Friday, September 13, 2024 • 6:40 PM
Citizens Bank Park • Philadelphia, PA
LHP Jose Quintana (8-9, 4.09) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (12-7, 3.41)
SNY • MLBN

The Mets have finally reached their final stretch run that features two series against the Philadelphia Phillies and one apiece with the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers and the Washington Nationals. The Mets have one of, if not the hardest schedule to close out the season. It’s just one game at a time for the Mets, who still control their own destiny.

After several days in a row of struggling to rack up hits against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Mets didn’t have one at all through the first eight innings of the series finale on Wednesday. The offense exploded in the ninth, however, as Francisco Lindor tied the game on a solo shot while the Mets scored another five runs afterwards in a 6-2 win. Let’s hope they sustain that momentum tonight.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

  1. Francisco Lindor – SS
  2. Mark Vientos – 3B
  3. Brandon Nimmo – LF
  4. Pete Alonso – 1B
  5. Jesse Winker – DH
  6. Jose Iglesias – 2B
  7. Tyrone Taylor – RF
  8. Francisco Alvarez – C
  9. Harrison Bader – CF

Jose Quintana has tossed 152 innings over 28 starts this season to a 4.09 ERA, 4.88 FIP, 1.309 WHIP and a 95 ERA+. He’s coming off a great start against the Cincinnati Reds where he held them to no runs and five hits over 6 2/3 wins on the way to his 100th career win. In Quintana’s last three outings, he has allowed only one earned run over 18 innings (0.50 ERA, 3.01 FIP).

The Phillies have faced Quintana twice so far this year, scoring five runs on 10 hits over nine innings. They have the following career numbers against him:

Opposing Lineup

  1. Kyle Schwarber – DH
  2. Trea Turner – SS
  3. Bryce Harper – 1B
  4. Nick Castellanos – RF
  5. J.T. Realmuto – C
  6. Weston Wilson – LF
  7. Bryson Stott – 2B
  8. Buddy Kennedy – 3B
  9. Johan Rojas – CF

The Mets’ bats will get a look at an old foe in Aaron Nola this evening. Over 29 games and 177 innings in 2024, Nola has a 3.41 ERA, 4.01 FIP, 1.181 WHIP and a 119 ERA+. He is coming off of a rough start against the Miami Marlins in which he allowed four earned runs over 4 2/3 innings. In his four outings before that, however, Nola allowed only four runs over 25 innings (1.44 ERA, 3.13 FIP).

His one start against the Mets this season was his best of the year, as he tossed a complete game shutout at Citi Field on May 14. New York has the following career numbers against Nola:

  • Pete Alonso 16-49, 3 2B, 5 HR, 3 BB, 13 K
  • Harrison Bader 0-2, 2 K
  • Jose Iglesias 3-7, 2B
  • Francisco Lindor 6-30, 2 2B, 6 K
  • Starling Marte 11-31, 2B, HR, 9 K
  • J.D. Martinez 3-19, 2 BB, 10 K
  • Brandon Nimmo 12-50, 3B, HR, 11 BB, 19 K
  • DJ Stewart 0-1, K
  • Tyrone Taylor 3-8, 2 2B, BB
  • Luis Torrens 2-3
  • Jesse Winker 4-22, HR, 2 BB, 2 K

Game Notes

The Mets announced that they outrighted Pablo Reyes to Triple-A Syracuse after designating him for assignment on Sept. 9 to make room on the active roster for Eddy Alvarez. Reyes remains postseason eligible after clearing waivers and remaining in the organization.

Manager Carlos Mendoza announced that right-handed reliever Dedniel Núñez will miss the remainder of the season with a flexor injury in his right arm.

Three Things To Watch For

  1. Pete Alonso vs. Aaron Nola. Pete and Nola have been with their respective teams for a long time. It’s pretty unusual that the Mets have two players on the roster, Nimmo being the other, who have around 50 at-bats against a starting pitcher on a division rival. There’s a possibility that Alonso signs a long-term contract with the Mets during the offseason and this matchup continues as a regular occurrence, but this may also be the last Alonso/Nola matchup in their current jerseys due to the former’s impending free agency. Alonso has a career 1.059 OPS against Nola – it would be awesome if he could take him deep one more time.
  2. National League MVP Race. Lindor looked like the NL MVP in the ninth inning on Wednesday, hitting a solo home run that may have saved the Mets’ season. He’s sitting at 7.3 fWAR after a bit of a slump in recent days. Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani has been turning it on recently and is now up to 7.0 fWAR. Stat collecting aside, the Mets need Lindor to be himself in order to survive this series in Philly.
  3. A lot has changed since these teams last met. The Mets and Phillies first faced one other in May when New York was in the midst of its downward spiral. As a result, the Phillies took three out of four in that series. The two sides then met up for a two-game series in London, which the teams split just days before the Mets turned things around.

Let’s go Mets!