Mets Series Preview

New York Mets Series Preview: Baltimore Orioles (6/5-6/6)

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New York Yankees, New York Mets, Zack Wheeler

After a disappointing four game sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs, the New York Mets hope to rebound two game series against the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles have lost seven games in a row and currently have the worst record in baseball (17-41). The Mets need to sweep the series if they want to start turning their season around.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(6/5, 7:10 PM) Alex Cobb (1-7, 6.80) vs. Jason Vargas (2-3, 8.53 ERA)

(6/6, 1:10 PM) Dylan Bundy (3-7, 4.46 ERA) vs. Zack Wheeler (2-4, 5.14 ERA)

The Cubs Mauled the Mets

The Cubs overmatched the Mets in almost every facet of the game. The Mets were held to six runs in four games and their bullpen allowed a scary 16 runs in those games. The Mets starters were the lone bright spot throughout the series. After their starters exited the game, there was a feeling of hopelessness in the Mets bullpen.

Manager Mickey Callaway was out managed and looked way over his head throughout the series. Joe Maddon showed why he is a top tier manager in baseball and Callaway seemed a step behind in every game. Reinforcements will be on their way as Todd Frazier is expected to return to third base in the series. Yoenis Cespedes and Noah Syndergaard are also expected to return in the following series against the New York Yankees. The Mets will need their superstars back because the team currently looks lost and has no true leadership in the clubhouse.

Rebuilding Year For the O’s

The Orioles are in a rebuilding position and never had a true chance to compete this season. Like most Oriole teams, they have a mediocre pitching staff that has the third worst ERA, worst WHIP and batting average against in baseball. They have put a lot of stock into Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy to anchor this Orioles pitching staff for the future, but they have not lived up to their expectations. Even a great manager like Buck Showalter has not been able to compete with this roster.

The lone storyline for the Orioles is their star shortstop Manny Machado. After a down year in terms of his batting average, he has bounced back to put together a strong season. He is in the top-10 of all three triple crown categories and is a free agent at the end of the season. He will be traded and the Orioles have asked for a lot in return. At age 25, he will headline a stacked 2018-19 free agent class and will certainly draw offers north of the $200 million mark.

Matchups to Lookout For (Not Much Analysis Here)

Nobody on the Orioles has a .300+ average against Jason Vargas and only Mark Trumbo has faced Zack Wheeler

Nobody on the Mets has an .300+ average against Alex Cobb and only Todd Frazier, Jose Bautista and Adrian Gonzalez have faced Dylan Bundy (0-for their careers)

Manny Machado is good at baseball

Interesting Stats

Manny Machado in Late & Close Situations in 2018: 13-29 (.448) 2 Doubles, 4 RBI, 8 Walks, 4 Strikeouts

Asdrubal Cabrera in Late & Close Situations in 2018: 19-44 (.432) 1.308 OPS, 13 RBIs

New York Mets Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (5/31-6/3)

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New York Yankees, New York Mets, Zack Wheeler

After a 3-5 road trip that included the New York Mets hitting “rock bottom”, they return to Citi Field for a monumental nine game home stand. They start off with a four game set against the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs just finished a series where they took two out of three from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs took four out of the six games against the Mets in 2017.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(5/30, 7:10 PM) Jose Quintana (5-4, 4.78 ERA) vs. Seth Lugo (1-1, 2.48 ERA)

(6/1, 7:10 PM) Tyler Chatwood (3-4, 4.10 ERA) vs. Zack Wheeler (2-4, 5.40 ERA)

(6/2, 7:15 PM) TBD vs. Jacob deGrom (4-0, 1.52 ERA)

(6/3, 1:10 PM) Jon Lester (5-2, 2.71 ERA) vs. TBD

Lugo Gets The Spot Start

The Mets will trot out Seth Lugo to the mound for the series opener against the Cubs. This is Lugo’s first start of the season and is in the place of Noah Syndergaard who landed on the 10-day DL. Lugo has been dynamite out of the bullpen this season and had his first real hiccup in the first game of Monday’s double header against the Atlanta Braves. In his career as a starter, he has a 12-6 record with a 4.09 ERA. This is expected to be his only start and will likely be limited to 65 pitches.

