213 Miles From Shea

The Mets will try to get back to .500 this afternoon as they take on the Royals for game two of their three game set. The Mets started the season 0-5 and since have gone 6-2. The final piece that has fallen into place for the Mets the last two games has been hitting. The Mets have now collected 30 hits and are playing energy again.

On Friday night the Mets stopped a Royals team on a seven game winning streak that was near the top of the league in both pitching and power hitting. If the Mets keep the vibes going today it will be their third consecutive series win.

Sean Manaea has looked tremendous this season allowing one run from four hits over 11 innings so far spread over two starts. He’s walked four batters and has struck out 14. Manaea faced the Royals almost a year ago and held them to one run on three hits over six innings while striking out eight batters. The Royals have the following career numbers against him:

• Adam Frazier 0-3, K
• Garrett Hampson 2-6, 2 K
• Kyle Isbel 0-2, K
• MJ Melendez 1-3, 2B, K
• Vinnie Pasquantino 0-2, K
• Salvador Pérez 4-13, 2 HR, 2 K
• Hunter Renfroe 2-6, BB, K
• Bobby Witt Jr. 1-6, HR, 3 K

The Mets bats look to keep the hit parade going this afternoon against Alec Marsh. Over two starts and 11 2/3 innings this season Marsh has allowed four runs from 10 hits while striking out eight batters. Last season he got into 17 games including eight starts totaling 74 1/3 innings with a 5.69 ERA, 5.70 FIP, 1.561 WHIP and a 78 ERA+. He had one inning of relief against the Mets where he allowed a walk and nothing else. The Mets have limited exposure to Marsh in major league games:

• Pete Alonso 0-1
• Francisco Alvarez 0-1, K
• Francisco Lindor 0-0, BB
• Jeff McNeil 0-1

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Length from starters. The Mets are still looking for a starter pitcher to go deep into a game. While the bullpen is still pretty rested from the rainout on Wednesday and the rout on Thursday, consecutive days of the Mets starter going only five innings will build stress on the bullpen quickly. Sean Manaea has gone six and five innings this year tossing 88 and 92 pitches respectively.
2. Three to the dome. Brett Baty has been on fire recently with the bat and the glove. In his last seven games (since April 5th) he has gone 12-for-31 at the plate. In his last four games he has gone 7-for-18. Overall he has four multi-hit games since the Mets started to win games. Last night he broke out Melo’s “three to the dome” celebration after a hit, and that’s good example of what’s been different about Baty this season. Baty is having fun on the field, he’s bringing the energy and has made the team fun to watch.
3. Harrison Bader’s bat! You already know about Harrison Bader’s glove. His defense is so good that most seasons his play in the field covers for negative performances at the plate. He’s had three consecutive multi-hit games and has cored five runs over that stretch. While he’s still looking for an extra-base hit, this tear he’s on is fueling the Mets.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets started off the season 0-5, they’re now 5-7.

The Mets have won five of their last seven games and just wrapped up a 4-2 road trip. On Thursday the Mets trounced the Braves 16-4, a win that reduced the Mets season run differential deficit to just -1 runs. Now the Mets welcome another AL Central team to Queens – the Kansas City Royals. The Royals are off to a strong start this season with a 9-4 record and have won eight of their last ten games.

Luis Severino will make his third start of the season today. Over his first two starts he has allowed eight runs, four earned, from 14 hits over 10 innings while striking out 13 batters. Severino’s second start was way better than his first start. In hitter friendly Great American Ballpark last weekend Severino held the Reds to only three hits and one earned run. Severino faced the Royals once last season and allowed three runs from eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. The Royals have the following career numbers against Severino:

• Dairon Blanco 0-2
• Freddy Fermín 1-2, 2B
• Adam Frazier 3-4, HR
• Maikel Garcia 1-3, K
• Kyle Isbel 1-2
• MJ Melendez 1-3, 2B
• Salvador Pérez 3-13, 2B, HR, BB, 3 K
• Hunter Renfroe 0-3
• Bobby Witt Jr. 2-3

The Mets bats will face an old friend tonight in Michael Wacha. Wacha pitched for the Mets back in the shortened 2020 season where he pitched 34 innings over eight games with a 6.62 ERA, 5.25 FIP, 1.559 WHIP and a 65 ERA+. Since then he has pitched with the Rays, Red Sox and Padres and is now on a two-year contract with the Royals. Last season over 24 starts and 134 1/3 innings, Wacha had a 3.22 ERA, 3.89 FIP, 1.161 WHIP and a 128 ERA+. Over his first two starts this season he has allowed three runs from five hits over 12 innings of work. The Mets have the following career numbers against Wacha:

