The Mets (93-55) are on the verge of clinching a 2022 playoff berth as they head to Milwaukee to take on the Brewers (78-68). After getting swept in three games by the Cubs, the Mets turned things around and swept the Pirates in a four-game series. The Brewers are fighting for a wildcard spot, but unlike the Mets, they are seeing their playoff chances start to slip away. Faced with dwindling playoff odds, the Brewers should be tougher competition than the Pirates were these last four games.

Jeff McNeil had a great series against the Pirates, and his .320 batting average is currently good for third in the NL. Eduardo Escobar has also been hot lately, with two runs scored in game two and four RBIs across the final two games. Daniel Vogelbach also broke out a bit against his former club, driving in six runs in the four games. The Pirates also plunked seven Mets hitters this series, making it very likely the Mets will surpass the single season hit-by-pitch record of 105- the Mets are currently at 103.

The Brewers are coming off a 2-1 series win against the Yankees. Willy Adames played a huge role in the Brewers’ two victories, with a total of seven RBIs across the two games. Milwaukee also got great pitching in game two from Brandon Woodruff, who went eight innings, giving up only one run. Still, even with their success against the Yankees, the Brewers find themselves short of a playoff spot, as they remain two games behind the Phillies for the third NL wild card.

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Monday, September 19, 2022: RHP Max Scherzer (9-4, 2.26 ERA) vs. RHP Corbin Burnes (10-7, 2.97 ERA)

Scherzer’s last outing, against the Nationals, was cut short when he experienced left side fatigue. He ultimately ended up on the injured list, but luckily for the Mets it was only a short stay. Scherzer is returning after missing only two starts, having spent only the minimum 15 days on the IL. Scherzer has faced the Brewers ten times in his career, and he has a 2.37 ERA against them in 57 innings.

Burnes’ last outing was against the Cardinals. He gave up three runs in seven innings while striking out five. Burnes faced the Mets earlier this season in June where he went six innings and gave up two runs while striking out eight. Burnes has pitched well against the Mets in his limited appearances against them, with a 1.71 ERA in 21 innings.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Tuesday, September 20, 2022: RHP Carlos Carrasco (15-6, 3.70 ERA) vs. TBD

Carrasco’s last start was against the Pirates. He went six innings in that game, giving up one run and striking out 11. It was his second solid start since returning from the injured list on September 4. Carrasco has faced the Brewers four times in his career. He has a 3.12 ERA against them in 26 innings.

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Wednesday, September 21, 2022: RHP Taijuan Walker (12-4, 3.42 ERA) vs. RHP Adrian Houser (6-9, 4.85 ERA)

Like Carrasco, Walker’s most recent start was also against the Pirates. He went 7 1/3 innings, giving up three runs and striking out five. Walker has never faced the Brewers in his career, but he has faced six members of the current Brewers squad. Andrew McCutchen’s 11 at-bats against Walker are the most of any current Brewer, but his numbers aren’t great, as McCutchen is batting .182 with one RBI.

Houser’s last start was against the Yankees. It was not a great start, as he only made it through three innings and gave up five runs. Luckily for him, the Brewers’ bats were able to outhit the Yankees and the team ultimately won 7-6. Like Burnes, Houser also faced the Mets back in June. He went 4 2/3 innings in that game, giving up four runs in a game the Brewers lost 4-0.

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The Mets (89-52) are heading home to Citi Field for a three-game series against the Cubs (58-82). During their last series against the Marlins, an inopportune loss in game one saw New York fall behind the Braves in the NL East standings for the first time since April. They bounced back to take the final two games of the series, and with some help from the Mariners (who were playing the Braves) the Mets returned to the top of the NL East with a 1.5 game lead. Hopefully the Mets can take care of business against the Cubs and regrow their division lead. Of course, things also depend on the Mets getting some help from Giants, who are the Braves’ next opponent.

The Mets’ bats were quiet in game one against the Marlins, and with the second-string bullpen pitchers melting down, it’s not surprising the Mets lost that game. But the offense bounced back in a big way in game two, scoring 13 runs. Everyone in the lineup recorded a hit, five Mets had multiple hits in the game, and Francisco Lindor and Eduardo Escobar were each a triple short of the cycle. The bats stayed hot in game three against the Marlins, scoring nine runs thanks in part to Brandon Nimmo, Escobar, and Tomas Nido, who all homered. Escobar in particular has gotten hot of late, homering in five of his last nine games, while Nido’s homer was his first of the season.

After holding on to Willson Contreras and Ian Happ at the trade deadline, the Cubs reeled off six straight series wins. But that success was short-lived, as the Cubs lost every series since, including their most recent one against the Giants. The Cubs are in third place in the NL Central, but it’s not saying much when the two teams they’re ahead of are the lowly Reds and Pirates. The Cubs have had 15 players make their MLB debuts this season and are a team in the middle of a rebuild. Chairman Tom Ricketts spoke with the media on Saturday, and reporter Jordan Bastian quoted Ricketts as stating this season has been a success in terms of player development.

