Saturday, August 8, 2026 • 6:40 PM
PNC Park • Pittsburgh, PA
RHP Robert Stock (0-1, 1.80) vs. RHP Bubba Chandler (4-8, 4.49)
SNY

The Mets look to stretch their winning streak to five games tonight! Friday night, the Mets took a big lead early against the Pirates and were able to hold on to it throughout the night. Marcus Semien had another massive home run. Carson Benge put it all on the line with an amazing catch (and thankfully, x-rays were negative). Devin Williams struggled, but it wasn’t enough to upset the game.

Robert Stock looked great last weekend in a game in which the Mets couldn’t give him any run support. Let’s hope for a repeat performance from Stock, but with a high-powered lineup behind him!

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Mets Lineup

  1. A.J. Ewing – LF
  2. Francisco Lindor – SS
  3. Bo Bichette – 3B
  4. Jared Young– 1B
  5. Luis Robert Jr. – CF
  6. Brett Baty – RF
  7. Marcus Semien – 2B
  8. Jorge Polanco – DH
  9. Francisco Alvarez – C

Starting Pitcher: Robert Stock

Robert Stock made his 2026 debut last weekend and allowed only one run on three hits over five innings while striking out four batters. Stock used his entire arsenal in his last start, throwing his low-90’s cutter a third of the time and his mid-90’s fastball a bit less. He mixed in his mid-90’s sinker, low-80’s changeup, and low-80’s sweeper to round out his game. The only player on the Pirates to face Robert Stock before is Brandon Lowe (0-0, 2 BB).

Opposing Lineup

  1. Jake Mangum – CF
  2. Brandon Lowe- 2B
  3. Bryan Reynolds – DH
  4. Spencer Horwitz – 1B
  5. Nick Gonzales – 3B
  6. Endy Rodríguez – C
  7. Esmerlyn Valdez – LF
  8. Jacob Gonzalez – SS
  9. Ronny Simon – RF

Bubba Chandler has pitched 110 1/3 innings this season with a 4.49 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 1.414 WHIP and a 96 ERA+. In his last two starts, he has pitched 10 innings, allowing eight runs, but only five earned, from 11 hits and five walks while striking out eight. Chandler has big stuff, with a four-seamer averaging 98.5 mph. He has a hard slider and changeup that sit in the low 90’s. The Mets missed Chandler when they faced each other earlier in the season, and no one on the roster has faced him before in a Major League game.

Game Notes

  • The Mets have won three of four games, which matches the team’s longest streak of the season. The Mets won four
    straight games twice this year – April 3-7 and May 27-31. The Mets have posted a 3.65 ERA (15 ER/37.0 IP) with 21 walks and 37 strikeouts over the stretch. They are batting .296/.357/.572 with eight doubles, two triples, 10 homers, 30 RBI and a .930 OPS over the last four games. The Mets have outscored their opponents 31-17 during the streak.
  • Over the last 11 games, A.J. Ewing is batting .302 (13-43) with seven runs, four doubles, three RBI, three walks, four steals, a .347 OBP and a .395 SLG…Over his last 27 games, the outfielder is slashing .283/.325/.434 with 11 extra-base hits, nine RBI, seven steals and a .759 OPS. He is 6-16 on the trip with two runs, three doubles, one steal and a .974 OPS.
  • The Mets have had seven players make their Major League debut this year – OF Carson Benge, OF A.J. Ewing, LHP Nate
    Lavender, OF Nick Morabito, and RHP Matt Seelinger, LHP Zac Thornton, and LHP Jefry Yan. The Mets had nine players make their Major League debut in 2025.

Three Things To Watch For

  1. Stealing! The Mets have been abysmal on the basepaths for most of the season. Losing Antoan Richardson to the Braves after 2025 has been the main reason. Two of the Mets’ most prolific base stealers have missed time with injury and haven’t been the same on the base paths because of their injuries (Soto & Lindor). The fastest players this year have struggled with getting caught. Andy Green has been more aggressive on the base paths since taking over, and it’s been showing. The Mets are now 20th in the league in stolen bases. They have stolen six bases in the last two games without being caught once.
  2. A.J. Ewing. Ewing had a massive game Friday night, going 3-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and two runs scored. In his last four games, he has gone 6-for-16 with three doubles. He now has a 2.6 bWAR, 15 doubles on the season and 15 stolen bases. His 2.6 bWAR puts him just barely behind Juan Soto for the team lead (in 12 fewer games). His 15 doubles are just two behind Bo Bichette for the team lead (in 40 fewer games). His 15 stolen bases are just three behind Carson Benge for the team lead (in 38 fewer games).
  3. Nate Lavender. With the rain delay Friday night, the Mets had to take Thornton out a bit early and use four different relievers to get to the end of the game. Nate Lavender last pitched on Thursday and has pitched twice since Tuesday, but is probably on the short list to go this afternoon if needed. He has pitched 2 1/3 innings of relief since joining the Mets, allowing one walk and nothing else while striking out three. It’s been a long road to the majors for Lavender, and he’s showing us why we have been so excited to see him healthy. He has primarily used his low-90’s fastball and mid-80’s slider since being called up.

Let’s go Mets!