• Pete Alonso 2-3, HR
• Harrison Bader 3-8, 2 K
• Starling Marte 9-37, 2B, HR, 2 BB, 9 K
• Jeff McNeil 0-2
• Omar Narváez 0-2
• DJ Stewart 3-9, HR, BB, K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-2
• Joey Wendle 1-4, HR

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Is DJ Stewart finally heating up? Stewart went 0-for-10 over his first five games this season, while he did work four walks, he struck out six times and showed none of the power he had last year. In his last three games he has hit two home runs, his only hits of the season, but they’ve been home runs! We should know by the end of the weekend if this was a blip or the start of a streak.
2. Can the bats carry over Thursday’s performance? Collecting hits has been a problem for the Mets. They collectively had 16 hits on Thursday and went 7-for-13 with runners in scoring position. On Tuesday the Mets went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. This is the stat I’m paying attention to the most right now. If the Mets can keep hitting with runners in scoring position, they are going to rack up wins.
3. Francisco Lindor. Lindor has gotten off to a cold start this season, which has led to some vile vitriol online. He’s also had some breakout days throughout the road trip and has showed the Lindor we know is right around the corner. Steve Cohen cosigned the idea of lifting Lindor up tonight with a standing ovation during his first plate appearance tonight.

Let’s Go Mets!

If you turned the game off Tuesday night when the Mets were down 6-0, you missed their near comeback. The Mets scored five runs in the 8th and 9th and ended up losing by only one run. The Mets got a second consecutive less-than-great start from a starting pitcher leading to an early hole. The Mets bats though were able to scratch out five runs, including three runs on a Pete Alonso home run.

The difficulty for the Mets bats was hitting with runners in scoring position, again. The Mets went 1-for-10 with RISP, and ultimately that was the difference in the result.

Wednesday night’s game was postponed due to rain and is going to be made up in September. While that overloads the September schedule, it does give the Mets a massive reprieve right now. Between the day-off and a Tuesday game where Carlos Mendoza was able to avoid using the heavy hitters in the bullpen. Now the Mets go into today’s matinee fully rested.

Jose Quintana makes his third start of the season this afternoon. Over his first two starts he’s tossed 10 1/3 innings allowing three runs from 11 hits while striking out six batters. As we go through the first month of the season, stats start to correct themselves and Quintana has a serious early in the season mismatch with a 2.61 ERA coupled with a 5.94 FIP, 1.645 WHIP. Quintana made two starts against the Braves last season with two very different results. In the first match he held the Braves to one run from four hits over six innings. In the second start the Braves got him for five runs from nine hits over 5 1/3 innings. The Braves have the following career numbers against Quintana:

• Ronald Acuña Jr. 2-13, 2 BB, 3 K
• Ozzie Albies 6-10, 2 2B, 2 HR, BB, K
• Orlando Arcia 4-32, 2B, 6 BB, 6 K
• Travis d’Arnaud 1-6, BB, 2 K
• Adam Duvall 3-8, 2 HR, 5 BB, K
• Luis Guillorme 0-2
• Michael Harris II 3-9, 2B, 2 K
• Jarred Kelenic 1-2, K
• Matt Olson 4-18, 2B, 2 BB, 7 K
• Marcell Ozuna 10-22, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB, 3 K
• Austin Riley 2-9, 3 BB, K

This was supposed to be the Spencer Strider game for the Braves today, but Strider felt the dreaded elbow soreness after his last start, landing on the injured list. The Braves brought up Allan Winans to be a fresh arm for the bullpen and since he wasn’t needed in relief, he is now starting for Atlanta today.

Last season Winans made six starts totaling 32 1/3 innings with a 5.29 ERA, 4.09 FIP, 1.392 WHIP and an 85 ERA+. This includes back to back starts against the Mets in August with two very different results. In Queens, Winans shut the Mets out over seven innings holding them to just four hits while striking out nine batters. A week later the Mets scored seven runs against him off nine hits over 4 1/3 innings. Winans has made one start in the minors this season allowing two runs from six hits over 5 2/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against Winans:

• Pete Alonso 1-5, BB, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 1-3
• Jeff McNeil 3-6
• Omar Narváez 3-5, 2B
• Brandon Nimmo 0-2, BB, K
• DJ Stewart 2-5, HR, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Stolen Bases. We started to see this in the series against the Reds, but the Mets are having an early season issue with stolen bases. Acuña stole three bases against the Mets on Tuesday night. Narváez hasn’t looked the best behind the plate when it comes to runners taking chances. Part of this could be because the Mets are facing two of the more electric stars for stealing bases in back-to-back series (Elly De La Cruz followed by Ronald Acuña Jr. just isn’t fair). When future opponents see the amount of stolen bases the Mets have allowed on scouting reports, they are going to feel a little more confident to take the risk.
2. Hitting with runners in scoring position. We discussed this a bit in the introduction but this was the ultimate difference in Tuesday’s game. The Mets went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The Braves went 7-for-14. Splitting / Winning this series will come down to the Mets breaking out of their slump and stopping the onslaught from the Braves.
3. Pete Alonso: Tuesday we talked about the slump that Alonso was mired in. He had a terrific game at the plate last night going 2-for-4 with a double, three-run homer and a walk. Here’s hoping he keeps this going tonight and powers the Mets offense to a win.

Let’s Go Mets!

If you turned the game off Tuesday night when the Mets were down 6-0, you missed their near comeback. The Mets scored five runs in the 8th and 9th and ended up losing by only one run. The Mets got a second consecutive less-than-great start from a starting pitcher leading to an early hole. The Mets bats though were able to scratch out five runs, including three runs on a Pete Alonso home run.

The difficulty for the Mets bats was hitting with runners in scoring position, again. The Mets went 1-for-10 with RISP, and ultimately that was the difference in the result.

Looking ahead for tonight, Carlos Mendoza was able to give the key players in the bullpen the night off and has a much more rested bullpen going into tonight’s match.

Jose Quintana makes his third start of the season tonight. Over his first two starts he’s tossed 10 1/3 innings allowing three runs from 11 hits while striking out six batters. As we go through the first month of the season, stats start to correct themselves and Quintana has a serious early in the season mismatch with a 2.61 ERA coupled with a 5.94 FIP, 1.645 WHIP. Quintana made two starts against the Braves last season with two very different results. In the first match he held the Braves to one run from four hits over six innings. In the second start the Braves got him for five runs from nine hits over 5 1/3 innings. The Braves have the following career numbers against Quintana:

• Ronald Acuña Jr. 2-13, 2 BB, 3 K
• Ozzie Albies 6-10, 2 2B, 2 HR, BB, K
• Orlando Arcia 4-32, 2B, 6 BB, 6 K
• Travis d’Arnaud 1-6, BB, 2 K
• Adam Duvall 3-8, 2 HR, 5 BB, K
• Luis Guillorme 0-2
• Michael Harris II 3-9, 2B, 2 K
• Jarred Kelenic 1-2, K
• Matt Olson 4-18, 2B, 2 BB, 7 K
• Marcell Ozuna 10-22, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB, 3 K
• Austin Riley 2-9, 3 BB, K

This was supposed to be the Spencer Strider game for the Braves today, but Strider felt the dreaded elbow soreness after his last start, landing on the injured list. The Braves brought up Allan Winans to be a fresh arm for the bullpen and since he wasn’t needed in relief, he is now starting for Atlanta tonight.

Last season Winans made six starts totaling 32 1/3 innings with a 5.29 ERA, 4.09 FIP, 1.392 WHIP and an 85 ERA+. This includes back to back starts against the Mets in August with two very different results. In Queens, Winans shut the Mets out over seven innings holding them to just four hits while striking out nine batters. A week later the Mets scored seven runs against him off nine hits over 4 1/3 innings. Winans has made one start in the minors this season allowing two runs from six hits over 5 2/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against Winans:

• Pete Alonso 1-5, BB, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 1-3
• Jeff McNeil 3-6
• Omar Narváez 3-5, 2B
• Brandon Nimmo 0-2, BB, K
• DJ Stewart 2-5, HR, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Stolen Bases. We started to see this in the series against the Reds, but the Mets are having an early season issue with stolen bases. Acuña stole three bases against the Mets last night. Narváez hasn’t looked the best behind the plate when it comes to runners taking chances. Part of this could be because the Mets are facing two of the more electric stars for stealing bases in back-to-back series (Elly De La Cruz followed by Ronald Acuña Jr. just isn’t fair). When future opponents see the amount of stolen bases the Mets have allowed on scouting reports, they are going to feel a little more confident to take the risk.
2. Hitting with runners in scoring position. We discussed this a bit in the introduction but this was the ultimate difference in Tuesday’s game. The Mets went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The Braves went 7-for-14. Splitting / Winning this series will come down to the Mets breaking out of their slump and stopping the onslaught from the Braves.
3. Pete Alonso: Yesterday we talked about the slump that Alonso was mired in. He had a terrific game at the plate last night going 2-for-4 with a double, three-run homer and a walk. Here’s hoping he keeps this going tonight and powers the Mets offense to a win.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets can clinch a series split with the Braves tonight!