The Cubs and Mets played each other back in July, and the Mets took three of the four games in that series. As long as the Mets’ offense stays hot like it was the last two days in Miami, they should have no problem beating up on the Cubs.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Monday, September 12, 2022: RHP Chris Bassitt (13-7, 3.24 ERA) vs. RHP Javier Assad (0-1, 2.93 ERA)

Bassitt’s last start was against the Pirates. He went seven innings, giving up one run and striking out ten. Bassitt has faced the Cubs once in his career, back in 2019. He pitched six innings, giving up two runs. Of the current Cubs players, only Yan Gomes, Zach McKinstry, and Franmil Reyes have had at-bats against Bassitt. In what are admittedly small samples, none of the three have had success against Bassitt: Gomes is hitless in three at-bats, McKinstry has one hit in six at-bats, and Reyes is hitless in six at-bats.

Assad made his Major League debut for the Cubs on August 23 against the Cardinals. He went four innings in that game, giving up no runs and striking out three. He’s made two other starts for the Cubs since then, and also pitched an inning in relief. His most recent start was against the Reds. He tossed 5 1/3 innings, giving up four runs and striking out six.

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Tuesday, September 13, 2022: RHP Jacob deGrom (5-1, 1.66 ERA) vs. RHP Adrian Sampson (1-5, 3.76 ERA)

Even though he missed the first half of the season due to injury, deGrom is still having a great 2022 season. He’s been the same ace he was for the Mets before he went down injured halfway through the 2021 season. His most recent start this season was against the Pirates. He went seven scoreless innings, giving up only three hits and striking out eight. DeGrom has ten starts against the Cubs in his career, with a 3.13 era in 60 1/3 innings.

Sampson’s most recent start was against Reds. He went six innings, giving up one run on five hits, while striking out one. Sampson faced the Mets earlier this season, back in July. His start was the only game the Cubs won in that four-game series. He went 5 1/3 innings, giving up two runs. He gave up six hits, walked three, and struck out one.

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Wednesday, September 14, 2022: TBD vs. Drew Smyly (6-8, 3.57 ERA) 

The two options for the Mets for this game are Trevor Williams and David Peterson. According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets’ preference is to have Williams start, as long as he is not needed out of the bullpen in games one or two.

Smyly’s most recent start was against the Giants. He pitched seven innings in that game, giving up one run and striking out eight. Smyly’s start was the only game the Cubs won against the Giants. Smyly also faced the Mets back in July. He went 4 1/3 innings in that start, giving up two runs and striking out four.

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The Mets (85-50) are heading to Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates (49-84) in a three-game series.

Last season, the Mets played the Pirates in two series that book-ended the All-Star break. At the time, New York was expected to easily take both series, if not sweep them. Instead, the teams split the first series while the Pirates won the second series. This season, the Mets are again expected to easily take this series against the Pirates who are once again in last place in the NL Central. Hopefully this time the Mets can get the job done, especially with their division lead down to one game over the Braves.

Of course, the Mets dropped their last series against the Nationals, who hold last place in the NL East, so nothing is guaranteed against the Pirates. After winning game one against the Nats, the Mets dropped games two and three 7-1. Max Scherzer left game two early due to a sore left side and the bullpen, namely Adonis Medina, was unable to keep the game close. Carlos Carrasco returned from the injured list two start game three, and he struggled. While Carrasco was only responsible for one earned run, thanks to an error, he only went 2 2/3 innings, and by the end of the third inning the Nats had a 4-0 lead.

The Mets have been struggling on offense lately, which contributed to their two losses against the Nationals. As Steve Gelbs noted, the team was scoring on average almost five runs per game, but that rate has slowed significantly over the last 12 games. The Mets have been held to only 36 runs in that span, or approximately three runs per game. It doesn’t matter how good their pitching has been; if the offense can’t score, especially against cellar-dwelling teams, they may find themselves looking up at the Braves in the standings.

The Pirates have not won a series since they swept the Brewers back at the beginning of August.

In their most recent series, they were swept by the Blue Jays in three games. The Pirates’ pitchers gave up four runs in each of the three games, while the offense was shut out in game one, scored once in game two, and three times in game three.

Unsurprisingly, based on their record, the Pirates’ offense is in the bottom three in the league for BA, OBP, SLG, and OPS. They are slightly better in terms of pitching, although it’s not saying much that they are in the bottom five in the league in ERA and WHIP. It’s really not surprising that the Pirates are as bad as their record says they are, but they are promoting a bunch of rookies this year and hopefully for the sake of the Pittsburgh fans things start looking up soon.

The start of the series was postponed due to rain on Monday, but the pitching matchups should be similar for Tuesday and the makeup game on Wednesday.

