Tuesday, September 4, 2018 • 10:10 p.m. (ET)
Dodger Stadium • Los Angeles, CA
LHP Jason Vargas (5-8, 6.56) vs. LHP Rich Hill (6-5, 3.59)
SNY • TWITTER • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050 AM

The Mets won last night but in a classic way for a 2018 deGrom start. Jacob didn’t look his best but he still held the Dodgers to one run in six innings. DeGrom recorded the only RBI for the Mets while he was in the game and the Mets didn’t take the lead until he left. Overall in the last week, the Mets have had good starting pitching from everyone, can Jason Vargas keep it going tonight?

Mets Lineup

1. Amed Rosario (R) SS
2. Austin Jackson (R) CF
3. Wilmer Flores (R) 2B
4. Michael Conforto (L) LF
5. Todd Frazier (R) 3B
6. Jay Bruce (L) 1B
7. Kevin Plawecki (R) C
8. Brandon Nimmo (L) RF
9. Jason Vargas (L) P

Dodgers Lineup

1. Brian Dozier (R) 2B
2. Justin Turner (R) 3B
3. Manny Machado (R) SS
4. Matt Kemp (R) RF
5. David Freese (R) 1B
6. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF
7. Chris Taylor (R) LF
8. Austin Barnes (R) C
9. Rich Hill (L) P

Jason Vargas is 5-8 over 16 games and 70.0 innings with a 6.56 ERA, 5.25 FIP, 1.571 WHIP and a 56 ERA+. He’s in the midst of a great stretch though. In his last four games he’s posted a 1.99 ERA over 22.2 innings going 3-0 recording 18 K’s and only five ER. In his last two games he has allowed one run over 11.1 innings. He missed the Dodgers earlier this season. Can Vargas keep the good times going? Let’s hope. The Dodgers have the following numbers against Jason:

  • Dozier 7-for-29, 2B, 2 BB, 7 K
  • Freese 8-for-14, 2B, 3 HR, BB
  • Machado 3-for-13
  • Utley 1-for-7
  • Kemp 2-for-2, 3B

The Mets bats will contend with Rich Hill who is 6-5 over 20 games and 19 starts logging 102.2 innings posting a 3.59 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 1.218 WHIP and a 109 ERA+. In the month of August, Hill made six starts logging 34.1 innings posting a 3.15 ERA, so he was slightly better than his season average. Against the Mets in June, he allowed four runs off five hits and a walk over five innings. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

  • Jackson 0-for-9, BB, 5 K
  • Reyes 3-for-10, 2 K
  • Flores 3-for-9, 2 2B, HR
  • Frazier 0-for-5, 3 K
  • Bruce 0-for-1, 2 BB
  • Conforto 1-for-3, HR, 2 K
  • Nimo 0-for-1, K

Notes

Anthony Swarzak pitched 1.0 hitless and scoreless inning with two strikeouts for Brooklyn (A) last night. Swarzak has been on the DL since August 5 with right shoulder inflammation.

Brandon Nimmo is second in the NL with a .427 OBP since the All-Star break, 13th with a .304 batting average and 10th with a .539 slugging percentage.

Jeff McNeil has hit safely in 17 of his last 18 starts. His .323 (41-127) batting average since his debut on July 24 is 10th in the majors (min. 135 PA). He hit .330 (34-111) in August, ninth in the NL (min. 100 PA) and had a .373 OBP in August. He has 10 multi-hit games.

Let’s Go Mets!