The Mets offense has slowly clawed their way out of the mess it was in last week. Brandon Nimmo has emerged as the Mets leadoff hitter and a quality everyday player. His .969 on-base plus slugging would be the ninth best in baseball, if he qualified. Amed Rosario has also seen his bat come to life over the last week. He is hitting .333 over his last seven games and has a .583 slugging percentage which is almost 200 points higher than what it is now.

The Cubs Without Arrieta

The Cubs come in with a 29-23 record with puts them 4.5 games behind the first place Milwaukee Brewers. They still remain as one of the better teams in the NL with their young lineup and their revamped pitching staff. Kyle Schwarber has produced a bounce back season with 10 home runs and a .374 on base percentage. Javier Baez found his power stroke to lead the team with 13 home runs and is still one of the best fielders in baseball.

Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo are also quietly making their contributions to the Cubs lineup. Rizzo had started the season slowly but has hit .429 with 10 walks over his last seven games. When he is on his game, the Cubs possess one of the most feared lineups in baseball. Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks continue to anchor the Cubs rotation with the loss of Jake Arrieta and are both in the top-15 for ERA in the NL.

Matchups to Lookout For

Anthony Rizzo vs. Jacob deGrom: 5-16 (.313) 1 Double, 1 Home Run, 2 Walks, 2 Strikeouts

Asdrubal Cabrera vs. Tyler Chatwood: 4-13 (.308) Home Run, 3 Walks, 2 Strikeouts

Ben Zobrist vs. Jacob deGrom: 0-9 (.000) Strikeout

Jay Bruce vs. Jon Lester: 3-23 (.130) Double, 2 Walks, 6 Strikeouts

Interesting Stats

Kris Bryant vs. Left Handed Pitching in 2018: 19-43 (.442) 5 Doubles, Triple, 5 Home Runs

Brandon Nimmo During Day Games in 2018: 15-40 (.375) .545 OBP, 1.270 OPS

New York Mets Series Preview: Atlanta Braves (5/28-5-30)

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New York Mets, Noah Syndergaard

The New York Mets just finished a rough four game series against the Milwaukee Brewers where they lost three out of four. They have a quick turnaround as they play four games in three days against the first place Atlanta Braves. The Braves just lost two out of three against the Boston Red Sox, but roughed up Chris Sale for six runs. They have dominated the Mets this season, taking five out of six games.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(5/28, 1:10 PM) Jacob deGrom (4-0, 1.54 ERA) vs. Max Fried (0-2, 6.00 ERA)

(5/28, 7:10 PM) TBD (Likely P.J. Conlon) vs. Brandon McCarthy (5-2, 4.67 ERA)

(5/29, 7:35 PM) Steven Matz (2-3, 3.80 ERA) vs. TBD

(5/30, 7:35 PM) Noah Syndergaard (4-1, 3.06 ERA) vs. Julio Teheran (4-2, 4.20 ERA)

Steamrolled by the Brew Crew

The series against the Brewers was brutal to say the least. The Mets had the lead in all four game but only managed to win one because their pitching faltered. One of the encouraging signs is that their offense finally seemed to wake up from the slump they had been in over the last couple of weeks. The fight they showed against a dominant Brewers bullpen and hopefully they can bring their offense to Atlanta.

The Mets pitching seemed just fine after allowing four runs in the first two games of the series, but collapsed in the last two games. They allowed 25 runs over two games after outside of Zack Wheeler, they entire staff looked lost. Jerry Blevins and Paul Sewald became victims of tough luck and Jason Vargas and Chris Flexen continued to look like they do not belong on a big league roster. If the Mets want to keep themselves in the division race their pitching desperately needs to wake up.

The Braves Are For Real

The Braves are a young team full of talent and have not slowed down at all this season. Ozzie Albies has blossomed quicker than expected and leads the team with 14 home runs. Nick Markakis has also continued to be one of the most underrated players in baseball and is tied for second in baseball with a .340 average. Of course, the Met killer, Freddie Freeman is still doing what he normally does in the middle of that Braves lineup.

