Sunday, May 5, 2019 • 2:10 p.m. ET
Miller Park • Milwaukee, WI
LHP Jason Vargas (1-1, 5.75) vs. RHP Zach Davies (3-0, 1.38)
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • ESPN 1050 AM

The Mets try to avoid losing three games in a row to the Brewers this afternoon behind Jason Vargas in a game where they desperately need him to pitch deep.

Last night the Mets lost in 18 innings and there was plenty of blame to go around. The Mets pitching kept them in the game, all 18 innings of it, but the offense was just flat until Pete Alonso hit a homer to push the game into extra innings. The Mets bats would continue to be flat for another entire game of baseball until the 18th, burning lots of pitchers doing a phenomenal job along the way. Making things more difficult for the Mets, Amed Rosario‘s defensive woes continued and the umpiring of the strike zone fell apart in the 18th and the Mets ended up losing.

But it’s just one game. A game that took the Mets below .500 but still just a game. Now they have to regroup and just do better (hitters), and find that extra wind after too many innings last night (pitchers).

Mets Lineup

  1. Adeiny Hechavarria (R) 2B
  2. Amed Rosario (R) SS
  3. Brandon Nimmo (L) OF
  4. Pete Alonso (R) 1B
  5. Todd Frazier (R) 3B
  6. Keon Broxton (R) OF
  7. Juan Lagares (R) OF
  8. Tomas Nido (R) C
  9. Jason Vargas (L) P

Brewers Lineup

  1. Lorenzo Cain (R) CF
  2. Christian Yelich (L) RF
  3. Ryan Braun (R) LF
  4. Jesus Aguilar (R) 1B
  5. Hernan Perez (R) 2B
  6. Travis Shaw (L) 3B
  7. Manny Pina (R) C
  8. Orlando Arcia (R) SS
  9. Zach Davies (R) P

Jason Vargas is 1-1 over six games and five starts totaling 20.1 innings this year with a 5.75 ERA, 6.13 FIP, 1.721 WHIP and 68 ERA+. In his last three starts he has pitched 14.0 innings with a 1.93 ERA and a .180 opponents batting average dropping his ERA from a 14.21 to a 5.75. He had one start against the Brewers last year and it wasn’t good, allowing 5 runs off 6 hits in 3.0 innings. The Brewers have the following numbers against him:

  • Lorenzo Cain 3-for-13, 2 BB, 4 K
  • Tyler Saladino 2-for-11, 2B, 2 BB, 4 K
  • Mike Moustakas 2-for-11, BB, 2 K
  • Eric Thames 3-for-8, 2 2B
  • Ryan Braun 0-for-4, BB, K
  • Ben Gamel 2-for-3, 2B, K
  • Jesus Aguilar 1-for-2, HR

Zach Davies is going to try to save the bullpen of the Brewers today. Over his six starts this season he has pitched 32.2 innings with a 1.38 ERA, 3.93 FIP, 1.316 WHIP and 317 ERA+. If those numbers look like they don’t tell the same story, it’s because he has pitched seven innings once this year, and into the sixth twice, he’s been great but pulled early. For the Mets, they need to be patient and let him walk them. In two starts against the Mets last year, the Mets scored nine runs off 13 hits and four walks in 8.1 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

  • Michael Conforto 2-for-10, 2 2B, 4 BB, 2 K
  • Wilson Ramos 3-for-6
  • Todd Frazier 3-for-5, 2 HR
  • Adeiny Hechavarria 0-for-4, K
  • Amed Rosario 1-for-4
  • Brandon Nimmo 3-for-3, 2 2B, 3B

Notes

Mets’ starters have posted a 1.59 ERA (six earned runs/34.0 innings) in the team’s last five games and a 3.41 ERA (23 earned runs/60.2 innings) over the team’s last 10 games. Overall, Mets starters have a 4.52 ERA (89 earned runs/177.1 innings), ranking 20th in the majors.

Michael Conforto has reached base safely in 13 straight games. Overall, his .401 OBP places him ninth in the NL. He’s tied for third in the majors with 24 walks…Only Mike Trout (30) and Bryce Harper (25) have more. Conforto has reached base safely twice in a game 21 times this season, tied for third in the majors. Overall in 33 games this year, Conforto is batting .269/.401/.496 with 15 extra-base hits and 14 RBI.

New York committed three or more errors in a game for the fourth time last night. Overall, New York has recorded 30 errors this year, the most in the NL. Only Seattle (39) and Chicago-AL (31) have committed more in the majors.

Pete Alonso hit his 10th home run of the season to tie up the game at 2-2 in the ninth last night. Eight of his homers have come in the seventh inning or later, which leads the majors. Alonso leads all rookies in home runs, RBI (27) and OPS (.994). He is second in doubles (8), OBP (.374) and fourth in batting average (.289).

Let’s Go Mets!