Friday, August 28, 2026 • 7:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Hunter Brown (3-3, 3.51) vs. RHP Christian Scott (4-3, 3.73)
SNY
For the first time since the trade deadline, the Mets have dropped two series in a row. Last weekend, the Mets lost two games in the bottom of the ninth against the White Sox. After an extra-inning win on Tuesday, the Brewers put up eight runs against the Mets two games in a row, taking the series.
Now, the Mets welcome the .500 Astros to Citi Field. The Mets are running out of time if they want to finish the season with a .500 record, as they currently sit with a 60-74 record.
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Mets Lineup
- A.J. Ewing – CF
- Francisco Lindor – SS
- Bo Bichette – 3B
- Carson Benge – RF
- Luis Robert Jr. – LF
- Jared Young – 1B
- Marcus Semien – 2B
- Brett Baty – DH
- Luis Torrens – C
Starting Pitcher: Christian Scott
Scott makes his 20th start of the season tonight! Over his first 19 outings, he has pitched 89 1/3 innings with a 3.73 ERA, 3.67 FIP, 1.321 WHIP and a 109 ERA+. August has been rough for Scott, who has allowed 14 runs over 20 innings spread across four starts (6.30 ERA, 4.38 FIP).
The Astros have the following career stats against Scott:
- Isaac Paredes 1-2, BB
- LaMonte Wade Jr. 0-3, K
- Christian Walker 0-2
Opposing Lineup
- Jeremy Peña – SS
- Yordan Alvarez – DH
- Isaac Paredes – 3B
- Jose Altuve – 2B
- Daulton Varsho – CF
- Christian Walker – 1B
- Yainer Diaz – C
- Taylor Trammell – RF
- Nelson Velázquez – LF
Hunter Brown has made 14 starts this season totaling 74 1/3 innings with a 3.51 ERA, 4.68 FIP, 1.322 WHIP and a 119 ERA+. His results over four starts and 21 2/3 innings have matched his season numbers (3.74 ERA) even if the underlying metrics show slight signs for concern (13 BB, 4 HR, 5.35 FIP).
The Mets have the following career stats against Hunter Brown:
- Francisco Alvarez 1-1, BB
- Brett Baty 1-5, 2 K
- Bo Bichette 1-8, BB, 2 K
- Francisco Lindor 1-6, 2 K
- Luis Robert Jr. 5-12, 2B, HR, 7 K
- Marcus Semien 12-25, 2B, BB, 6 K
- Luis Torrens 0-2, 2 K
Game Notes
- Prior to tonight’s game, the Mets selected right-handed reliever Chris Devenski to the major league roster and optioned right-hander Xzavion Curry to Triple-A Syracuse. Furthermore, the club transferred Jorge Polanco to the 60-day injured list after undergoing ankle surgery.
- Per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, Juan Soto doesn’t expect to go on a minor league rehab assignment as he nears a return from a calf strain that landed him on the IL on July 25.
Three Things To Watch For
- Carson Benge. Benge is coming off of a rough game against Milwaukee, going 0-for-4 at the plate with two strikeouts. He’s been incredibly hot of late though, sitting on 17 doubles, 16 home runs and 19 stolen bases for the season. He should reach 20 in each category with normal playing time for the rest of the season. He (and Ewing) are two of the more exciting players on the Mets and are reasons to watch the team as the season starts to wind down.
- Exit Velocity. Hitters have struggled to hit Scott hard this year, leading to his success. He’s in the 83rd percentile in average exit velocity (87.1 mph) and the 79th percentile in hard-hit% (34.2%). Scott just doesn’t generate a ton of ground balls (32.9%), which falls in the 7th percentile for the league.
- Bullpen is rested for the weekend. Curry and Austin Warren fought through the end of the game last night, giving everyone else the night off. Jefry Yan pitched on back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday, so he’s probably unavailable tonight. Everyone else hasn’t pitched for a few days. Dedniel Núñez, Kodai Senga and Daniel Duarte all haven’t pitched since Sunday.
Let’s go Mets!