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Tuesday, September 6, 2022: RHP Taijuan Walker (10-3, 3.45 ERA) vs. RHP Mitch Keller (4-10, 4.43 ERA)

Walker’s last start was against the Dodgers. He 5 1/3 innings, giving up three runs and striking out five. Walker had a bit of a rough August, at least in terms of the lengths of his starts. His longest start was on August 10, when he pitched six innings, and his shortest start was on August fifth, where he went a little over one inning. Walker has faced the Pirates three times in his career. He has a 7.94 ERA in 11 1/3 innings against them.

Keller’s last start was against the Brewers. He went six innings, giving up two runs, and striking out 10. Keller took a no-decision in that outing, but the Pirates ultimately won the game. Keller has never faced the Mets in his career. Tyler Naquin, a former Red, is the only current Met with more than two at-bats against Keller, and he has a .375 average against him with one RBI.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Wednesday, September 7, 2022: RHP Jacob deGrom (4-1, 1.98 ERA) vs. RHP Bryse Wilson (2-8, 6.12 ERA)

DeGrom’s most recent outing was against the Dodgers. He went seven innings, giving up one run and striking out nine. He would’ve given up another run, but he was saved thanks to a homerun-robbing catch by Brandon Nimmo. In his career against the Pirates, deGrom has a 2.43 ERA in 40 2/3 innings.

Wilson’s last start was against the Brewers. It was a short outing, as he only pitched three innings. He gave up three runs on five hits and struck out two. Wilson has faced the Mets only once in his career. He went only three innings in that start as well but did not give up any runs.

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Wednesday, September 7, 2022: RHP Chris Bassitt (12-7, 3.32 ERA) vs. RHP Johan Oviedo (2-1, 2.86 ERA)

Like Walker and deGrom, Bassitt’s last start was also against the Dodgers. He went six innings, giving up two runs and striking out four. Bassitt has faced the Pirates once in his career. He gave up three runs in five innings in that start.

Oviedo was traded from the Cardinals to the Pirates at the deadline this season. While the Cardinals were primarily using Oviedo as a reliever, the Pirates have plans to stretch him out as a starter. In his first start for the Pirates, on September 2, he went three innings against the Blue Jays. He gave up only two hits, allowing no runs and striking out 4. Oviedo has faced the Mets once in his career, in a game he started in 2021. He gave up four runs in four innings in that game, striking out two.

The post Series Preview: Pittsburgh Ahoy appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

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After a day off on Monday, the Mets (82-47) are continuing their late-August home stand, this time facing off against the Dodgers (89-38) in a three-game series. The last time these teams met, it was the start of a gauntlet West Coast road trip for the Mets. This time, the Dodgers are one of only three teams with a winning record the Mets will face to finish the year.

The Mets are coming into this series having taken three of four from the Rockies at Citi Field after being swept in a two-game series against the Yankees in the Bronx. The bats were quiet at Yankee Stadium, as the Mets only scored two runs each game. The offense got a lift against the Rockies in the form of Mark Canha, who had a solid series, going four for nine with three doubles and three RBIs. The pitching was mostly solid against the Rockies, including a stellar one-run start from Max Scherzer in the Mets’ only loss during the four-game series.

The Dodgers are coming into this series after winning three of four from the Marlins in Miami. With the best record in baseball and the largest division lead in the league, the Dodgers are likely to cruise into the 2022 playoffs. Still, LA’s season hasn’t been without problems.

Their starting pitching has been decimated by injuries. Star Clayton Kershaw has been on the injured list since August 5 with a lower back injury, though he may make his return on Thursday against the Mets. On Monday, the team had to use Michael Grove as a spot starter in place of 2022 All-Star Tony Gonsolin, who was placed on the injured list with a right forearm strain. Finally, Walker Buehler has been on the shelf since June 10, with what was first diagnosed as elbow discomfort. He has since had his second Tommy John surgery, putting him out of action for the rest of this year, and next season as well.

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Tuesday, August 30, 2022: RHP Taijuan Walker (10-3, 3.38 ERA) vs. LHP Andrew Heaney (2-1, 1.94 ERA)

Walker has been up and down this August. He was abysmal in both of his outings against the Braves, giving up eight runs in a little over an inning of work against them on August 5, and failing to make it past the second inning against them on August 16, leaving the game early with back spasms. His outings against the Reds and Yankees were better, as he went six innings against the Reds and five innings against the Yankees, giving up two runs in both games. Hopefully on Tuesday against the Dodgers the Mets get the Walker who faced the Reds and Yankees, and not the Walker who faced the Braves.

Heaney, on the other hand, missed a lot of time early on in the season due to shoulder soreness and two long injured list stints, but he’s pitched pretty regularly for the Dodgers since July 27. His last outing was against the Brewers, and he went six innings, his longest outing since returning from the injured list. He gave up two runs on four hits and one walk in that game, while striking out ten.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Wednesday, August 31, 2022: RHP Jacob deGrom (3-1, 2.15 ERA) vs. LHP Tyler Anderson (13-2, 2.69 ERA)

DeGrom has been on fire for the Mets since his season started on August 2. He’s made it through the sixth inning in each of his last three outings, and the hope is he will toss above 100 pitches Wednesday against the Dodgers. In his last start, against the Rockies, he went exactly six innings, giving up one run and striking out nine. He faced the Braves two starts ago, going 6 2/3 innings while giving up three runs and striking out nine.