Yesterday the Braves got an early 4-0 lead due to a massive third inning, but the Mets last night had fight in them. They came back to tie the game at 4-4 thanks to a three-run homer from Brandon Nimmo. The Braves were then able to take the lead thanks to some questionable umpiring that led to a run being scored but the again Brandon Nimmo saved the day, knotting the game back up to five. The Mets then scored three more and were able to hold off the Braves and sneak out with a win while resting the key pitchers in the bullpen. All around, great day! Now the Mets have won four of their last five games and the momentum is starting to build.

Adrian Houser makes his second Mets start tonight. In his season debut last week he allowed on run from three hits over five innings. He faced the Braves in back to back starts last July and just like Julio yesterday, the two games had very different outcomes. In the first game he allowed three runs over six innings while striking out 10 batters (the only time Houser had double digit strikeouts in 2023). Then in his next start, in Atlanta, he allowed six runs from eight hits over four innings. The Braves have the following numbers against Houser:

• Ronald Acuña Jr. 7-12, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Ozzie Albies 4-14, 2B, 2 BB, K
• Orlando Arcia 1-5, 2 K
• Travis d’Arnaud 1-2, K
• Adam Duvall 2-8, 3 K
• Luis Guillorme 1-5
• Michael Harris II 2-4, K
• Matt Olson 1-7, 2B, 3 BB, 4 K
• Marcell Ozuna 3-15, HR, 5 BB, 5 K
• Austin Riley 6-16, HR, 3 K

The Mets bats will get their first look at Reynaldo López tonight. López was signed by the Nationals back in 2016 and was traded in the Lucas Giolito trade for Adam Eaton before the 2017 season. Last year López was traded from the White Sox (with Giolito again!) to the Angels. When the Angles shed payroll at the end of August he was picked up by the Guardians and then in the off-season he signed with the Braves.

In López’s first start of the season he allowed one run from four hits over six innings. Last season, across three organizations, López pitched in 68 games totaling 66 innings with a 3.27 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 1.273 WHIP and a 137 ERA+. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 1-3, BB, K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-1, K
• Francisco Lindor 2-18, HR, 3 BB, K
• Starling Marte 3-8, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 0-3, BB, K
• Omar Narváez 2-3
• Brandon Nimmo 0-2, K
• Zack Short 0-1, BB
• DJ Stewart 1-4
• Tyrone Taylor 0-1, K
• Joey Wendle 2-6, 2 2B

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Brandon Nimmo is here. In Nimmo’s first four games of the season he went 1-for-16 at the plate with only one walk and five strikeouts. Since then, over five games, he has gone 6-for-17 at the plate with a double, two home runs and seven walks while striking out only three times. Now four of those six hits came last night, but his .560 OBP has been building for the better part of a week now. It’s not a coincidence that the Mets have now won four of their last five.
2. Pete’s streaky season. Between the second and sixth game of the season Pete went 7-for-21 at the plate with two homers, essentially one of only two hitters on the Mets collecting hits and moving the offense. Since then Pete has gone 0-for-18 with a walk and seven strikeouts. Can Pete break out of the funk tonight?
3. Adam Ottavino. The Mets are almost definitely going to use Ottavino tonight as pretty much every reliever is being used every other day right now. His first outing of the year was rough, allowing three hits leading to a run in a game the Mets eventually lost 7-6. He allowed a solo shot in his second outing. His last two outings have been clean. He’s also getting a lot of strikeouts, in three of his four outings he has at least two strikeouts. This gives Ottavino a small-sample size 15.8 K/9, which is considerably higher than his career mark at 10.4.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets head into Atlanta for a four game set after winning their first series of the season. After starting the year 0-5, the Mets have won three of the last four games they’ve played. Yesterday the Mets scored two runs early and there were some concerns if leaving the bases loaded in the second and third inning would come back to bite them. However the pitching was excellent as it has been for most of the season and the Mets squeaked through with a 3-1 win.

This week is an important, early statement series with the Braves. Splitting the series would be an accomplishment. Winning the series could turn heads. Let’s get off to a good start tonight.

Julio Teherán will be pitching in Atlanta tonight – for the Mets? The long-time Atlanta Braves signed a contract with the Mets last week and will will take over Tylor Megill’s spot in the rotation for the foreseeable future. Last season Julio pitched with the Brewers and totaled 71 2/3 innings over 14 games (11 starts) with a 4.40 ERA, 4.93 FIP, 1.130 WHIP and a 97 ERA+. He spent spring training with the Orioles where he allowed five runs over 13 1/3 innings (3.38 ERA) wracking up 10 strikeouts to go with seven walks.