The Braves received a little bit of a scare as their top prospect, Ronald Acuna Jr. injured his left knee trying to run out a ground ball. He fell as he ran through the base and tripped but was able to make it off the field without any help. His status for this series remains unknown as the Braves await the MRI results. The injury could have been worse as his knee buckled as he crossed the base. The rookie was hitting .265 with five home runs and 13 RBIs.

Matchups to Lookout For

Asdrubal Cabrera vs. Julio Teheran: 9-26 (.310) 3 Doubles, 2 Walks, 6 Strikeouts

Nick Markakis vs. Noah Syndergaard: 6-15 (.400) 1 Double, 1 Walk, 3 Strikeouts

Wilmer Flores vs. Julio Teheran: 3-21 (.143) 1 Home Run, 3 Walks, 3 Strikeouts

Tyler Flowers vs. Steven Matz 2-10 (.200) 1 Double, 3 Strikeouts

Interesting Stats

Asdrubal Cabrera at Sun Trust Park: 14-42 (.333) 2 Home Runs, 5 Doubles

Nick Markakis in High Leverage Situations: 397-1311 (.303) 25 Home Runs, .381 OBP

New York Mets Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers (5/24-5/27)

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New York Mets, Noah Syndergaard

After a rough end to a 5-3 home stand, the New York Mets will fly to Milwaukee to take on the Brewers in a four game series. The Mets seemed to get their act together but their offense cannot get out of their own way. The Brewers have had a terrific season so far and are in first place in the NL Central with a 31-19 record. The Mets took two out of three games from the Brewers at Citi Field in April.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(5/24, 8:10 PM) Steven Matz (1-3, 4.42 ERA) vs. Zach Davies (2-3, 4.24 ERA)

(5/25, 8:10 PM) Noah Syndergaard (4-1, 2.91 ERA) vs. Junior Guerra (3-3, 2.98 ERA)

(5/26, 4:10 PM) Jason Vargas (1-3, 9.87 ERA) vs. Chase Anderson (4-3, 3.86 ERA)

(5/27, 2:10 PM) Zack Wheeler (2-4, 5.32 ERA) vs. Jhoulys Chacin (3-1, 3.32 ERA)

Inconsistent Mets


The Mets are certainly playing better baseball over the last week but their hitting is still keeping the Mets from being great. Their starters and relievers have done a terrific job of saving this teams offense.

The struggles of Jay Bruce combined with the losses of Todd Frazier and Yoenis Cespedes have led to a struggling offense. Bruce has only hit three home runs and has what is currently a career low .366 slugging percentage. To cap off a tough series against the Miami Marlins, the Mets scored four runs in three games against one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball.

Jacob deGrom delivered another terrific performance last night and has established himself as the current ace of the Mets rotation. The unsung duo of Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo has played very large roles out of the Mets bullpen. In the new age of bullpens where multiple inning relievers are coveted, the Mets have the ability to have two. Gsellman has a 2.67 ERA, Lugo has a 1.84 ERA and they have combined for five wins. With a lot of talk about them being moved to a starting role, they serve better in the bullpen right now.

Brew Crew Back On Their Winning Ways


The Brewers do everything you expect a first place team to do. They hit for power, they pitch extremely well and they have taken the step to be a respectable fielding team. The newly acquired outfielders, Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich, have produced very strong seasons. Travis Shaw also leads the team with 11 home runs and their offense is still strong even with the losses of Eric Thames and Ryan Braun to injuries. Jesus Aguilar has done a terrific job of stepping up in both of their places. Aguilar leads the Brewers with a .324 average and a .577 slugging percentage.

The Brewers have the second best team ERA in baseball at 3.34. Chacin and Guerra have emerged as key pitchers in a rotation that does not feature names that necessarily scare you. The starters have been good but the Brewers feature a dominant bullpen. Veterans Matt Albers and Dan Jennings have had strong season so far, but are overshadowed by another duo in their bullpen.

