The New York Mets look to take the series from the first-place Chicago White Sox Sunday afternoon in Chicago. The White Sox won the series opener Friday night on a walk-off home run, slowly erasing a 4-0 Mets lead throughout the night. The Mets roared back on Saturday recording 1- runs on 16 hits including five home runs. Now Nolan McLean looks to lock down the series win.

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Bo Bichette – 3B
3. Carson Benge – RF
4. Luis Robert Jr. – LF
5. Eric Wagaman – 1B
6. Christopher Morel – DH
7. Marcus Semien – 2B
8. A.J. Ewing – CF
9. Luis Torrens – C

Starting Pitcher: Nolan McLean

Nolan McLean has made 25 starts totaling 142 2/3 innings this season with a 3.34 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 1.157 WHIP, and a 122 ERA+. He’s also leading the league with 14 hit-by-pitches. In his last two starts he has pitched 12 innings allowing two runs on seven hits and six walks while striking out six batters. In his last nine starts he has a 2.19 ERA (3.49 FIP) striking out 56 batters in 53 1/3 innings.

The only hitter on the White Sox to officially face Nolan McLean is Jake Rogers (0-for-2, BB, K).

Nolan McLean by Berto Carlo

White Sox Lineup

1. Sam Antonacci – LF
2. Munetaka Murakami – 1B
3. Miguel Vargas – 3B
4. Andrew Benintendi – DH
5. Braden Montgomery – RF
6. Colson Montgomery – SS
7. Chase Meidroth – 2B
8. Tristan Peters – CF
9. Jake Rogers – C

Starting Pitcher: Sean Newcomb

Sean Newcomb will open this afternoon’s game for the White Sox. Over 47 games this season he has pitched 70 innings with a 2.44 ERA, 3.04 FIP, 1.100 WHIP and a 172 ERA+. He has pitched as an opener three times this season, including twice in his last three games, allowing no runs over 6 1/3 innings. In his last eight games he has pitched 12 1/3 innings allowing two unearned runs and nothing else. Newcomb can probably pitch between two and three innings depending on how well the Mets hitters do against him. The Mets have the following career stats on Newcomb:

• Brett Baty 0-1
• Bo Bichette 2-7, K
• Francisco Lindor 1-1, HR, BB
• Christopher Morel 2-3
• Luis Robert Jr. 1-3, K
• Marcus Semien 2-8, 2 HR, 2 K
• Luis Torrens 0-2, BB

Game Notes

In his return to Chicago, Luis Robert Jr. homered twice last night. In his last 13 games, Robert is 14-for-44 (.318 batting average) with five homers and 10 RBIs.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Erick Fedde. Fedde is in line for the bulk work Sunday afternoon behind Newcomb. This season Fedde has pitched in 27 games, including 12 starts, totaling 114 1/3 innings with a 4.33 ERA, 5.33 FIP, 1.399 WHIP, and a 97 ERA+. Home runs has been a problem for Fedde this season. Hitters are hitting 1.7 HR/9, the highest rate since 2020 (career is 1.4). He’s coming off of a great relief outing where he held the Cubs scoreless for 4 2/3 innings scattering three hits and two walks. Bo Bichette has gone 6-for-11 with four doubles and two strikeouts against Fedde.
2. Luis Robert Jr. All it took for Robert Jr. to heat up was to face his old club. In two games against the White Sox he has gone 3-for-8 with a double and two home runs. How now has three home runs in his last four games played and his best SLG% (.404) since 2023.
3. Luis Torrens. Torrens has been on another level for the last few weeks. He came off of the bench last night and smacked his third home run in four games played. Since the trade deadline, Torrens has played in 10 games going 11-for-25 at the plate with six home runs, slashing .440/.517/1.160. The Mets are 7-3 in the last 10 games that Torrens has had a plate appearance.

The post Game Chat: Mets vs White Sox, 2:10 P.M. appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets look to rebound after losing to the first-place White Sox Friday night. The Mets took a 4-0 lead scoring in the second, fourth, and fifth inning last night, but then the White Sox came roaring back. They scored four runs in the sixth and then won the game with a walk-off home run off Jefry Yan in the ninth inning.

The Nationals also lost Friday night so the Mets are still only 2.5 games back of fourth place. They can’t climb out of the cellar this weekend, but they can close the gap further with a win tonight!

May 24, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Christian Scott (45) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

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

Starting Pitcher: Christian Scott

Christian Scott has made 18 starts totaling 84 2/3 innings this season with a 3.51 ERA, 3.36 FIP, 1.287 WHIP, and a 116 ERA+. August has been a bit rough for Scott, who has allowed at least three runs in each of his last three starts (5.87 ERA, 2.89 FIP over 15 1/3 innings). Scott has been striking out hitters a healthy clip, posting an 11.2 K/9 this season, already eclipsing 100+ strikeouts. Over his first eight starts in 2024, he had a 7.4 K/9. The only member who has faced Christian Scott before is Brenton Doyle (1-for-2).