He faced the Braves twice last season with very different results. In the first game he allowed one run over six innings. Then in his next start, in Atlanta, he allowed nine runs from 11 hits over five innings. the Braves the following numbers against him:

• Ronald Acuña Jr. 4-6, HR
• Ozzie Albies 1-5, 3 K
• Orlando Arcia 1-8, 2 K
• Travis d’Arnaud 3-30, HR, 2 BB, 2 K
• Adam Duvall 3-6, 2B, K
• Luis Guillorme 0-2, BB
• Michael Harris II 1-3, 2B
• Matt Olson 1-9, BB, 4 K
• Marcell Ozuna 19-54, 3 2B, 4 HR, 2 BB, 9 K
• Austin Riley 2-6, 2B, K

The Mets bats draw the ageless Charlie Morton this evening. In Morton’s first start of the season he allowed no runs and three hits over 5 2/3 innings while striking out six batters. Last season Morton made 30 starts over 163 1/3 innings with a 3.64 ERA, 3.87 FIP, 1.427 WHIP and a 122 ERA+. Morton and the Mets squared up frequently last year. Over four starts and 22 innings, Morton had a 3.27 ERA, 1.364 WHIP against the Mets who have have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 6-25, 2B, 3 BB, 6 K
• Francisco Alvarez 2-10, HR, 2 K
• Harrison Bader 0-2, K
• Brett Baty 2-3, 2B, BB, K
• Francisco Lindor 6-41, 3 2B, HR, 2 BB, 12 K
• Starling Marte 4-21, 2 BB, 8 K
• Jeff McNeil 5-25, 2 HR, 2 BB, 7 K
• Omar Narváez 5-16, 2B, HR, BB, 3 K
• Brandon Nimmo 4-24, 4 BB, 10 K
• Zack Short 0-2, K
• DJ Stewart 2-5, 2 2B, 2 BB,2 K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-4, BB, K
• Joey Wendle 6-16, 2B, 5 K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Francisco Lindor: Lindor’s season got off to a dreadful start but yesterday was the complete opposite. He went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and a homer. His double in the first inning led to the first run of the game. His solo shot later in the game gave the Mets some much needed breathing room. Here’s hoping he can build on that tonight as he faces Charlie Morton who he has a career .146 batting average and .255 on base percentage against.
2. Starling Marte: The x-factor for the Mets offense this year is going to be Starling Marte. Marte opened the season going 5-for-16 with two walks over the first four games. In the next three games he went 0-for-12. In the last two games he has gone 4-for-7 with two walks and scored three runs. Can he keep the momentum going again tonight?
3. Bullpen usage, again. We’ll continue to monitor this until we don’t have to. The Mets bullpen, on the whole, has been effective this season and has kept the team in games. The starting rotation has also, for the most part, been effective. Starting pitchers are still not going deep into games and yesterday the Mets needed to use four of their key arms in one game, again. Here’s hoping the Mets bats put the team in a position tonight that Reed Garrett can eat innings at the end of the game and give the bullpen more rest.

Let’s Go Mets!

The good thing about winning ball games is it makes it easier to forget mistakes. The Mets sure need a win today to forget about yesterday’s mistakes. The Mets went down early but then rallied and took a 5-2 lead. Then over the course of two innings the Mets just had this awful combination of bad fundamentals and odd situations (like a throw from the outfield bouncing off the rosin bag) the result was the Reds scoring seven runs.

Wins help a lot. The Mets still have a chance to take their first series of the year this afternoon and head to Atlanta winning three of their last four games.

Sean Manaea looks to build on off his first start of the season and get the Mets back on the winning track. In his Mets debut Manaea allowed only one hit and two walks while striking out eight batters over six innings of work. He faced the Reds once last year in relief where he allowed three runs, two earned, over 2 1/3 innings from two hits and a walk. The Reds have the following career numbers against Manaea:

• Will Benson 0-1
• Jeimer Candelario 3-13, HR, 2 BB, 4 K
• Elly De La Cruz 1-1
• Jake Fraley 0-2, 3 BB
• Jonathan India 0-1
• Luke Maile 0-2
• Spencer Steer 0-1, K
• Tyler Stephenson 1-2, BB