Josh Hader has had a historic season so far. In just 29.1 innings he has struck out 58 batters. That number ties him for the 14th most strikeouts in the NL which equals 17.8 strikeouts per nine innings. It would be the highest in MLB history. Jeremy Jeffress has been just has good with a 0.35 ERA. He has allowed only one earned run in 25.2 innings. The Brewers just welcomed back all-star closer Corey Knebel, which makes the Brewers bullpen one of the best in baseball.  

Matchups to Lookout For

Adrian Gonzalez vs. Chase Anderson: 9-21 (.429) 2 Doubles, Home Run, 5 Walks, Strikeout

Hernan Perez vs. Noah Syndergaard: 3-5 (.600) Strikeout

Jay Bruce vs. Zach Davies: 1-15 (.067) Home Run, 2 Walks, Strikeout

Christian Yelich vs. Noah Syndergaard: 2-14 (.143) Double, 6 Strikeouts

Interesting Stats

Adrian Gonzalez vs. Milwaukee Brewers: .332, 13 Home Runs, 48 RBIs, 23 Doubles

Christian Yelich leading off an inning: .308, 13 Home Runs, 13 RBIs

New York Mets Series Preview: Miami Marlins (5/21-5/23)

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After a huge three game sweep against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the New York Mets look to keep the momentum going against the Miami Marlins. The Marlins are dead last in the NL East with a 17-29 record, but are still considered to be overachieving. The Marlins just lost two out of three games to the first place Atlanta Braves. They finished off the series by blowing a five run lead in the bottom of the ninth. The Mets swept the Marlins in their only series this season.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(5/21, 7:10 PM) Eliser Hernandez (0-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. Jason Vargas (0-3, 13.86 ERA)

(5/22, 7:10 PM) Caleb Smith (2-5, 4.22 ERA) vs. Zack Wheeler (2-3, 5.92 ERA)

(5/23, 7:10 PM) Dan Straily (2-0, 3.60 ERA) vs. Jacob deGrom (4-0, 1.75 ERA)

Big Sweep For the Mets

The sweep against the D’backs showed flashes of what made the Mets so great in 2015 and 2016. They had terrific pitching and clutch hitting to go along with a strong bullpen. Michael Conforto looked like a new player up at the plate and showed why he was an all-star last year. The Mets also kept themselves in the NL East race for first place at 3.5 games out. The sweep was a huge “pick me up” for the team and they look like they have their energy back to what it was in April.

Everyone knows how good Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard are, but after they pitch the Mets rotation is full of question marks. Wheeler and Steven Matz have been inconsistent and Vargas does not look like a big league pitcher at the moment. For the Mets to be a World Series contender they need consistency from the back end of their rotation. For Vargas and Wheeler these games are important for them to get on track, especially after an important sweep.

Floppin’ Fish

It does not surprise many people that the Marlins are last in baseball in home runs and RBIs. After trading away most of their valuable assets, there are many unproven players throughout this Marlins roster. J.T. Realmuto has been their lone brightspot on the team since he has returned from his injury. He leads the team with a .313 average and has been a staple at the top of their order.

The Marlins are one of the youngest teams in baseball which means there is still a lot of room to grow for many of their players. Brian Anderson and Jarlin Garcia have shown a lot of potential and that they deserve to be a part of this team’s future. Top prospects Lewis Brinson and Dillon Peters have struggled big time in their first full season’s in the big leagues. Brinson is hitting .160 and Peters has an ERA of 6.31. Since the Marlins are in a huge rebuild mode, there is still plenty of time for them to get better.

Matchups to Look Out For

Starlin Castro vs. Jason Vargas: 3-8 (.375) 3 Doubles, 2 Walks, Strikeout

Asdrubal Cabrera vs. Dan Straily: 3-8 (.375) 2 Doubles, Walk, Strikeout

J.T. Realmuto vs. Jacob deGrom: 2-12 (.167) 4 Strikeouts

Jose Reyes vs. Dan Straily 2-11 (.182) 4 Walks, 2 Strikeouts

Interesting Stats

J.T. Realmuto career batting 1st in the order: .341 AVG, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 13 Doubles

Michael Conforto career in the first inning: .350 AVG, 15 HR, 32 RBI, 11 Doubles

Play daily fantasy sports in a revolutionary way with StatementGames!