Opposing Lineup

1. Sam Antonacci – LF
2. Munetaka Murakami – 1B
3. Miguel Vargas – 3B
4. Andrew Benintendi – DH
5. Braden Montgomery – RF
6. Colson Montgomery – SS
7. Chase Meidroth – 2B
8. Tristan Peters – CF
9. Drew Romo – C

The White Sox acquired Luis Castillo from the Mariners at the trade deadline this season. Overall this season, Castillo has pitched 115 1/3 innings with a 4.99 ERA, 4.52 FIP, 1.370 WHIP, and an 80 ERA+. In three starts with the White Sox, he has pitched 15 2/3 innings with a 4.60 ERA, 4.30 FIP, 1.213 WHIP, and a 93 ERA+. But those numbers are hiding small-sample results. In two of those starts, Castillo has allowed nine runs, eight earned, over 8 2/3 innings. In the other start, he shut out the Reds over seven innings. The Mets have the following career stats against Castillo:

• Francisco Alvarez 1-2, K
• Bo Bichette 7-20, 2 2B, BB, 3 K
• Francisco Lindor 8-15, 3 2B, 2 HR, K
• Christopher Morel 2-11, 2B, BB
• Luis Robert Jr. 0-6, K
• Marcus Semien 5-21, HR, BB, 2 K
• Luis Torrens 2-4, K
• Eric Wagaman 0-2, K

Game Notes

• Through 27 career Major League starts, Christian Scott has allowed four or fewer runs in each of them. Scott is the only starting pitcher in franchise history to allow four or fewer runs in his first 27 Major League games (no relief appearances during that span).
• Bo Bichette has reached base safely in 11 straight games, posting a .390/.468/.683 slash line in that time with seven extra-base hits. He is batting .329 (23-70) with 10 runs, five doubles, one triple, three homers, 12 RBI and an .947 OPS in 18 games in August. In 69 games since the start of June, he is batting .307/.347/.467 with an .814 OPS.
• Carson Benge joined Darryl Strawberry as the only rookies in franchise history with 15+ home runs and 15+ stolen bases in their rookie season. He is the only rookie to reach the mark this season.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Bo Bichette. Bo Bichette is closing in on a career high for walks. He is sitting at 36 this season in only 128 games played. He has had 40 walks twice, and 41 walks once. Bichette’s game has been getting hits, he led the league in hits in 2021 and 2022. He is still digging himself out of the hole his cold start put him in. Even with getting walks at a comparatively high rate, his OBP is still the second lowest in his career.
2. Keep the ball in the park! The White Sox hit three massive home runs last night, with two in the sixth and the walk-off in the ninth. Amazing, Murakami didn’t hit any of those home runs. The long ball has been part of their success as a team this season, hitting 171, good for third in the league behind the Nationals (183) and Yankees (176). The Mets are currently tied for 10th with 156.
3. Kodai Senga. Senga allowed a run his last time out on two hits and a walk, but still locked down his fourth save, all in consecutive appearances. Senga has pitched in six games in August, allowing one run on three hits and three walks while striking out seven batters (1.50 ERA, 2.75 FIP).

Let’s go Mets!

The post Game Chat: Mets vs White Sox, 7:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets look to keep the good times going in Chicago! They are fresh off of a series win against the Padres and have won 11 of their last 15 games. They are now only 2 1/2 games back of the Nationals for fourth place in the division. The White Sox are sitting on top of the AL Central while being five games above .500. They have gone .500 in their last 10 games. It’s a battle of the Seans tonight!

Sean Manaea by Berto Carlo

Mets Lineup

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

Starting Pitcher: Sean Manaea

Manaea has pitched in 26 games this season. Over that span, he’s totaled 111 innings with a 4.22 ERA, 4.28 FIP, 1.315 WHIP and a 97 ERA+. He got hit a bit more in his last start, allowing four runs over 6 1/3 innings in a game the Mets won 5-4 over the Washington Nationals. In his last five starts, he has pitched 31 2/3 innings with a 2.87 ERA (4.14 FIP) while striking out 32 batters. He also pitched at least six innings in each of those five starts.

The White Sox have the following career stats against him:

• Andrew Benintendi 4-12, 2 BB, K
• Brenton Doyle 0-7, BB, 3 K
• Randal Grichuk 6-19, 2B, 3B, 2 BB, K
• Jake Rogers 0-3, 2 K
• Miguel Vargas 1-10, 3 K

Opposing Lineup

Sean Burke has pitched in 25 games, including 21 starts, totaling 140 innings with a 3.15 ERA, 3.45 FIP, 1.107 WHIP and a 134 ERA+ this season. He is also leading the league with 10 wild pitches. Similar to Manaea, Burke is coming off of a start where he allowed four runs over 4 1/3 innings. That bad start ended a streak of good outings where he had a 1.47 ERA (2.20 FIP) over seven games (43 innings).