The Mets scored runs yesterday and they look to keep that going today against Andrew Abbott. In Abbott’s first start of the season he allowed two runs from three hits and two walks over 5 1/3 innings. Last year was his rookie season and made 21 starts and pitched 109 1/3 innings for the Reds. He had a 3.87 ERA, 4.20 FIP, 1.317 WHIP and a 118 ERA+. This includes a start in Queens in September where the Mets scored two runs from six hits and three walks over 3 2/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 0-1, BB
• Francisco Alvarez 1-3, 2B, K
• Francisco Lindor 1-1, BB
• Jeff McNeil 0-1, BB
• Brandon Nimmo 0-3, K
• DJ Stewart 0-2, 2 K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-2, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. The bullpen is a tired mess right now. We knew players health, energy and game readiness was going to be a challenge this week with the Mets playing 15 games in 14 days, starting with a doubleheader, but it became the star of the show yesterday when the Mets needed Yohan Ramírez to throw two innings yesterday. His first inning was fine, his second was a disaster but the Mets didn’t really have any other options. Overall he tossed 53 pitches for the Mets. The root problem yesterday was four pitchers on Friday night pitched in back-to-back days. The Mets need Manaea to go deep in today’s game to give the bullpen their strength back.
2. Collecting Hits. Getting hits has been a problem for the Mets this season and yesterday was a breath of fresh air. The Mets collected 11 total hits including Nimmo, Baty and Marte each having two hits and Omar Narváez getting three.
3. Stealing Bases. Starling Marte stole two bases yesterday, which brought the Mets season total to five. This ties them for 11th in the league. The Reds are tied with the Rays for leading the league in stolen bases with 14. This became a focal point in yesterday’s game. How the Mets handle the Reds stealing bases could become x-factor today’s game too.

Let’s Go Mets!

Break up the Mets! They’ve won two games in a row!

After starting the season 0-5 the Mets have won their last two games. On Thursday evening they won the second game of a doubleheader scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth. On Friday evening they squeaked by the Reds 3-2. There’s a trend starting to emerge – the pitching is carrying the team while the offense struggles. The last thing the Mets need is for the pitchers to feel the pressure to be perfect at all times. Playing in Cincinnati is a great way to wake up the bats, let’s hope today is the day!

Luis Severino makes his second start for the orange and blue this afternoon. In his first start he allowed six runs, three earned, off of 11 hits. The defense was shaky behind him and it lead to Severino having to throw a lot more over his five innings of work than he would have liked. On the positive side he didn’t walk anyone and struck out six batters. His first start of the season last year was against the Reds and he held them to one run over 4 2/3 innings giving up four hits and a walk while striking out five. The Reds have the following career numbers against him:

• Jeimer Candelario 1-10, 2B, 5 K
• Will Benson 0-2, K
• Santiago Espinal 1-6, 2B, 3 K
• Stuart Fairchild 2-3, HR
• Jake Fraley 0-2
• Jonathan India 0-2, 2 BB
• Luke Maile 3-10, BB, 2 K
• Nick Martini 1-3, K
• Spencer Steer 1-2, 2B
• Tyler Stephenson 0-0, BB
• Bubba Thompson 0-2

Nick Martinez gets the start today for the Reds. In his first game he allowed three runs from six hits over five innings. He’s coming off of a year where he was mostly used as a reliever with the Padres but made six nine starts over his 63 appearances. He logged a total of 110 1/3 innings with a 3.43 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 1.260 WHIP and a 119 ERA+ (career best). This includes pitching against the Mets on back-to-back days where he allowed a hit and two walks and nothing else over two innings of work. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 1-1, HR, BB
• Harrison Bader 1-4
• Francisco Lindor 2-3, 2B
• Starling Marte 0-4
• Jeff McNeil 0-1
• Omar Narváez 0-1, BB, K
• Brandon Nimmo 0-3, BB, K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-3, 2B
• Joey Wendle 0-4, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. The Mets and runners in scoring position. The Mets have struggled with two things this season – getting runners in scoring position, having runners score from scoring position. The first game on Thursday was an example of the latter problem, the Mets as a team went 2-for-17 with RISP. In the nightcap, the Mets went 1-for-3, failing to get runners to scoring position in the first place. Yesterday was a mix of both problems with the Mets going 0-for-5.
2. Mets bullpen usage. Thank the baseball gods for Reed Garrett who pitched three innings for the Mets on Thursday night, after the Mets had to use practically their entire bullpen in the first game. Last night the Mets had four pitchers go out of the pen, all pitching on back to back days. Realistically, the three freshest arms for tonight’s game are Yohan Ramírez (hasn’t pitched since his suspension), Jake Diekman (11 pitches Thursday) and Jorge López (6 pitches Thursday).
3. Brett Baty comeback season. Brett had two of the four Mets hits yesterday and made some critical plays on the field. He has now recorded a hit in five of seven games this season and has reached based in six consecutive games. Since striking out four times in the first three games he has struck out only two times in the last four games.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets are heading to Ohio with a victory in the books!

