Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
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Starling Marte gave the team some encouraging news, saying that the swelling on his finger has gone down and that it’s feeling a lot better. Marte did some running and shagged fly balls during batting practice, but he doesn’t know when he will be able to swing a bat. He’s eligible to be activated from the injured list on Saturday.
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Chris Bassitt got shelled for five runs in 3 2/3 innings and the Mets’ offense left a small village on the bases as they dropped their series opener against the Cubs, 5-2. Rookie right-hander Javier Assad earned his first career victory, holding the Mets to just one run in six innings. The Mets did get some help though, as the Giants held off a late rally by the Braves to win 3-2. With that, the Mets’ division lead remains at 1.5 games.
Jacob deGrom (5-1, 1.66 ERA) will take the mound for the Mets as they look to even up the series against righty Adrian Sampson (1-5, 3.76 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 pm.
The Mets made a few roster moves ahead of last night’s game, activating both Luis Guillorme and Trevor May from the IL. In addition, the Mets designated Deven Marrero for assignment and placed Bryce Montes de Oca on the IL with a hamstring injury.
Starting yesterday, the 7 Train is featuring the SNY broadcast booth as announcers. They will have some commentary mixed along with the already recorded announcements over the train loudspeakers.
The latest MLB.com power rankings kept the Mets in the fourth spot. They’ve spent most of this summer between second and fourth.
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Former Met Wilmer Flores signed a two-year extension to stay with the Giants, with a mutual option for 2025. Flores has spent the last three seasons in San Francisco, hitting .251/.324/.446 (110 OPS+) with 48 homers in 1,172 plate appearances.
Mark Simon of Sports Info Solutions examined which players will benefit the most from MLB banning the shift. Simon points out Corey Seager as the player who has been robbed the most by the shift this year.
Mike Trout homered in his seventh straight game, extending his Angels franchise record. Trout is just one game shy of tying the major league record set by Don Mattingly, Dale Long, and Ken Griffey Jr.
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Dan Quiñones recaps the Mets’ series-opening loss against the Cubs.
Mathew Brownstein looks at who made Mets history last week in Mets by the Numbers.
On This Date in Mets History
1983: Mets catcher Mike Fitzgerald homers in his first big-league at-bat in the second inning of a 5-1 victory over the Phillies.
1997: The Mets muster just one hit through eight innings against Dustin Hermanson and trail 6-0 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, but they stage a rally against the Montreal righty. With two outs, Roberto Petagine singles in two runs to knock Hermanson out of the game. A Luis Lopez single forces Felipe Alou to bring in closer Ugeth Urbina, who allows yet another single to Matt Franco. Then on a 3-2 count, Carl Everett smacks a game-tying grand slam to send the game to extra innings. In the bottom of the 11th, Bernard Gilkey hits a walk-off three-run homer off Mike Thurman for a 9-6 victory.
2008: In the nightcap of a doubleheader, Jon Niese throws eight shutout innings, allowing six hits and striking out seven to earn his first major league win and help the Mets salvage a split. David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Carlos Beltrán homer in support of the rookie southpaw.
2015: Down to their last strike in the ninth inning, Juan Lagares doubles, Curtis Granderson walks, and Daniel Murphy stuns the Braves with a game-tying three-run homer off Ryan Kelly. In the 10th inning, the Mets score three unearned runs thanks to a Hector Olivera throwing error, and Addison Reed locks down the save for a 10-7 victory. The win is the Mets’ seventh in a row, and it gives them their first four-game series sweep of the Braves since 1989.
Birthdays: Tom Parson (83), Rodney McCray (59), Grant Roberts (45), Daisuke Matsuzaka (42)