The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Bo Bichette 2-3, 2B
• Christopher Morel 0-2, 2 K
• Marcus Semien 0-2
• Eric Wagaman 1-1, 2B, BB

Game Notes

• The Mets have swept the White Sox in each of their last two trips to Rate Field, which came in 2024 and 2019.
• Mark Vientos is hitting third for Double-A Binghamton tonight as he begins his rehab assignment. He’s been on the injured list since July 10 after suffering a fractured right hand.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Reunions Everywhere. Robert Jr. returns to Rate Field for the first time since the trade that brought him to the Mets. He’s had a difficult year with New York, but since returning from the injured list, he’s been showing some pop. Acuña will face the Mets for the first time since that trade as well. He is currently hitting .237/.269/.538 with a 53 OPS+. Huascar Brazobán had a 2.56 ERA over 52 2/3 innings with the Mets. Since being traded to the White Sox, he has a 5.63 ERA over eight innings.
2. Contain Murakami. Murakami has been hitting bombs this year for the White Sox; he has 29 home runs in 92 games. He’s also slashing .227/.363/.530 with 69 walks, 132 strikeouts and a 149 OPS+. In his last two games, though, he has gone 0-for-9, so it feels like he might be due to hit a homer.
3. Carson Benge. Benge is coming off of a game where he went 2-for-4 with his 15th home run of the season. He is only five home runs and two stolen bases away from a 20/20 season in his rookie year. Benge has been a true bright spot on this team and is just building a portfolio right now for a possible National League Rookie of the Year award.

Let’s go Mets!

The post Game Chat: Mets vs. White Sox, 7:40 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

Fielding has been the story of this series. On Monday night Carson Benge tossed out two runners at the plate in the same inning. Later in the game A.J. Ewing nailed a runner out oat the plate. The Mets ended up winning 2-1. Tuesday night the Padres beat the Mets 5-2 with Fernando Tatís Jr. robbing Francisco Lindor of a grand slam. It’s been an exciting series so far and the Mets have a chance to take the series today!

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Mets Lineup

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

Starting Pitcher: Robert Stock

Robert Stock makes his fourth start of the season today. Over his first three starts he has allowed 10 runs, nine earned, over 12 1/3 innings. His second start is skewing his season data. In that start he allowed eight runs over three innings against the Pirates. In his other two starts he allowed only one earned run over 9 1/3 innings. The only batter on the Padres who has faced Robert Stock before is Manny Machado (0-for-2).

Opposing Lineup

1. Fernando Tatis Jr. – RF
2. Jake Cronenworth – 2B
3. Manny Machado – DH
4. Ty France – 1B
5. Jackson Merrill – CF
6. Luis Rengifo – LF
7. Luis Campusano – C
8. Xander Bogaerts – SS
9. Sung-Mun Song – 3B

Michael King has made 25 starts totaling 142 1/3 innings this season with a 3.41 ERA, 4.26 FIP, 1.187 WHIP and a 119 ERA+. In his last four starts he has allowed 12 runs, 11 earned, over 23 innings (4.30 ERA, 5.56 FIP). The Mets tagged him for four runs over six innings with two home runs earlier this season. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-5, K
• Brett Baty 2-5, HR, K
• Carson Benge 0-3, K
• Bo Bichette 7-24, 2B, 3B, 2 BB, 8 K
• A.J. Ewing 0-3, K
• Francisco Lindor 3-8, 2 HR, 2 K
• Christopher Morel 0-1, BB, K
• Cristian Pache 0-1, BB
• Jorge Polanco 1-6, 2 K
• Luis Robert Jr. 1-3, 2B
• Marcus Semien 3-11, 2B, 2 BB, 3 K
• Luis Torrens 2-2, 2B, HR
• Jared Young 2-3, HR

Game Notes

Before the game, the Mets placed Jorge Polanco back on the injured list. They also optioned right-hander Jack Weisenburger to Triple-A Syracuse. In the corresponding moves, the Mets recalled both Eric Wagaman and Chayce McDermott.

Jefferson Rojas and Gary Gill Hill were among the recently acquired prospects who had great games on Tuesday night. Read more about it here.

Luis Torrens continues to be one of the best back-up catchers in baseball.