Anderson’s last two outings have been against the Marlins. In his first start against them, he went seven innings, giving up one run on five hits, while walking three and striking out six. His second start against them was shorter, as he only made it through 5 1/3 innings. But it was still a solid start, as he only gave up two runs and three hits.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday, September 1, 2022: RHP Chris Bassitt (11-7, 3.34 ERA) vs. TBD

Bassitt has been giving the Mets innings in August. He’s only failed to reach the sixth inning in one of his five starts this month, and he has thrown over 100 pitches twice. Bassitt’s last outing was against the Rockies. He went 7 1/3 innings, giving up four runs. Bassitt faced the Dodgers back in June. He went six innings, giving up four runs in a game the Mets ultimately lost 4-3.

Prediction

The Dodgers’ offense has been hot lately, scoring double-digit runs in four of their last eight games. Couple that with the fact that both Heaney and Anderson have pitched well against the Mets in the past, and this series starts to look daunting for the Mets. And that’s without even considering that Kershaw might make his return on Thursday.

Still, I’ll predict a 2-1 series win for the Mets because it’s what I want to see happen, even if it seems unlikely.

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The Mets (79-44) are headed to the Bronx for a two-game series against the Yankees (74-48). The last time these teams faced off at Citi Field, it was a battle of two teams trending upwards, and the Mets swept both games. This time, the Yankees are spiraling and have not won a single series in August, while the Mets are doing well, winning 15 of 22 games so far this month.

The Mets have bounced back beautifully after losing three of four games to the Braves in Atlanta. They beat the Phillies in three of four games in Philadelphia, and the feat is even more impressive when you consider that Chris Bassitt was the only Mets’ starting rotation member to face the Phillies. The Mets’ offense was quiet in Atlanta, but they roared back in Philly, scoring seven, eight, and ten runs in their three wins.

The Yankees are coming into this series having lost three of four games against the Blue Jays. They managed a 4-2 win on Sunday after losing the first three games of the series. The Yankees have lost 14 games in August, which is in stark contrast to the 15 games the Mets have won in the same timeframe. The Yankee’s offense has been a bit anemic this month. They have only managed to score more than five runs five times this month, and the team lost two of those five games.

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Monday, August 22, 2022: RHP Max Scherzer (9-2, 2.15 ERA) vs. RHP Domingo German (1-2, 4.45 ERA)

In his last outing, against Atlanta, Scherzer went 6 1/3 innings, giving up four runs, three of which scored on a home run off of Adam Ottavino after Scherzer left the game. It was a solid start for Scherzer, and he was cruising up until that point. Scherzer faced the Yankees earlier this season, on July 27th. He went seven innings, giving up no runs and striking out six. Scherzer has really risen to the occasion for the Mets this season, and Monday’s game in the Bronx will hopefully be no exception.

German got off to a late start this season due to a shoulder injury, and he has only made six starts so far for the Yankees. In his last outing, against the Rays, he went only 4 2/3 innings and he gave up three runs. Monday night’s game will be a rematch of Scherzer vs. German, as German also started the July 27th game. German only made it 4 2/3 innings in that outing as well, giving up two runs.

Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Tuesday, August 23, 2022: likely Jacob deGrom (2-1, 2.31 ERA) vs. RHP Frankie Montas (4-10, 3.87 ERA)

While Tuesday night’s starter is officially TBD, the game lines up with deGrom’s spot in the rotation, thus he is the likely starter. On Saturday, Buck Showalter mentioned that it was possible that Taijuan Walker could start any game from Tuesday on after missing his scheduled start Sunday. But The Athletic’s Tim Britton tweeted on Sunday that deGrom had thrown a bullpen on Sunday, which is what he usually does two days before his scheduled starts. DeGrom has a 6.16 ERA three starts at Yankee Stadium, which is higher than his 3.51 ERA across his six career starts against the Yankees.

The Yankees acquired Montas from the Oakland Athletics at the trading deadline this season. He has made three starts for the team so far, and they have not gone very well. He gave up six runs in three innings of work in his first outing, against the Cardinals. His second outing was better, as he gave up only two runs in five innings against the Red Sox. But he struggled again in his third start, giving up six runs on eight hits and striking out only two batters. Tuesday’s game will be Montas’s first against the Mets, though he did give up two runs in one inning of relief against them back in 2017.

Prediction:

The Yankees are reeling, while the Mets are on a high from taking three of four from the Phillies. The Mets should be able to sweep this two-game series.

The post Series Preview: Mets Are Bronx Bound appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

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The Mets (77-43) took on the Phillies (65-53) Friday evening. After losing three of four against the Braves and with their starting rotation in flux for the next three games, the Mets needed a win in game one in Philadelphia. They got exactly that, beating the Phillies 7-2.