For Game 1 of this series we chose:

-Miami Marlins OVER 3.5 Runs

-New York Mets will NOT win by OVER 1.5 runs

-Asdrubal Cabrera OVER 0.5 EXTRA BASE HITS

 

New York Mets Series Preview: Arizona Diamondbacks (5/18-5/20)

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The New York Mets welcome in the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three game weekend series. The Mets split their second straight series on Wednesday, losing 12-1 on a rainy day against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Diamondbacks are in a similar position as the Mets, struggling after a red hot start. Unlike the Mets, they sit in first place in the NL West. The Diamondbacks owned the Mets last season, taking six out of the seven games against the Mets.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(5/18, 7:10 PM) Zack Godley (4-2, 4.08) vs. Jacob deGrom (3-0, 1.83)

(5/19, 7:10 PM) Patrick Corbin (4-1, 2.53) vs. Steven Matz (1-3, 3.86)

(5/20, 1:10 PM) Zack Greinke (3-2, 3.46) vs. Noah Syndergaard (3-1, 3.14)

Can the Mets Get it Together?

Just when many feel that the Mets were starting to breakout again, they fall back down to Earth. Whether it was Michael Conforto’s big home run against the Phillies or the 12-run outburst against the Blue Jays, the team was not able to back it up in the next game. The unfortunate weather circumstances the next day derailed their momentum in both situations. The reality is this team has been extremely inconsistent and there is no way to hide the fact that they have not been able to win back to back games in over a month.

This is a very big series for the Mets because they have their three best pitchers facing the D’Backs three best pitchers. If the Mets can take this series, they will welcome in the Marlins before facing a tough schedule for the rest of May. The Mets also sit 4.5 games out of first place and cannot afford to dig themselves a larger hole. There is no telling if the Braves, Phillies and Nationals slow down their pace but the Mets could easily find themselves out of the four team race in the NL East.

Not So Hot in Arizona

The D’Backs started the season going 20-8 in April, but have played 5-10 baseball in May. They also have a struggling all-star in first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Goldy has only hit .208 with four home runs, 12 RBIs and is tied for the NL lead with 55 strikeouts. A.J. Pollock was picking up the slack in his place but just landed on the DL with a thumb fracture. Pollock leads the team with 11 homers and 33 RBIs, but will be out for at least a month.

The backbone of their success has been their pitching which leads the NL with a 3.31 ERA. Zack Greinke and Patrick Corbin are putting together stellar seasons for the D’Backs. Corbin is seventh in the NL with a 2.53 ERA and second to Max Scherzer with 75 strikeouts. Closer Brad Boxberger has also found new life with them and is second in the NL with 12 saves. Their whole bullpen has been terrific though; six different relievers have ERAs under 2.50.

Matchups to Lookout For (Small Sample Sizes Incoming)

Daniel Descalso vs. Noah Syndergaard: 3-6 (.500)

Asdrubal Cabrera vs. Zack Greinke: 14-32 (.438) 2 Doubles, Triple, 4 Walks, 2 Strikeouts

Chris Owings vs. Noah Syndergaard: 1-9 (.111) Double, 5 Strikeouts

Jay Bruce vs. Zack Greinke: 7-40 (.175) Home Run, 2 Walks, 12 Strikeouts

Interesting Stats

Zack Greinke at Citi Field: 2-0, 2.16 ERA, 25 IP, 1 Home Run allowed

Adrian Gonzalez has 35 home runs in his career against the D’Backs (Most against any team)

New York Mets Series Preview: Toronto Blue Jays (5/15-5/16)

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New York Yankees, New York Mets, Zack Wheeler

After the New York Mets split a rain-shortened series against the Philadelphia Phillies, they return home to welcome in the Toronto Blue Jays. The Mets have struggled mightily, failing to win back to back games since their nine game winning streak ended. The Blue Jays currently sit in third place in the AL East with a 21-20 record. The Mets went 6-7 during interleague play in 2017.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(5/15, 7:10 PM) Jaime Garcia (2-2, 5.40 ERA) vs. Noah Syndergaard (2-1, 3.09 ERA)

(5/16, 1:10 PM) J.A. Happ (4-3, 4.80 ERA) vs. Zack Wheeler (2-2, 5.03 ERA)

Mets Struggling to Score

The Mets offense has accounted for a lot of their struggles during this rough patch for the team. They are second to last in the NL in runs scored to the Miami Marlins are last in the NL in hits. Not only is the team struggling to get on base, they can not drive in runners when they actually get on. The team is only hitting .227 with runners in scoring position and Asdrubal Cabrera is the only Met hitting over .300.

Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler are two cases of potentially dominant pitchers who have not found their groove this season. Syndergaard’s ERA looks great but he has averaged a hit per inning and has not had that dominant game yet this season. The Blue Jays are second in the AL in strikeouts which could be a formula for success Tuesday night. Wheeler has been solid this season as well, but his eight run outing against the Rockies inflated his ERA.

Flying in the Middle of the Pack

The Blue Jays also come in with an underachieving offense but has the potential to have a lot of power. Kevin Pillar and Yangervis Solarte have carried the load for the offense. Pillar leads the team with a .308 average and Solarte leads the team with nine home runs. The Blue Jays rotation has struggled a little bit but Aaron Sanchez has been their best pitcher with a 4.08 ERA. Marcus Stroman was supposed to be the teams ace but put up an 0-5 record with a 7.71 ERA before he was sent to the DL.

Two key Mets from the 2015 World Series run will make a return to Citi Field. Tyler Clippard and Curtis Granderson have revived their careers north of the border. Clippard is actually tied for the team lead with four wins and 1.23 ERA. He will likely assume closer duties with Roberto Osuna facing suspension due to an off the field incident. Granderson does not qualify for AL leaders but he would be tied for fourth with a .431 on-base percentage. He was a fan favorite during his time in Flushing and the Mets will likely have something nice planned for him.

Matchups to Look Out For (Small Sample Sizes Incoming)

Yangervis Solarte vs. Noah Syndergaard: 1-3 (.333) K

Wilmer Flores vs. Jaime Garcia: 4-12 (.333) 2 HR, 2B, 3 K

Randal Grichuk vs. Noah Syndergaard: 0-3 (.000) BB, 2 K

Jay Bruce vs. Jaime Garcia: 12-58 (.207) 2 Doubles, 2 BB, 16 K

Josh Donaldson: He Good

Interesting Stats

Curtis Granderson at Citi Field: 211-1002 (.211) 39 HR, 111 RBI, 135 BB, 251 K

Zack Wheeler during pitches 76-100 in 2018: 31 Batters Faced, 4 H, 1 R, 7 K, .138 AVG

Play daily fantasy sports in a revolutionary way with StatementGames!

For Game 1 of this series we chose:

-New York Mets over 4.5 runs

-Total runs over 7.5

-New York Mets over 7.5 hits

New York Mets Series Preview: Philadelphia Phillies (5/11-5/13)

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After the New York Mets lost two out of three to the Cincinnati Reds, they fly to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies. The Mets have a 7-16 record since their nine game winning streak ended and have fallen all the way down to fourth place in the NL East. The Phillies have surprised many people this season and have gotten out to a strong 22-15 start to the season. The Phillies took both games they have played against the Mets this season.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(5/11, 7:05 PM) Steven Matz (1-3, 4.23 ERA) vs. Jake Arrieta (3-1, 3.15 ERA)

(5/12, 7:05 PM) Noah Syndergaard (2-1, 3.09 ERA) vs. Zach Eflin (1-0, 0.71 ERA)

(5/13, 1:35 PM) Jacob deGrom (3-0, 1.87 ERA) vs. Aaron Nola (5-1, 2.05 ERA)

Meet the Mutts

Plain and simple, the Mets have been awful. Their struggles on offense are concerning and it has gotten to a point where the team can not even bat in the correct order. After losing Todd Frazier to the 10-day DL with a hamstring injury, the Mets desperately need someone to pick up the slack on offense. They are second to last in hits in all of baseball. One of the more concerning parts of the Mets lineup is Michael Conforto. Manager Mickey Callaway is still playing him everyday but after 27 games, he is only hitting .191 with 31 strikeouts in 89 at-bats.