Three Things to Watch For

1. All or Nothing. Both of the runs the Mets scored last night came on solo home runs. The Mets ended up going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, leaving nine runners on base. The Padres scored five runs and went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position leaving eight runners on base. They hit three home runs last night.
2. Bo Bichette. Bichette racked up two more hits Tuesday night. In his last 15 games he has gone 21-for-59 slashing .356/.415/.576. Earlier this week his OPS finally crossed over .700 and is now sitting at .704. In his last three games he has six hits and a walk. In that same stretch he hasn’t scored any runs and has only one RBI. The Mets offense, except for the long ball, has cooled a bit, squandering this recent Bichette hot streak.
3. Nate Lavender. Lavender pitched 2/3 of an inning in the first game of the series, facing two batters, recording two outs in only two pitches. Over six games this season he has pitched 5 1/3 innings allowing one hit and two walks while striking out six batters (0.00 ERA, 1.96 FIP). He has a 1.42 xERA with a .091 xBA and an astounding (small-sample size) 33.3% K rate.

Let’s go Mets!

The post Game Chat: Padres vs Mets, 1:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets tonight look to extend their winning streak to five games, a mark they haven’t hit yet this season. The Padres had four hits in the first inning on Monday night but didn’t score any runs thanks to Carson Benge’s arm. Benge tossed out two runners at the plate to prevent any runs from scoring. A.J. Ewing would join Benge later in the game and the Mets were able to squeak by with a score of 2-1.

The Mets have now won 10 of their last 13 games. The Padres came into last night’s game winning eight of their last 10. It’s two teams on hot streaks, let’s go!

Zac Thornton vs. Brewers

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Bo Bichette – 3B
3. Carson Benge – RF
4. Luis Robert Jr. – CF
5. Francisco Alvarez – DH
6. Christopher Morel – 1B
7. Marcus Semien – 2B
8. A.J. Ewing – LF
9. Luis Torrens – C

Starting Pitcher: Zac Thornton

Zac Thornton has made eight starts so far this season totaling 45 1/3 innings with a 2.78 ERA, 3.88 FIP, 1.103 WHIP and a 147 ERA+. His numbers have returned to Earth a bit in his last four starts, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) over 22 innings with a 3.68 ERA and 4.85 FIP. He’s allowed exactly three earned runs in three of his last four starts.

No one on the Padres roster has faced Thornton before in an MLB game.

Opposing Lineup

1. Fernando Tatis Jr. – RF
2. Luis Rengifo – LF
3. Manny Machado – 3B
4. Ty France – 1B
5. Jackson Merrill – CF
6. Xander Bogaerts – SS
7. Austin Hays – DH
8. Freddy Fermin – C
9. Jake Cronenworth – 2B

Robbie Ray came over from the Giants at the trade deadline a few weeks ago. Overall this season Ray has pitched 131 2/3 innings with a 3.28 ERA, 4.55 FIP, 1.329 WHIP and a 122 ERA+. Since joining the Padres he has made two starts allowing six runs over nine innings from nine hits and eight walks. Ray last faced the Mets back in the first week of April where he allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings from three hits and three walks. The Mets have the following career stats against Ray:

• Francisco Alvarez 2-4, K
• Brett Baty 1-3
• Bo Bichette 3-11, 3 2B, 4 K
• Francisco Lindor 1-9, HR, 3 BB, 3 K
• Cristian Pache 2-12, 2B, HR, 6 K
• Jorge Polanco 1-9, K, BB
• Luis Robert Jr. 1-11, HR, BB, 4 K
• Marcus Semien 2-13, 2B, 4 K
• Luis Torrens 3-14, 2B, 5 K

Game Notes

A.J. Ewing was moved to eighth in the order. He’s been regularly hitting leadoff since July 6 but has just a .231/.296/.336/.633 slash line and 79 wRC+ since then.

Austin Warren was activated from the injured list, and Chayce McDermott was optioned to Triple-A.

Jose Iglesias is throwing out the first pitch tonight!

Three Things To Watch For

1. Don’t run on the Mets! The Mets nailed out three Padres runners at home plate Monday night. Carson Benge’s arm strength is in the 99th percentile (fifth-highest in the league) and A.J. Ewing is in the 92nd percentile, according to Savant. It will be interesting to see tonight if the Padres remain aggressive on the base paths, or if they switch it up.
2. Christopher Morel. The Mets called up Christopher Morel before Monday night’s game. Morel signed with the Mets on July 1 after being released by the Marlins in June. Before being released, Morel was hitting .162/.219/.206. Morel has had three disappointing seasons from 2024 until now, putting up an 80, 89 and 22 OPS+. In his first two seasons with the Cubs he had a 104 and 122 OPS+. Morel has been tearing the cover off the ball in Syracuse, hitting .321/.382/.716/1.098 over the last month with hitting 12 homers in 31 games.
3. Kodai Senga and close games. The Mets have won three one-run games in a row, improving their season record to 14-20 in one-run games. Senga locked down the save on Sunday with a clean inning where he struck out two batters on a total of 11 batters. It was his second time pitching in three games, making him unavailable for the save situation last night. In Senga’s last five games, he has allowed only one hit, two walks and has seven strikeouts over five scoreless innings.

Let’s go Mets!