The Mets got on the board early in this one, taking a 4-0 lead in the first three innings. They scored in the first inning, thanks in part to singles by Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor. Pete Alonso followed with a ground ball to third that should’ve been a fielder’s choice, but Alec Bohm threw the ball away and everyone was safe. Nimmo scored on the play and the Mets had a 1-0 lead. That RBI was Alonso’s 100th for the season.

Alonso added to the Mets’ lead again in the third inning, homering just inside of the left field foul pole. That two-run homer was his 30th of the season and gave him six homers and 22 RBIs against the Phillies.

Players with at least 6 HR and 22 RBIs vs. the Phillies in a single season over the last 60 seasons:

2022: Pete Alonso (NYM)
1987: Eric Davis (CIN)

That's it.

— Paul Casella (@Paul_CasellaMLB) August 20, 2022

Daniel Vogelbach also doubled off the wall in the third inning, and he came around to score on a two-out Jeff McNeil single, giving the Mets a 4-0 lead.

The Mets tacked on another run in the top of the fifth. Starling Marte doubled to lead off the inning, and he reached third on a single to right by Lindor. Marte scored on a double steal, and the Mets had a 5-0 lead.

While the Mets were scoring in the early innings, starter Chris Bassitt was having an up and down outing. He didn’t allow any runs to score through the first four innings, but he worked his way in and out of jams a couple of times. The Phillies broke through in the fifth, scoring two runs on a single by Kyle Schwarber. They had a chance to score more later in the inning, as they had runners at the corners with two outs, but Bassitt got Nick Castellanos to fly out to center to end the threat. But the Mets’ lead was cut to 5-2.

Bassitt had a high pitch count coming out of the fifth inning, but he stayed in to pitch the sixth. His extra inning helped give the bullpen a much-needed rest in light of the starting pitching issues in Atlanta and the upcoming double header on Saturday.

The Mets had loaded the bases in the top of the seventh via a Lindor single and walks to Vogelbach and McNeil. Tyler Naquin struck out with the bases loaded and one out, and it looked the Mets weren’t going to score. But rookie Brett Baty lined a single to right, scoring two runs and increasing the Mets’ lead to 7-2.

Adam Ottavino, Joely Rodriguez, and Trevor May pitched the final three innings for the Mets. Ottavino gave up a couple of singles, but got out of the seventh inning unscathed. Rodriguez pitched a one-two-three eighth inning. May retired the side in order via three fly balls in the ninth, securing the Mets’ win.

Player of the Game: Pete Alonso

Alonso was responsible for the first three Mets’ runs. He also went 2-for-5 on the night, with two extra-base hits. His two-run homer in the third broke a streak of 54 at-bats with no home runs. It was definitely nice to see Alonso have a nice night at the plate, since he seemed to have been pressing of late.

On Deck

The Mets and Phillies will play a double-header on Saturday in Philadelphia. Game one is at 1:05 p.m. and game two is at 7:15 p.m. David Peterson and Trevor Williams will be starting for the Mets. Zack Wheeler and Bailey Falter are the starters for the Phillies.

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The Mets (75-40) are taking on the Braves (70-46) in Atlanta for a four-game series. This is the Mets second of three series in a row against their division rival Braves and Phillies. The last time the Mets and Braves faced off at Citi Field, the Mets won four of five games. The Mets currently hold the advantage in the season series, as they have won every series against the Braves this season except for the first four-game set at Citi Field back in May, which the teams split.

The Mets are coming into this series having won two of three against the Phillies, and nine of eleven games on their last home stand. Prior to the series against Philadelphia, the Mets had scored at least five runs in their last nine games.  When the offense went quiet in games one and two against the Phillies, and it fell to the starting pitching to keep the Mets in the game. And boy did Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom deliver, pitching back-to-back great outings against the Phillies in games one and two. Chris Bassitt also pitched well in game three, and even got the benefit of a resurgent offense, as the Mets won 6-0. The Mets’ pitching staff has allowed two runs or less in their last eight games, which, according to the Athletics’ Tim Britton, is tied with the 1969 Mets as the longest streak in team history.

Of course, the Mets are a little banged up at the moment. Jeff McNeil is dealing with a cut on his right thumb that required stitches. Eduardo Escobar has some side soreness that is preventing him from swinging the bat right-handed. Both McNeil and Escobar seem to have avoided a stint on the injured list so far. Unfortunately, Luis Guillorme may not be as lucky. He injured his groin scoring from second on Sunday and, while we won’t know more until he undergoes testing, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him end up on the injured list.

After losing to the Mets earlier this month, the Braves went on to sweep a two-game series against the Red Sox and a four-game series against the Marlins. The Braves have been getting a lot of production from two rookies that they called up from double A. Michael Harris II is manning center field and is currently mashing at the plate, with a .289/.328/.496 slash line and a 124 OPS+. Second baseman Vaughn Grissom only made his debut on August 10^th, but was instrumental in wins against the Red Sox and Marlins, and two of his five hits to start his major league career were two-run homers.