Outside of the human explosion that is Jason Vargas, the Mets rotation has not hurt them too much. Steven Matz was a tough luck loser, giving up only one run in six innings against the Colorado Rockies. Mets fans know what Syndergaard and deGrom are capable of but the offense has to give them support when they do their jobs on the mound. The Mets have not scored three or more runs in back to back games since April 26 and 27. They have not scored 4 or more runs in back to back games since April 19 and 20.

Phillies Young Talent

It seems that the Phillies and Mets have traded places since they last Met. Even the managers traded places too. Phillies manager, Gabe Kapler, was on his way to being run out of town and Callaway could do no wrong for the Mets. The game of baseball can work in mysterious ways sometimes. The young bats of Maikel Franco, Rhys Hoskins and Odubel Herrera have led the way for the upstart Phillies. Herrera is in the top-10 for batting average leaders in baseball.

The Mets will see the two aces the Phillies feature, Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta. Nola is living up to his first round pick expectation this season. He is second in baseball with five wins and tied for seventh with his 2.05 ERA. Arrieta has been one of the better pitchers in baseball over the last few years and nothing has changed in his new home. Arrieta is 3-1 with a 3.15 ERA and held the Washington Nationals to one run over six innings in his last start.

Matchups to Lookout For

Asdrubal Cabrera vs. Jake Arrieta: 5-14 (.357) 2 HR, BB, 3 K

Maikel Franco vs. Noah Syndergaard: 4-15 (.267) 2B, 4 K

Jay Bruce vs. Jake Arrieta: 3-16 (.188) 2B, BB, 8 K

Odubel Herrera vs. Noah Syndergaard: 1-17 (.059) 3 K

Interesting Stats

Jacob deGrom in Day Games: 19-8, 1.97 ERA, 260 IP, 283 K

Jake Arrieta at Citizens Bank Park: 4-0, 1.09 ERA, 33 IP, 33 K

 

 

New York Mets Series Preview: Cincinnati Reds (5/7-5/9)

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The ice cold New York Mets try to break their six game losing streak against the even colder Cincinnati Reds. After two consecutive sweeps at the hands of the Atlanta Braves and the Colorado Rockies, the Mets find themselves sitting in third place. The Cincinnati Reds are currently tied with the Baltimore Orioles for the worst record in baseball at 8-26. Last season the Mets took the season series with the Reds 4-to-3.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(5/7, 7:10 PM) P.J. Conlon (MLB Debut) vs. Homer Bailey (0-4, 4.81 ERA)

(5/8, 7:10 PM) Jason Vargas (0-2, 16.20 ERA) vs. Luis Castillo (1-4, 7.01 ERA)

(5/9, 12:35 PM) Zack Wheeler (2-2, 5.79 ERA) vs. Sal Romano (2-3, 4.21 ERA)

Miserable Mets

After an incredible start out of the gate the Mets pitching and hitting has completely fallen apart over the last week. The Mets were shutout during half of their games at home and have fallen 1.5 games out of first place. The Mets are calling on P.J. Conlon make his first major league start in place of the injured Jacob deGrom. The start is a bit of a surprise, considering he has a 6.75 ERA in Triple-A and Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman are available to make a spot start. Conlon will be the first player since Irish Mcllveen to play in the in the big leagues from Belfast.

The injury bug has caught up to two of the Mets starts, Yoenis Cespedes and Jacob deGrom. Cespedes left Sunday’s game with right hip tightness and deGrom has his start for Monday skipped. Cespedes should be good to play in Monday’s game as his removal was just cautionary. deGrom was put on the 10-day DL but there was no further damage to his elbow and will pitch his next time in the rotation.

Rebuilding Reds

The Cincinnati Reds had no real expectations to win this season and have been on the rebuild the last couple of years. The combination of mediocre pitchers and Great American Ballpark has led them to the worst ERA in baseball. This Reds have a lackluster offense with a couple of the lone bright spots coming from Joey Votto and Eugenio Suarez. Youngsters, Jesse Winkler and Jose Peraza have also shown they can be dependable parts of the Reds future.