The post Game Chat: Padres vs Mets, 7:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets swept the Nationals and have won nine of their last 12 games! Since the All-Star break, the Mets have won series against the Guardians and Pirates, both teams that were going for it at the deadline. The only series they lost was against the first-place Braves. Now the Mets welcome the surging Padres, winners of eight of their last ten. San Diego holds the second Wild Card spot in a tightening race.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

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

Starting Pitcher: Nolan McLean

Nolan McLean has made 24 starts, pitching 136 2/3 innings with a 3.42 ERA, 3.56 FIP, 1.134 WHIP and a 119 ERA+. He’s coming off a strong start against the Braves, where he allowed one run on a solo homer over six innings while striking out three. He has a 2.28 ERA and 3.36 FIP in his last eight starts (47 1/3 innings), which includes a start against the Guardians where he allowed five runs over five innings. He faced the Padres back in June, holding them to one run over six innings. The Padres have the following stats against him:

• Xander Bogaerts 0-1, BB, K
• Freddy Fermin 0-1
• Ty France 0-2, BB
• Manny Machado 0-3, K
• Jackson Merrill 0-3, K
• Gavin Sheets 0-3, K
• Sung-Mun Song 1-1, BB
• Fernando Tatis Jr. 2-3, K

Opposing Lineup

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ty France, 1B
5. Jackson Merrill, CF
6. Luis Campusano, C
7. Gavin Sheets, DH
8. Xander Bogaerts, SS
9. Luis Rengifo, LF

Walker Buehler has made 24 starts this season, totaling 114 1/3 innings with a 4.88 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 1.426 WHIP and an 84 ERA+. He’s been on a roll in his last two starts, allowing only two runs over 10 innings from nine hits and three walks while striking out eight. Notably, he hasn’t allowed any home runs in his last two starts despite having a 1.1 HR/9. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-3, 3 K
• Gabriel Arias 1-3, 2B
• Brett Baty 0-1
• Bo Bichette 2-8, 3 K
• Francisco Lindor 1-4, HR, K
• Cristian Pache 0-2, 2 BB
• Jorge Polanco 2-3, 2B, BB
• Luis Robert Jr. 0-3, 2 K
• Marcus Semien 2-7, BB, K
• Luis Torrens 0-3, K

Game Notes

The Mets selected the contract of INF Cristopher Morel before Monday’s game and designated INF Gabriel Arias for assignment.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Luis Torrens. The Mets need to find ways to get Torrens into the lineup while he’s on this heater. Since the trade deadline, he has had 22 plate appearances spread over seven games. During this stretch, he is slashing .444/.545/1.111 with eight hits and four home runs. 10 of his 30 RBIs this season have come in his last seven games!
2. Jared Young, hit machine. Young has at least two hits in four of his last six games. During this stretch, he has gone 11-for-25 at the plate with two doubles, a triple and a home run, while slashing .440/.423/.720. Similar to Luis Torrens, Young has seven of his 29 RBIs during this recent stretch.
3. Bo Bichette. Bichette finally reached a .700 OPS for the season. Bichette went 3-for-3 on Sunday with a triple, pushing his OBP to .313 and SLG to .386. Since the start of July, Bichette has played a lot better, slashing .306/.354/.403 with 44 hits over 37 games. It’s been a long journey for Bichette to get back to a .700 OPS. Here’s hoping he continues to hit as he has for the last six weeks for the remainder of the season.

Let’s go Mets!

The post Game Thread: Padres vs Mets, 7:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

The New York Mets go for the sweep Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.

The Mets struck first on Saturday but the Nationals roared back, taking a 4-2 lead that held until the ninth inning. The Mets tied the game in the ninth and then took the lead on a Francisco Lindor single, getting Jefry Yan his first career win.

So far in this series the Mets have been able to keep the Nationals’ high-powered offense mostly in check.

Mets Lineup

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

Starting Pitcher: Christian Scott

Christian Scott has made 17 starts totaling 78 1/3 innings with a 3.45 ERA, 3.72 FIP, 1.302 WHIP, and a 118 ERA+. His last two starts have been a lot more human for Scott who has allowed seven runs over nine innings from 13 hits and three walks while striking out 13 batters.