Like the Mets, the Braves are also dealing with some injuries. Ronald Acuña Jr. left early from the second game of the Braves’ double header against the Marlins on Saturday, and he did not play in the series finale on Sunday. Acuña has been dealing with soreness in his right knee since returning from the torn ACL he suffered last season, but he should be good to go to start the series against the Mets. Travis d’Arnaud injured his leg in a collision at the plate with Pete Alonso during the last Mets-Braves series. He has not appeared in a game since, but he was not placed on the injured list. As of August 12, d’Arnaud was still dealing with leg soreness, but he may be available to face the Mets on Monday. Finally, starter Max Fried suffered a concussion after banging his head on the ground while trying to make a play during the earlier series against the Mets. He will be eligible to come off the 7-day IL on Monday, but it is still not clear if he will be ready to return during this series.

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Monday, August 15, 2022: RHP Carlos Carrasco (13-4, 3.76 ERA) vs. RHP Spencer Strider (6-4, 3.11 ERA)

Carrasco’s last outing was against Cincinnati. He went 6 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and striking out nine. Carrasco also faced the Braves earlier this month at Citi Field. He lasted six innings in that outing, giving up three runs on four hits with six strikeouts.

Strider’s last outing was against the Mets. He only pitched 2 2/3 innings and gave up four runs. He commented after the game that he thought the Mets offense was lucky against him and that he was the victim of soft contact.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Tuesday, August 16, 2022: RHP Taijuan Walker (10-3, 3.43 ERA) vs. RHP Charlie Morton (5-5, 4.26 ERA)

Walker’s last start was against the Reds. He gave up two runs in six innings of work. It was a nice bounce back from his previous start against the Braves, which was arguably his worst start of the season. He did not record an out in the second inning, and he was responsible for eight runs. Walker caught a spike in that game that seemed to derail his whole outing. Hopefully things go better for him this time around.

Morton was the only Braves starter who did not face the Mets during the series earlier this month. His most recent outing was against the Red Sox. He gave up five runs in six innings of work. He struck out seven but gave up three home runs. In his last outing against the Mets, back on July 13^th, Morton gave up five runs in five innings, striking out six and giving up three homers.

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Wednesday, August 17, 2022: RHP Max Scherzer (8-2, 1.93 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Odorizzi (4-4, 3.80 ERA)

Scherzer’s last two outings, against the Braves and the Phillies, were great. He struck out 11 and gave up four hits in seven innings against the Braves, and was dominant from beginning to end in that game. His outing against the Phillies did not start out as well, as he worked his way in and out of trouble early on, including giving up a run in the first inning. But he buckled down and kept the team in the game, even though the Mets ultimately lost. His ultimately went seven innings, giving up six hits and striking out nine.

Odorizzi was traded from the Astros to the Braves at the trading deadline. He has made two starts for the Braves since being traded, one against the Mets and one against Miami. Both of those starts were short, as he went 4 2/3 innings against the Mets, and four innings against Miami. He also gave up two earned runs in both of his starts.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday, August 18, 2022: RHP Jacob deGrom (2-0, 1.62 ERA) vs. TBD

DeGrom’s return to the Mets rotation has been exactly as advertised. He’s struck out double-digit batters in two of his three starts and has only given up three earned runs. The only issue with deGrom’s starts so far is that he’s still working up to longer outings. He has not pitched beyond the sixth inning yet, but hopefully we see him get there against the Braves on Thursday.

The Braves’ starter is TBD for this game because this is Fried’s spot in the rotation, and, as mentioned earlier, they are not sure if he will be available.

Prediction:

The pitching match-ups seem to favor the Mets, so here’s hoping they can win three of four in Atlanta.

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The Mets (73-40) and the Phillies (63-49) faced off Friday evening at Citi Field. Both teams scored one run early on and then the offenses went quiet for the next seven innings. The Mets had a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth, but Starling Marte was thrown out at the plate. The Phillies took the lead in the top of the tenth, and won 2-1 when the Mets could not rally in the bottom of the inning.

Max Scherzer was not his usual self early in the game. The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a Bryson Stott double followed by an Alec Bohm run-scoring single. In the second inning, the Phillies got the bases loaded, but were unable to score.

The Mets offense tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second. Pete Alonso led off the inning with a walk, and Darin Ruf followed with a double, putting runners on second and third with no outs. Alonso scored on a sac fly by Mark Canha to tie the game. Ruf advanced to third on the sac fly but was stranded there.

Although they scored a run, the Mets also lost two players in the bottom of the second. Jeff McNeil slid awkwardly into the Phillies’ first baseman Rhys Hoskins and cut his thumb on his throwing hand. Luis Guillorme pinch hit for Eduardo Escobar, who left the game due to a sore side later revealed by Buck Showalter. With McNeil and Escobar both gone, Canha moved to third base, Tyler Naquin came in to play left, and Guillorme took over at second.

