3 innings over six starts. That run includes a start against the Yankees where he held the Bronx Bombers to only two hits and no runs over five innings, despite walking five batters. The Yankees have the following career numbers against Manaea:

• Oswaldo Cabrera 0-1, BB
• J.D. Davis 2-6, HR, 3 BB, 2 K
• Trent Grisham 3-7, K
• Aaron Judge 6-13, 2 HR, 3 BB, 5 K
• DJ LeMahieu 4-10, 2B, K
• Ben Rice 0-2, K
• Juan Soto 0-5, 4 BB, 3 K
• Gleyber Torres 0-4, 2 K
• Alex Verdugo 1-6
• Anthony Volpe 0-3

Somehow the Mets lined up with Gerrit Cole again. Over six starts Cole has pitched 29 1/3 innings with a 4.60 ERA, 4.71 FIP, 1.393 WHIP and a 90 ERA+. He’s looked more like the Cole of old in his last two starts allowing only two runs over 12 innings from 11 hits and two walks while striking out 15 batters. His worst start of the season came against the Mets who scored six runs from seven hits including four home runs over four innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 0-3, BB, K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-2, 2 BB, K
• Harrison Bader 1-3, HR, K
• Ben Gamel 1-7, 2 BB, 3 K
• José Iglesias 3-24, 2 2B, 2 BB, 5 K
• Francisco Lindor 4-23, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB, 3 K
• J.D. Martinez 8-46, 3 2B, 2 HR, 7 BB, 18 K
• Jeff McNeil 3-7, 2 K
• Brandon Nimmo 3-8, HR, BB, 2 K
• DJ Stewart 1-11, HR, BB, 7 K
• Tyrone Taylor 3-6, 2B, HR< K
• Luis Torrens 0-4
• Mark Vientos 3-4, 2 HR

Three Things To Watch For:

1. The King of New York. Jeff McNeil went 2-for-3 with a walk and his fourth homer since the All-Star break in Tuesday’s game. In his last seven games he is 8-for-22 with two doubles, four homers slashing .364/.400/1.000. Further, 11 of his 32 RBI’s in 2024 have happened in his last seven games, including four games with multiple RBI’s.
2. Walk sign is on. You can cross to first base safely if you’re Aaron Judge. The Mets came into Tuesday night’s game with a strategy against Judge. It paid off! Will the Mets do something similar tonight? Are they going to continue to mess with Judge’s head?
3. Seven Express Train. The Mets hit four balls Tuesday night over 104 mph. Mark Vientos had a 109 mph lineout and later hit a 107 mph double. Pete Alonso ripped a 108.8 mph double. Lindor’s double was 104.4 mph. Bonus stat – Pete Alonso stopped a 105 mph screamer from Trent Grishman that Dedniel Núñez unfortunately dropped while fielding.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets survived Miami! The sole holders of the third wild card in the National League by 0.5 games play their cross-town rivals who are the sole holders of the top wild card seed in the American League. The Mets just need to keep the momentum going. They were able to do it June as the soaring Mets swept the Yankees in a two game set.

Jose Quintana finally returns to the rotation after a brief bout with fever that sidelined him coming out of the All-Star break. Over 102 1/3 innings, 19 starts, Quintana has a 4.13 ERA, 4.99 FIP, 1.261 WHIP and a 94 ERA+. From June 15th to July 9th Quintana went on a series run pitching 30 1/3 innings with a 0.89 ERA, 3.51 FIP, striking out 27 batters. Things caught up to him in his last start against the Rockies where he allowed five runs from six hits and a walk over 5 2/3 innings. The Yankees have the following numbers against Quintana:

• J.D. Davis 1-3
• Trent Grisham 1-3, HR
• Jahmai Jones 0-1
• Aaron Judge 2-6, 2B, BB
• DJ LeMahieu 1-10, 3 BB, K
• Juan Soto 1-7, 2 BB, 2 K
• Gleyber Torres 3-6, 2B
• Anthony Volpe 1-2, BB

The Yankess will have their breakout pitcher Luis Gil start the two-game set. In a cosmic coincidence, just like Jose Quintana, Gil has also tossed 102 1/3 innings over 19 starts. He has a 3.17 ERA, 3.60 FIP, 1.085 WHIP and a 130 ERA+. He is currently leading the league in H/9 at 5.5 and total walks with 49. He’s looked good in his last two starts allowing only two runs from nine hits and a walk over 12 2/3 innings. Before that he had a three game stretch where he allowed 16 runs over 9 2/3 innings which includes a start against the Mets where the Mets got him for five runs over 4 1/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