In his one start against the Nationals this season he allowed three runs from four hits and three walks over four innings. The Nationals have the following career stats against Scott:

• CJ Abrams 0-5, 3 K
• Brady House 1-2
• Daylen Lile 0-1, BB, K
• Keibert Ruiz 0-3
• Jose Tena 1-2, 2B
• Jorbit Vivas 0-1, BB
• Jacob Young 0-2

Nationals Lineup

1. C.J. Abrams – SS
2. Abimelec Ortiz – 1B
3. Dylan Crews – RF
4. Daylen Lile – LF
5. Brady House – 3B
6. Jorbit Vivas – 2B
7. Andres Chaparro – DH
8. Keibert Ruiz – C
9. Jacob Young – CF

Starting Pitcher: Jake Irvin

Jake Irvin has made 14 starts this season totaling 65 1/3 innings with a 5.79 ERA, 4.86 FIP, 1.316 WHIP, and a 73 ERA+. Irvin led the league in earned runs (114) and home runs (38) last season with an identical ERA+. This season his WHIP, FIP, and HR/9 have each taken a step back towards his career numbers. He’s made three starts over the last couple of weeks since returning from the injured list. In those starts he has allowed 12 earned runs from 10 hits, including four home runs, over 13 2/3 innings (7.90 ERA, 7.25 FIP).

In his one start against the Mets this season he allowed three runs, two earned over four innings from six hits and a walk. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 2-14, 7 K
• Gabriel Arias 1-4, 2B, K
• Brett Baty 2-10, 2 HR, BB, K
• Carson Benge 1-2
• Bo Bichette 1-4, BB, K
• A.J. Ewing 0-2, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 8-23, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 K
• Marcus Semien 0-4, BB, K
• Luis Torrens 3-9, 2 2B, 3 K
• Jared Young 0-2, BB

Game Notes

Mitch Voit had another dominant game for Double-A Binghamton on Saturday, reaching base four times going 2-for-3. Voit now has a 1.270 OPS since being promoted from Brooklyn.

 The Mets are looking for their fourth sweep of the season. The Mets swept the Tigers (May 12-14), the Marlins (May 29-31), and the Guardians (August 4-6). The Mets last swept Washington from June 10-12, 2025.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Carson Benge 18 game on-base streak! Benge extended his on-base streak to 18 games on Saturday going 1-for-2 with a home run and two walks. During the streak Carson Benge has slashed .358/.434/.567 with seven of his 24 hits going for extra bases. He has now pushed his OPS to 1.001 over this stretch and has raised his season OPS from .713 to .757 over the last few weeks. He now has a 2.5 bWAR and a 111 OPS+. This current stretch for Benge is starting to push his name into the Rookie of the Year conversation.
2. A tired Nationals bullpen. The Nationals’ bullpen was set up to have a difficult weekend with Brad Lord starting on Saturday. His longest outings this season had mostly been between two and three innings. The Mets knocked him out before the end of the first inning Saturday, forcing Will Dion to to take on the bulk of the reliever work, and he did a solid job tossing more than four innings. But the Nationals had to use everyone in their bullpen except for Trevor Williams over the last couple of days. Jake Irvin has struggled recently and is still coming back from a significant injured that sidelined him for almost two months. The Mets’ bats successfully worked seven walks Saturday. Hopefully, the Mets can be as patient Sunday, make Irvin work and then get to this tired bullpen.
3. Gabriel Arias. August has been rough for Arias. As a Met he has gone for 0-for-5 over two games and only one start. Overall, in August he has gone 0-for-13 at the plate. In the final four games he played in July, Arias went 6-for-15 with a double and a walk. Unfortunately for Arias, he is on a roster with several players (Luis Robert Jr, Jorge Polanco) that the Mets need to give at-bats to in an effort to get going.

The post Game Chat: Nationals vs Mets, 1:40 P.M. appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets look to build on their solid series opener Friday night as they take on the Nationals for game two this afternoon! Robert Stock kept the Mets in the game last night, allowing only one run over 4 1/3 innings. Lindor came through with a big home run in the sixth inning, and Kodai Senga pitched another scoreless inning in the ninth inning, earning his second save of the season. The Mets are now only 5.5 games behind the Nationals for fourth in the NL East. Let’s keep climbing out of the cellar!

Sean Manaea. Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

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

Starting Pitcher: Sean Manaea

Sean Manaea has pitched in 25 games this season and has made 11 starts totaling 104 2/3 innings. He has a 4.13 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 1.318 WHIP and a 99 ERA+. He is coming off of a brilliant start where he allowed only one run over seven innings against the Pirates while striking out 11 batters. In his last four starts he has a 2.16 ERA and a 3.56 FIP over 25 innings. Manaea’s one outing against the Nationals this season was a doozy, allowing six runs from seven hits and two walks over 2 2/3 innings of relief. The Nationals have the following career stats against him:

• CJ Abrams 5-14, 2B, 4 K
• Andres Chaparro 1-5, BB, 2 K
• Dylan Crews 0-7, 2 K
• Brady House 3-4, 2B, HR, BB
• Daylen Lile 1-5. 2 K
• Nasim Nuñez 2-3, HR< 2 BB
• Keibert Ruiz 4-11
• Jose Tena 1-3, K
• Jacob Young 2-8, 2B, BB, 4 K