Scherzer bounced back in the third inning, retiring the side in order. He started off the fourth inning well, retiring the first two batters. But he then gave up two well placed pop-fly singles to left before getting the final out of the inning. Scherzer needed only six pitches to get through the sixth inning, and he also had a solid seventh inning.  He gave up nine hits and one run while striking out six and walking none in his seven innings.

Other than the run they scored in the second inning, the Mets’ offense was extremely quiet. They were held to only three hits through the first seven innings.

Adam Ottavino pitched the eighth inning for the Mets. He gave up a one-out single and stolen base to Nick Castellanos, but struck out the next two batters to retire the side.

Edwin Diaz came on to pitch the ninth. It was not a save situation, as the game was still tied 1-1. Still, Diaz was electric as always. He struck out the first two batters, and then got the final out via a fly ball to left. He needed only eight pitches to get through the inning.

The Mets had a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth.  Marte led off the inning with a stand-up double to right field. He reached third when he tagged up on a long fly ball out to center off the bat of Francisco Lindor. After Alonso was intentionally walked, pinch-hitter Daniel Vogelbach hit a short fly ball to left. Marte tried to tag up and score on the play, but he was thrown out at home sending the game to extra innings.

Mychal Givens pitched the top of the tenth for the Mets. He retired all three batters he faced, but the ghost runner who started the inning on second did score. With one out and the ghost runner on third, Bohm hit a fly ball out to Marte in right. Marte made a solid throw to the plate, but it skipped by Nido and the runner scored, giving the Phillies a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the tenth.

The Mets had their chance to tie it, as Vogelbach, the Mets’ ghost runner, made it to third on a fly ball out to right off the bat of Canha. But he was stranded at third when Naquin struck out and Guillorme grounded out to first on the first pitch he saw.

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Player of the Game: Max Scherzer

The game started rough for Scherzer, but he got it together and ultimately had a good start. He went seven innings, gave up only one run, and put his team in a great position to win the game.

On Deck

The Mets and Phillies will play game two of their series Saturday at 7:10 p.m. Jacob deGrom gets the start for the Mets, while Aaron Nola will be on the mound for the Phillies.

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Jul 30, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India (6) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

After a phenomenal series against their division rival Braves, the Mets now face what should be an easier task. The Reds are coming to town for a three-game series at Citi Field. Of course, last time these two teams faced each other in Cincinnati, the Reds came away with a 2-1 series victory. But based on how the Mets played against the Braves this weekend, there’s no reason they can’t beat the Reds this time around.

The Mets had a series for the ages against the Braves. If not for a poor start by Taijuan Walker in game two, it’s entirely possible that the Mets might have swept the five-game series. Even with the poor start to game two, the series against the Braves was exciting from beginning to end. Some highlights included great hitting by Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor, and great pitching by Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Edwin Diaz. In fact, DeGrom’s return to the Citi Field mound could not have been written better.

The Reds are coming into this series having won their last two series, one against the Marlins and one against the Brewers. That’s impressive for a team that traded away some of its best players before the August 2^nd deadline. Former Met Brandon Drury is now also a former Red, as he was traded to the Dodgers. And the Reds’ former ace Luis Castillo is now pitching for the Mariners. The Reds of course also traded Tyler Naquin to the Mets. It’s fair to say the Mets will be facing a much different Reds team this time around. Perhaps the most interesting Reds’ player to watch will be Alexis Diaz, brother of Edwin Diaz. Alexis was on the injured list the last time the Mets were in Cincinnati, but this time around he’s back to being a weapon in the Reds’ bullpen.

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Monday, August 8, 2022: RHP Chris Bassitt (8-7, 3.61 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Dunn (0-0, -.–ERA)

Bassitt’s most recent outing was against the Nationals. He pitched seven scoreless innings, with four strikeouts and one walk. Bassitt has faced the Reds once in his career, and that one start was back in 2019. He gave up three runs in 7 2/3 innings, while striking out nine and walking one.

Dunn will be making his season debut on Tuesday against the Mets. Tuesday will also mark the first time Dunn has faced the Mets since they traded him to the Mariners in 2018 as part of the deal that got them Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano. Dunn has not made a major league start since June 17, 2021, when he suffered a shoulder injury while pitching for the Mariners. The Reds acquired Dunn from the Mariners earlier this year despite his injury history.

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Tuesday, August 9, 2022: RHP Carlos Carrasco (12-4, 3.82 ERA) vs. LHP Mike Minor (1-8, 6.19 ERA)

Carrasco pitched wonderfully for the Mets in game one of their recent series against the Braves. He gave up three runs in six innings, while striking out six and walking one. Carrasco’s win in game one definitely put the Mets on the right track in their eventual 4-1 series win over the Braves. Carrasco has faced the Reds eight times in his career. He has a 3.32 ERA against them in 43 1/3 innings.