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

Three Things To Watch For:

1. I’m walking here! During the three game stretch that Luis Gil struggled, he allowed nine walks. The Mets are currently 9th in MLB with 325 walks. The Mets lineup looks the best when they are working counts. This is the bellwether what to watch for tonight for tone setting.
2. The conductors of both teams. Francisco Lindor reminded everyone on Monday night why he is the leader of the Mets. He had a huge night with two homeruns, keeping him on base for another 30-30 season. On the other side of the diamond, the Yankees essentially live and die with how Aaron Judge and Juan Soto perform. Both teams need their stars tonight.
3. Welcome to New York. I can’t hear Taylor Swift’s hit without thinking of Jeff McNeil. McNeil hit his third home run of the first half on Monday night. He only had five home runs in the first half. He looks much more like himself in the last few games. The return of a vintage Jeff McNeil really pushes the entire lineup to another level.

Let’s Go Mets!

There are several constants in life – one of them is the Marlins always playing the Mets hard, even when the Marlins are having a terrible season. The Mets look to split the four game series today and avoid losing a series to one of the worst teams in the National League.

The Mets, Diamondbacks and Padres are all effectively tied up for the last wild card spot heading into play today. Things will get tougher for the Mets over the next couple of weeks and it would be nice to head into that stretch with a win tonight.

David Peterson has pitched 43 2/3 innings for the Mets over eight starts with a 3.09 ERA, 4.53 FIP, 1.420 WHIP and a 127 ERA+. The Mets have won each of his last five starts where he has tossed 27 innings with a 2.33 ERA, 4.56 FIP. He has definitely worked his way into and out of trouble during these starts. Hitters have recorded 23 hits and 14 walks (.342 OBP) but only seven runs thanks to the ground balls Peterson produces. His only terrible start this season was against the Marlins (of course) where he allowed four runs from eight hits over five innings. The Marlins have the following career numbers against him:

• Josh Bell 3-12, BB, 2 K
• Jake Burger 1-5, BB, 2 K
• Jazz Chisholm Jr. 2-10, BB, 2 K
• Bryan De La Cruz 3-12, 2B, 2 BB, 4 K
• Xavier Edwards 0-2, BB, 2 K
• Nick Fortes 3-12, 2 K
• Otto Lopez 1-3, 2B
• Emmanuel Rivera 1-2
• Jesús Sánchez 0-3, K

Yonny Chirinos has pitched 25 innings over five starts for the Marlins this season with a 5.76 ERA, 5.39 FIP, 1.720 WHIP and a 76 ERA+. His season stats are heavily influenced by his last start against the Reds where he allowed seven runs from eight hits and four walks over 5 2/3 innings. Before that start he had a 4.19 ERA, 3.36 FIP over 19 1/3 innings while striking out 20 batters. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 1-5, HR, 2 K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-2, K
• Harrison Bader 0-2
• Francisco Lindor 0-4
• J.D. Martinez 4-13, 3B, 2 BB, 4 K
• Jeff McNeil 4-5
• Brandon Nimmo 1-5
• DJ Stewart 0-3, BB, 2 K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-2, K
• Mark Vientos 1-2, 2B, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Take advantage with runners in scoring position. The Mets had eight hits on Sunday but only scored two runs. The team went a combined 1-for-8 at the plate leaving nine runners on base. Exasperating at bats which led to 14 strikeouts on the day. The offense was so close to clicking. Hopefully things fall into place tonight.
2. Take advantage of errors. The Marlins lead the league in errors and committed three of them on Sunday. Before the All-Star break, when a team made a mistake the Mets would seize that opportunity. It just didn’t happen on Sunday for the Mets.
3. Marlins bullpen. The Marlins bullpen has been pretty good against the Mets this weekend, but has been also used a lot. Unless the Marlins make a roster move before tonight’s game, each of their nine pitchers have thrown against the Mets this weekend with Anthony Bender throwing the least (10 pitches on Friday). Their best relievers have already pitched twice on Friday and Sunday.

Let’s Go Mets!

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

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

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

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

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

Three Things To Watch For:

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

Let’s Go Mets!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three Things To Watch For:

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

Let’s Go Mets!

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

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

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

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

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

Three Things To Watch For:

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

Let’s Go Mets!

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

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

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

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

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

Three Things To Watch For:

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

Let’s Go Mets!

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

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

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

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

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

Three Things To Watch For:

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

Let’s Go Mets!