Wednesday, May 8, 2019 • 3:40 p.m. ET
Petco Park • San Diego, CA
RHP Wilmer Font (1-0, 5.79) vs. LHP Matt Strahm (1-2, 3.03)
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • ESPN 1050 AM
The Mets evened the series at one game apiece thanks to Pete Alonso late last night. Thor wasn’t as dominant as he was last week, and a throwing error from Rosario didn’t help but finally, the Mets bats woke up to keep the team in the game. In the top of the ninth, Alonso hit a 449-ft homer to push the go-ahead run across the plate.
The Mets are going to need a lot more of that this afternoon as they try their first bullpen game of the season. Steven Matz is out and the hope is that he only misses one turn in the rotation. Rather than dipping into Syracuse for Hector Santiago, the Mets acquired Wilmer Font from the Rays who should be able to toss around 70 pitches today. After that, bullpen!
Mets Lineup
- Jeff McNeil LF
- Amed Rosario SS
- Robinson Cano 2B
- Pete Alonso 1B
- Michael Conforto RF
- J.D. Davis 3B
- Brandon Nimmo CF
- Tomas Nido C
- Wilmer Font P
Padres Lineup
- Ian Kinsler 2B
- Franmil Reyes RF
- Manny Machado SS
- Eric Hosmer 1B
- Hunter Renfroe LF
- Ty France 3B
- Manuel Margot CF
- Austin Hedges C
- Matt Strahm P
Wilmer Font is 1-0 over 10 games and 14 innings this year with a 5.79 ERA, 3.50 FIP, 1.429 WHIP, and 76 ERA+. In his career (37 games and 65.0 innings between 2012 and now, with a gap between 2014-2016 where he didn’t play at all in the bigs) he has a 6.51 ERA, 6.04 FIP, 1.538 WHIP, and 66 ERA+.
The Mets draw Matt Stahm today, who is 1-2 over six starts and 32.2 innings with a 3.03 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 1.102 WHIP, and 137 ERA+ in his first year as a starter. His first start against the Braves was his worst, allowing five runs in 2.2 innings. Since then he has allowed seven runs, six earned, over 30 innings, a 1.80 ERA. He tossed one inning in relief against the Mets last year walking one and striking out one. The Mets have the following numbers against him:
- Todd Frazier 0-for-2, K
- Robinson Cano 0-for-1, K (collected four hits last night!)
- Adeiny Hechavarria 0-for-1, K
- Jeff McNeil 0-for-0, BB
- Amed Rosario 0-for-1, K
Game Notes
Mets’ starters have posted a 2.65 ERA (15 earned runs/51.0 innings) in the team’s last eight games and a 3.71 ERA (32 earned runs/77.2 innings) over the team’s last 13 games. Overall, Mets starters have a 4.54 ERA (98 earned runs/194.1 innings), which is 20th in the majors.
The Mets rank second in the majors with a 2.63 ERA (20 earned runs/68.1 innings) this month. Only Minnesota has a lower mark (1.95). The staff ranks sixth in the majors with 65 strikeouts in May
Amed Rosario has hit safely in 12-straight road games. He is 16-53 (.302) in that stretch. That is the longest road hitting streak of his career. The only Met with a longer road hitting streak over the last two seasons is Michael Conforto, who had a 13-game road hitting streak from July 3-August 13 last season.
Seth Lugo has hurled 10.1 scoreless innings dating to April 22. He’s allowed just two hits, issued two walks and struck out 12. Lugo has stranded all six of the runners he’s inherited this year. He has posted a 1.40 ERA (three
earned runs/19.1 innings) with 23 strikeouts since April 7. This compares to a 12.27 ERA (five earned runs/3.2 innings) over his first four outings this year.
Robinson Cano became the sixth player from the Dominican Republic to reach 2,500 hits in the major leagues. The most hits among players born in the Dominican Republic: Adrian Beltre (3,166), Albert Pujols (3,106), Vladimir Guerrero (2,590), Julio Franco (2,586) and Manny Ramirez (2,574)
Pete Alonso leads the majors with nine homers and 22 RBI after the seventh inning. Alonso is batting .409 (18-for-44) with a 1.516 OPS after the seventh inning.
Let’s Go Mets!