Things looked pretty bleak late yesterday afternoon. The Mets already lost the first game after leading most of the game and then self-destructing in the 11th inning. It was the bottom of the ninth in the second game, the Mets were down 1-0. Then Pete Alonso happened. He reached way out of the zone and knocked a solo shot out of the park. A couple of batters later Tyrone Taylor had a walk-off hit and the Mets won. They finally won!

Now the Mets start a grueling stretch that first has them on the road in the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark. Do the Mets play more loose tonight with a win under their belt? Do the bats get going? How many times will the Mets broadcast booth talk about skyrosas?

The “Skyrosa” at reds Great American Ballpark ⚾️
(@Reds )

$7 – Skyline Chili Coney
$7 – LaRosa’s Pepperoni Pizza pic.twitter.com/mMhj30Fw0a

— US Sport Scran (@SportScran) July 21, 2023

Jose Quintana will make his second start of the season, a full week after his first start. Last week he allowed two runs from six hits over 4 2/3 innings with four strikeouts. He faced the Reds in September last season allowing only two runs from eight hits and a walk over 6 2/3 innings while striking out two batters. He’s also pitched well over his career at Great American Ballpark. He has a 2.93 ERA over 30 2/3 innings of work. The Reds have the following career numbers against him:

• Jeimer Candelario 3-7, 2B
• Elly De La Cruz 0-3, K
• Christian Encarnacion-Strand 1-3
• Santiago Espinal 2-2
• Stuart Fairchild 2-4, 2B, K
• Jonathan India 1-6, K
• Nick Martini 0-1
• Spencer Steer 1-6, BB, 2 K
• Tyler Stephenson 1-3

The Mets bats will look to continue their 9th inning magic from yesterday against the flame-thrower of the Reds staff, Hunter Greene. Over 112 innings and 22 starts last season, Greene had a 4.82 ERA, 4.25 FIP, 1.420 WHIP and a 95 ERA+. In his first start this season he allowed two runs from five hits and four walks over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out seven batters in his short outing. When it comes to Greene, patience is key. He strikes out a ton (12.5 K/9 last season) but also walks a lot (3.9 BB/9) and is susceptible to the home run (1.5 HR/9).

In two starts against the Mets last season (beginning and end of the season) he allowed five runs from 10 hits over 11 innings. He struck out 10 batters across both games while walking five and allowing two home runs – basically representative of his 2023 season numbers. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 2-6, 2 HR, 3 BB, K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-1, BB
• Harrison Bader 1-5, HR
• Brett Baty 0-2
• Francisco Lindor 1-8, HR, 2 K
• Starling Marte 0-6, K
• Jeff McNeil 4-8, 2B, 2 K
• Omar Narváez 0-8, 6 K
• Brandon Nimmo 5-9, HR, 2 K
• DJ Stewart 1-3, K
• Tyrone Taylor 2-9, HR, 4 K
• Joey Wendle 2-7, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Brandon Nimmo is walking again. Nimmo’s ability to get on base is key for the Mets offense. In his first three games of the season he went 1-for-13 at the plate with no walks. In his fourth game of the season he went 0-for-3 at the plate, but finally walked. Yesterday he walked five times across both games, raising his OBP from .167 to .286. Obviously we want him to get some hits too but the key to Hunter Greene is letting himself get into trouble. Nimmo walking again is a tremendous sign.
2. Francisco Alvarez has not been the problem. The Mets lineup has been cold. Alvarez has been the exact opposite. He’s opening up the season going 8-for-20 at the plate with three doubles and homer, which translates into a 1.129 OPS. Hopefully the veterans start hitting around him so the Mets can start to take Alvarez’s hot start and turn it into victories.
3. The Díaz Brothers united! Alexis Díaz has had a tremendous first two seasons with the Reds. In his rookie year he had a 1.84 ERA, 237 ERA+ over 63 2/3 innings. Last year he was named an All Star had a 3.07 ERA, 149 ERA+ over 67 1/3 innings. It’s always special to see players on the field with their family members, it’s even more special when both family members are two of the best at what they do.

Let’s Go Mets!

Baseball in Queens! Finally!

