Sunday, July 28, 2019 • 1:10 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Chris Archer (3-7, 5.40) vs. LHP Jason Vargas (5-5, 3.96)
PIX11 • WCBS 880 AM • ESPN 1050
During the 2015 Queens Baseball Convention Wally Backman raved about Steven Matz. It was before the 2015 season, so Matz and Noah Syndergaard had yet to make their debuts and while the buzz was about the latter, Backman wanted to focus on Matz.
Last night we finally saw that Matz. Steven Matz has always had the stuff, but the general consensus has been that he can get in his head sometimes. Yesterday he tossed a 99-pitch complete game shutout, only the third time since 2006 that a Mets pitcher has tossed a complete game under 100 pitches (John Maine ’06, Johan Santana ’12).
And not to be lost in the pitching performance by Matz, Michael Conforto and J.D. Davis both hit bombs, both continuing to put together solid seasons. Conforto, who has oddly been heavily criticized by significant portions of Mets fans this season, is slashing .251/.356/.469 (.825 OPS) and J.D. Davis is slashing .297/.359/.483 (.842 OPS).
Mets Lineup
- Jeff McNeil (L) RF
- Michael Conforto (L) CF
- Pete Alonso (R) 1B
- Robinson Cano (L) 2B
- Wilson Ramos (R) C
- Todd Frazier (R) 3B
- J.D. Davis (R) LF
- Amed Rosario (R) SS
- Jason Vargas (L) P
Pirates Lineup
- Kevin Newman (R) SS
- Bryan Reynolds (S) RF
- Starling Marte (R) CF
- Jose Osuna (R) 1B
- Melky Cabrera (S) LF
- Adam Frazier (L) 2B
- Jung Ho Kang (R) 3B
- Jacob Stallings (R) C
- Chris Archer (R) P
Today, the Mets will look to complete the sweep of the Pirates on a sunny, hot day in Queens behind Jason Vargas, who like Wheeler and Syndergaard before him, may be making his last start in Queens today (although unlikely). He is 5-5 over 18 games and 17 starts with 88.2 innings of work posting a 3.96 ERA, 4.67 FIP, 1.252 WHIP and 104 ERA+. He’s coming off a strong start against the Padres, holding them scoreless over six innings from one hit and four walks while striking out eight. Last year he wasn’t so good against the Pirates, allowing three runs over 4.1 innings. The Pirates have the following stats against Vargas:
- Melky Cabrera 10-for-28, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 3 K
- Corey Dickerson 1-for-3
- Gregory Polanco 0-for-3, K
- Elias Diaz 2-for-2
- Josh Bell 0-for-1
- Adam Frazier 0-for-1
- Jung Ho Kang 0-for-1, K
- Starling Marte 1-for-1, 2B
The Mets get a look at Chris Archer today, which has a slight cosmic irony to it. If the Mets are going to trade Syndergaard at the deadline, they are hoping for a deal better than the one the Pirates put together for Chris Archer last year. Archer has struggled this season. In 96.2 innings he has a 5.40 ERA, 5.66 FIP, 1.417 WHIP and a 81 ERA+. He leads the league in the juiced-ball era of homers allowed at 24. July has more or less been representative of his season as a whole, pitching 23.0 innings allowing 13 runs including six homers. The Mets have the following numbers against him:
- Robinson Cano 0-for-16, BB, 5 K
- Todd Frazier 2-for-10, BB, 4 K
- Adeiny Hechavarria 1-for-5, K
- Michael Conforto 0-for-3, 2 K
- Wilson Ramos 0-for-2, BB
Let’s go Mets!
Notes
Jason Vargas owns a 1.83 ERA (eight earned runs/39.1 innings) in seven starts at Citi Field this season. Has not allowed more than three runs in any of those seven starts and one or no runs in five of the seven starts.
Pete Alonso has 76 RBI, two more than Darryl Strawberry had in 1983. Alonso extended the club rookie record for extra-base hits in a season. He has 57 extra-base hits. Ty Wigginton (2003) and Ike Davis (2010) held the previous mark with 53. Alonso has hit 34 homers. Darryl Strawberry had the old mark with 26.
Luis Avilán hasn’t allowed a run in eight outings (5.1 innings) since his return from the IL on July 2. Seth Lugo has hurled 10.2 scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts and a save over his last 10 games. Edwin DÍaz has four saves in his last seven outings (6.0 scoreless innings).
Amed Rosario has reached base safely in 15 of his last 16 games. He is batting .333 (39-117) with 22 runs, nine doubles, two triples, three home runs, 10 RBI, eight walks, five steals and a .896 OPS over his last 33 games (since June 17). His .333 batting average ranks 12th in the major leagues and fourth in the NL in that span.