Opposing Lineup

1. Dylan Crews – RF
2. Andres Chaparro – 1B
3. Brady House – 3B
4. CJ Abrams – SS
5. Harry Ford – C
6. Jacob Young – CF
7. Daylen Lile – DH
8. Nasim Nuñez – 2B
9. Andrew Pinckney – LF

The Nationals are trying Brad Lord out in the rotation! Lord has pitched in 29 games this season, totaling 61 2/3 innings, including two starts. He has a 3.79 ERA, 4.05 FIP, 1.184 WHIP, and a 112 ERA+. He made a start back on July 1, holding the Red Sox scoreless over 2 1/3 innings. His second start came last week, when he held the Reds to one run over 2 2/3 innings. Lord has made two extended relief appearances against the Mets this year, allowing only one run off three hits over 5 1/3 innings. The Mets have the following career stats against Lord:

• Francisco Alvarez 1-3, HR
• Gabriel Arias 0-2
• Brett Baty 1-5, HR
• Carson Benge 2-2
• Bo Bichette 0-3
• A.J. Ewing 0-1, K
• Francisco Lindor 3-4, BB
• Marcus Semien 0-3
• Luis Torrens 0-4

Game Notes

• Since the All-Star break, the Mets pitching staff has pitched to a 3.46 ERA (88 ER/229.0 IP), which is the fifth-best mark in the majors and the second-best in the NL.
• Sean Manaea is set to take the bump for the Mets today. He has tossed a quality start in each of his last four outings and five of his last six. Since moving back to the rotation full time, Manaea is 3-4 with a 3.50 ERA (24 ER/61.2 IP), 18 walks and 61 strikeouts.
• Francisco Lindor has 291 career home runs. That is the seventh-most all-time by a Puerto Rican born player. He recently surpassed Bernie Williams (287). Ruben Sierra is next with 306, followed by Iván Rodríguez (311). His 291 home runs are 20th among active players.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Carson Benge On-Base Streak. Benge went 1-for-4 Friday night, extending his on-base streak to 17 games. During this streak, Benge is hitting .354/.417/.523 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and five walks. In 2024, Francisco reached base safely in 35 consecutive games in a single season. Jon Olerud has the franchise record, reaching base safely in 47 consecutive games between 1998 and 1999. Benge’s current streak at 17 is impressive, and also shows how amazing a feat Lindor and Olerud accomplished.
2. Francisco Lindor. Lindor still has a real chance to reach 20 home runs this season. His homer last night was his second in four games and his sixth since 7/27, when he hit two in one game. Starting from his two homer game, Lindor is hitting .288/.382/.621 (1.003 OPS). His season OPS has gone from .686 to .768 over this stretch!
3. Kodai Senga. Will Senga pitch in back-to-back games? The Mets are not in a playoff race right now, there’s no reason to push people past their limits. If the Mets though, are thinking about Senga as a high-leverage reliever in the future, we will need to see him go on back-to-back days eventually. His last two outings (2 IP, H, BB, 3 K) have been in save situations, separated by four days.

Let’s go Mets!

The post Game Thread: Nationals vs Mets, 4:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

Although the Mets lost their last series against the Braves, they come back home after a successful road trip where they swept the Guardians and won a series against the Pirates. The Mets are still in fifth place in the NL East and are 16 games below .500.

Tonight, they start a series against the fourth-place Nationals, who are only three games below .500. If the Mets want to climb out of the cellar by the end of the season, this series will be a critical one.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Mets Lineup

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

Starting Pitcher: Robert Stock

Robert Stock has had two very different starts with the Mets this season. In his first outing against the Marlins, he allowed only one run over five innings, scattering three hits and no walks while striking out four. In his last start, however, he allowed eight runs on nine hits and five walks while striking out four over three innings against the Pirates. In both starts, the Mets bats did absolutely nothing for Stock, giving him zero run support. There is no one on the Nationals’ roster who has faced Stock in a major league game.

Opposing Lineup

1. CJ Abrams – SS
2. Abimelec Ortiz – 1B
3. Brady House – DH
4. Daylen Lile – RF
5. Keibert Ruiz – C
6. José Tena – LF
7. Nasim Nuñez – 2B
8. Jorbit Vivas – 3B
9. Jacob Young – CF

Andrew Alvarez has pitched in 17 games, including nine starts, and has thrown 69 1/3 innings this season with a 3.76 ERA, 3.10 FIP, 1.399 WHIP and a 113 ERA+. In his last three outings, he has allowed only four runs over 16 innings (2.25 ERA, 3.33 FIP). This includes his longest outing of the year where he pitched 6 1/3 innings against the Phillies. Alvarez faced the Mets earlier this season and pitched four innings of relief, allowing two runs.