The tri-state has had an incredibly rainy start of the week and the last two Mets games were postponed and pushed to today. This now creates a new challenge for the Mets who will play 15 games over their next 14 days. The Mets are calling up Jose Buttó to be the 27th man for the second game, which should prevent one of the current Mets starters from pitching on short rest down the road. Further the Mets signed Julio Teherán to a major league contract and Julio will slot into the rotation for an injured Tylor Megill.

The Mets officially are having one of their roughest starts to the season ever after last night’s loss. They are now 0-4, which has happened only four other times (1962, 1963, 1964 and 2005). Monday night the Mets got amazing pitching for the first nine innings of the game but could not turn any of their hits into runs. On the positive side, multiple players had extremely hard-hit lineouts, and at some point that has to start to break for the Mets.

Adrian Houser will make his Mets debut tonight. Over 23 games, 21 starts, last season he tossed 111 1/3 innings with a 4.12 ERA, 3.99 FIP, 1.392 WHIP and a 105 ERA+. According to Baseball Savant, while Houser left a lot to be desired last season in terms of missing bats (xBA 25th percentile, Chase % 20th percentile, Hard-Hit % 5th percentile) he produced a lot of ground balls (73rd percentile). If the defense is strong behind him he can be quite effective. The Tigers have the following career numbers against him:

• Javier Báez 2-10 2B, BB, 2 K
• Mark Canha 0-2, K
• Jack Flaherty 0-2
• Carson Kelly 0-1, K

Casey Mize makes his return to the mound for his first start since Tommy John surgery, which has sidelined the former number 1 overall pick since 2022 (where he made only two starts). In his only full season, 2021, he made 30 starts totaling 150 1/3 innings with a 3.71 ERA, 4.71 FIP, 1.137 WHIP and a 114 ERA+. If the Tigers are going to make a surprise run for the post-season this year, they need Casey Mize to make a triumphant return. A few Mets players have seen Mize in previous games:

• Harrison Bader 0-2
• Francisco Lindor 0-2, BB
• DJ Stewart 1-4, BB, 2 K
• Joey Wendle 1-2

Jose Buttó gets the start for the Mets in the afternoon game today. Buttó had a successful season with the Mets last year, making seven starts over nine games and 42 innings of work. During that time he had a 3.64 ERA, 4.02 FIP, 1.333 WHIP and a 117 ERA+. This includes an outing against the Tigers where he allowed one run over 2 1/3 innings last May. He also had a tremendous spring for the Mets allowing only one run from nine hits over ten innings while striking out nine batters. The Tigers have had limited at bats against Buttó:

• Akil Baddoo 0-1, K
• Andy Ibáñez 0-1
• Javier Báez 0-1
• Matt Vierling 0-3, SB
• Riley Greene 0-1, K
• Spencer Torkelson 1-1

Matt Manning will make his 2024 debut today. He made 15 starts for the Tigers last season tossing 78 innings with a 3.58 ERA, 4.81 FIP, 1.038 WHIP with a 124 ERA+ (career best). His season was interrupted last April when he fractured his foot by taking a comebacker against the Blue Jays. He returned in late June and picked up where he left off. In September he took another comebacker to the same foot, broke it again, and missed the rest of the season. Similar to Buttó, Manning just missed the last spot in the Tigers rotation and is being called up for today’s doubleheader. Casey Mize, the starter in game one, just narrowly beat Manning out for the rotation spot.

Three Things To Watch For:

1. The top of the lineup sets the tone. In Monday night’s game the top of the lineup (Nimmo, Lindor, Alonso) went 0-for-11 with two walks. Nimmo and Lindor are off to cold starts this season and Alonso had his first rough game of the season. When the top of the lineup fully turns around, the whole team will follow.
2. Reed Garrett: Reed Garrett was recalled before the start of Monday’s game with Tylor Megill landing on the injured list. Over nine games last season Garrett pitched 17 innings with a 5.82 ERA, 4.90 FIP, 1.235 WHIP and a 74 ERA+. In one game this season he pitched two innings for Syracuse allowing a hit and nothing else while striking out four batters. If there is an extended delay in the middle of today’s game or a doubleheader later this week, the Mets are going to need Garrett to eat some innings save the bullpen.
3. Roster Management: Today is going to be an early test of Carlos Mendoza’s roster management. The Mets are about to embark on a 15 game, 14 day quest. There has been only one starting pitcher for the Mets, Sean Manaea, who has thrown a pitch in the sixth inning this year. With two days off everyone in the bullpen should be available. Will there be another pitcher outside of Reed Garrett who is asked to step up and toss multiple innings today? How many starting position players play both games today?

Let’s Go Mets!