Luis Castillo was one of the brightest pitching prospects in baseball and broke out strong in 2017. His sophomore season has not gone as planned, his walks are up and is not striking out hitters at the rate he was last season. When the Reds actually have a lead in the ninth, they can depend on Raisel Iglesias to finish off the game. His ERA sits at 1.98 and has four saves in five chances.

Matchups to Lookout For (Small Sample Sizes Incoming)

Adrian Gonzalez vs. Homer Bailey 11-25 (.440) 2 Doubles, 6 Home Runs

Jose Reyes vs. Homer Bailey 2-10 (.200) 1 Double, 1 Walk, 1 Strikeout

Joey Votto vs. Baseball: Votto usually wins

No one on the Reds has more than four at-bats against any Mets Starter in this series

Interesting Stats

Joey Votto and Jay Bruce are number one and two on the Great American Ballpark home run list. Votto has 144 and Bruce has 135.

New York Mets Series Preview: Atlanta Braves (5/1-5/3)

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After a 4-5 road trip, the New York Mets return back to Citi Field to welcome in the young Atlanta Braves. The Mets lost two out of three games in Atlanta during their nine game road trip. The Braves have been playing terrific baseball to start the season and have put themselves within 1.5 games of the first place Mets. For the first time in years, the Mets and Braves are playing an important series which is reminiscent of their classic battles in the 2000s.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(5/1, 7:10 PM) Sean Newcomb (1-1, 4.23) vs. Noah Syndergaard (2-0, 2.86)

(5/2, 7:10 PM) Julio Teheran (1-1, 4.50) vs. Jacob deGrom (3-0, 2.06)

(5/3, 1:10 PM) Mike Foltynewicz (2-1, 2.53) vs. Jason Vargas (0-1, 12.09)

Mets Led by Thor and deGrom

Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom have carried the Mets rotation throughout the first month this season. The Mets have been able to work around the sub-par starts for Vargas, Matt Harvey and Steven Matz, but this team will need more consistency to be successful. Jason Vargas hopes to be the stabilizer in the rotation and hopefully his horrible start in San Diego was just a hiccup in Vargas returning to form. Zack Wheeler has started to get in a groove and Vargas would be a key fourth starter the Mets can rely on.

The Mets will likely be without slugger Yoenis Cespedes for the whole series. He injured his thumb sliding head first into third base during Sunday’s game against the San Diego Padres. Cespedes said he suffered the same injury a couple of years ago and only missed three days. Brandon Nimmo and Juan Lagares will share time in the outfield during the series. Outside of the power numbers these two will not be a drop off in production. They are both great defenders and have combined to hit .329 and put up .442 on base percentage this season.

Young, but Talented Braves

The Mets will get their first look at young upstart, Ronald Acuna. He has started his career hot out of the gate with four doubles and a home run in just 19 at bats along with three singles. Acuna is not the only guy hitting well for the Braves this season. Freddie Freeman, Ryan Flaherty and Nick Markakis are all hitting over .300 through the first month of the season. Ozzie Albies has been flexing his muscle with nine home runs and 20 RBIs which leads the Braves.

The Braves pitching has also lead them to their strong April. Folty and Brandon McCarthy both hold ERAs below 3.25 and McCarthy leads the team with four of their wins. The bullpen has been lead by Arodys Vizcaino, Shane Carle and Dan Winkler, who all have ERAs under 1.50. The team has 16 wins but only has four saves, three by Vizcaino.

Matchups to Lookout For

Freddie Freeman vs. Noah Syndergaard 5-12 (.417)

Jose Lobaton vs. Julio Teheran 7-23 (.304)

Nick Markakis vs. Jason Vargas 5-28 (.179)

Juan Lagares vs. Julio Teheran 4-21 (.191)

Interesting Stats

Freddie Freeman vs. Mets 147-533 (.309) 20 HR 86 RBI

Jacob deGrom vs. Braves 5-3 1.99 ERA 77 IP 84 K