Minor was traded from the Royals to the Reds back in March of this year. He missed the start of the season due to left shoulder soreness and did not make his Reds debut until June 3^rd. In his last outing for the Reds, against the Marlins, he gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings. Minor has faced the Mets 13 times in his career, and he has a 4.56 ERA in 71 innings against them.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Wednesday, August 10, 2022: RHP Taijuan Walker (9-3, 3.45 ERA) vs. TBD

Walker’s last start, against the Braves, was easily his worst outing of 2022. He did not record an out in the second inning, and he was responsible for eight runs. Walker was seemingly affected by catching a spike on his cleat and he threw a pitch to the second batter of the game, as he did not have control of his pitches from that point on. Hopefully the control issues are behind him when he starts on Wednesday. Walker faced the Reds earlier this season in Cincinnati. He gave up three runs in six innings and struck out nine.

Prediction:

The Mets have the pitching, lineup, and home-field advantages in this series. There’s no reason they should not be able to sweep the Reds,  but a 2-1 series win would also be acceptable.

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Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets (67-39) and Braves (64-43) played game two of their five-game series Friday evening at Citi Field. Things started off badly for the Mets when starter Taijuan Walker was charged with eight runs in the first two innings. The team battled back in the fifth inning, cutting the Braves’ lead to 8-5. However, the Braves’ bullpen held the Mets to one run through the final four innings, and the Mets lost 9-6.

It was not Walker’s night. With one on and one out in the first inning, Walker caught a spike pitching to Matt Olson and seemed to tweak his right hip. That caught spike was the beginning of the end for Walker. He gave up a Matt Olson double and an Eddie Rosario three-run homer in the first inning, putting the Mets in a 4-0 hole.

Walker came back out to start the second inning, but things did not get any better for him. He gave up a leadoff homer to Michael Harris II and a run-scoring single to Dansby Swanson, giving the Braves a 6-0 lead. After an Olson single, Walker departed the game with two men on and no one out.

Trevor Williams came on in relief and allowed both inherited runners to score, one on a fielder’s choice and one on a double. Williams then got two outs to end the inning, but the damage was done. The Braves had an 8-0 lead, with all runs charged to Walker.

The Mets had their chances to get back into the game in the first three innings, as Braves’ starter Ian Anderson was not even close to dominant. Pete Alonso was robbed of what might have been a two-run homer by Acuña in the bottom of the first inning. A two-out single by Brandon Nimmo in the bottom of the second gave the Mets their first run. They might have scored more, but Joey Cora made the ill-advised decision to send Luis Guillorme home from second on Nimmo’s single, and Guillorme was thrown out at the plate.

Luckily for New York, Williams kept them in the game after relieving Walker. He did not allow another run to score after the second inning, and even pitched the first one-two-three inning of the night for either side in the top of the fourth inning.

The Mets were able to start a comeback in the bottom of the fifth inning. With men on first and third and two outs, Jeff McNeil singled home Francisco Lindor. McNeil’s single also chased Anderson from the game. Darin Ruf then pinch hit for Tyler Naquin and doubled in his first at-bat as a Met. Two runs scored, and the Bravess lead was cut to 8-4. Eduardo Escobar then pinch-hit for Guillorme. He singled to left, driving in Ruf, making it 8-5 Braves.

Joely Rodriguez pitched the top of the sixth inning for the Mets, giving up one hit in a scoreless inning of work.

New York got the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning. Mark Canha pinch-hit for Daniel Vogelbach with two men on and two outs. Unfortunately, Canha struck out looking and the score remained 8-5 Braves.

New Met Mychal Givens pitched a scoreless seventh inning. He walked the leadoff batter on four pitches but was bailed out by his defense, including a nice double play started by Escobar.

After the Mets went down one-two-three in the bottom of the seventh, Tommy Hunter came on to pitch the top of the eighth. He gave up a leadoff single to Ronald Acuña Jr., but then retired the next three hitters in order. Hunter stayed in the game for the top of the ninth. He retired the first two hitters, but then gave up a solo homer to William Contreras. The homer was the first run given up by a Mets’ pitcher since the second inning and gave the Braves a 9-5 lead.

McNeil got one run back for the Mets’ in the bottom of the ninth, hitting a two-out homer. Unfortunately, that was all the Mets could muster in the final four innings of this 9-6 loss.

Player of the Game: Darin Ruf

Ruf did exactly what was expected of him in his first plate appearance as a New York Met. He entered the game in the fifth inning as a pinch hitter against a lefty, and was exactly as advertised. His double drove in two runs, and he then scored from second on the next single, at the time putting Mets firmly back into the game.

On Deck

The Mets and Braves will play a doubleheader Saturday as they continue their series at Citi Field. Game one starts at 1:10 p.m., while game two is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Max Scherzer and David Peterson will be starting for the Mets, while Max Fried and Jake Odorizzi will be starting for the Braves. Neither team has announced yet which stater gets which game.

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