The Mets have the following career stats against Alvarez:

• Francisco Alvarez 1-2, 2B
• Brett Baty 0-1, BB
• Carson Benge 0-1
• Bo Bichette 1-1
• A.J. Ewing 0-1, K
• Francisco Lindor 1-1, BB
• Marcus Semien 0-2
• Luis Torrens 0-1

Game Notes

• Former Mets outfielder Butch Huskey has passed away at 54-years-old due to a blood clot in his lungs, per an announcement from the team.
• Interim manager Andy Green told reporters that Devin Williams is still in a no-throw period and will be, “for a little bit longer.” Williams was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain on August 10.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Hitting Dingers. The Nationals currently lead the league with 177 home runs this season, eight ahead of the Yankees in second place. The Mets are now No. 11 in the league in home runs with 148, as they’ve continued to hit the ball a lot better over the last couple of weeks. It’s very possible that the Mets, who hit three home runs on Wednesday, can finish fairly solidly in the top ten by the end of the season. Alvarez hasn’t allowed a home run since June 3 though, so it won’t be easy for the Mets tonight.
2. Bo Bichette & Slugging. At the start of July, Bichette started hitting again. From July 3 to July 27, he slashed .315/.358/.342 with 23 hits but only two doubles and nothing else. From July 30 to now, he is slashing .308/.368/.500 with 16 hits, including four doubles and two home runs.
3. Carson Benge On-Base Streak. Benge has reached base safely in 16 consecutive games, slashing .361/.426/.541 in the process. On Wednesday, he went 2-for-4 with a double. It was the fifth time in the last six games that Benge recorded at least two hits (.458/.519/.583).

Let’s go Mets!

The post Game Thread: Nationals vs. Mets, 7:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets will try again to win the series against the Braves. The Mets pitching was ready to go Tuesday night but the bats were not as the Mets lost 4-0 against the Braves. The Mets recorded only four hits and only had two at bats with runners in scoring position. If the Mets can win today it will lock in their third consecutive series win!

Zac Thornton vs. Brewers

Mets Lineup

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

Starting Pitcher: Zac Thornton

Zac Thornton has made seven starts this season totaling 39 1/3 innings with a 2.52 ERA, 3.69 FIP, 1.068 WHIP and a 163 ERA+. He’s coming off of a strong start against the Pirates where he kept them scoreless over five innings. It was the third time in his career shutting out his opponents and a nice bounce back after allowing three earned runs in two consecutive starts. One of those starts was against the Braves where he allowed three runs over 6 1/3 innings from six hits including a home run while striking out five. The Braves have the following career stats against Zac:

• Ronald Acuña Jr. 1-3, K
• Ozzie Albies 2-3, HR
• Drake Baldwin 1-3
• Mauricio Dubon 0-2
• Michael Harris II 1-3, K
• Jim Jarvis 0-2
• Matt Olson 0-2, BB, K
• Austin Riley 0-2, K

Opposing Lineup

1. Ronald Acuna Jr. – RF
2. Drake Baldwin – DH
3. Matt Olson – 1B
4. Ozzie Albies – 2B
5. Michael Harris II – CF
6. Mauricio Dubon – SS
7. Lane Thomas – LF
8. Austin Riley – 3B
9. Sean Murphy – C

Tyler Mahle will make his second start with the Braves tonight. Mahle has pitched 19 games (100 2/3 innings) this season with a 4.83 ERA, 4.16 FIP, 1.361 WHIP and an 83 ERA+. He was traded to the Braves at the deadline and had a great Braves debut, allowing no runs over six innings. The Mets faced Mahle way back in the first week of April where they scored five runs off of eight hits and two walks over five innings. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 1-2, HR
• Brett Baty 0-3, 2 K
• Carson Benge 0-2, K
• Bo Bichette 2-5, K
• Francisco Lindor 2-10, 4 K
• Jorge Polanco 1-6, 2 K
• Luis Robert Jr. 1-6, BB, K
• Marcus Semien 2-4, HR, BB

Game Notes

Elian Peña homered twice on Tuesday night and Jefferson Rojas (Clay Holmes/Tyrone Taylor trade) hit his first home run in the Mets organization.

We took a look at the internal options for the Mets rotation if Robert Stock struggles in his next start.

Three Things To Watch For

1. You again? Tonight, will be the first time in Zac Thornton’s career that he will face a team for a second time. The Mets bats came out in a huge way for Thornton the first time he faced the Braves. Twice in that start the Braves were able to claw back against the Mets, eventually making the score 3-3 until the Mets just exploded for a 14-3 win. Tonight we’ll be watching to see how batters approach Thornton after seeing him a couple of weeks ago.
2. Carson Benge. Benge had two hits in a game Tuesday night. It was the fourth time in five games that Benge had at least two hits. Benge has reached base safely in 15 games in a row. Over that stretch he’s slashing .351/.422/.526 with two doubles, a triple, two home runs. The Mets are 9-6 over this streak!
3. Jorge Polanco. On August 5th Jorge Polanco went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run after taking 300 swings during batting practice. Since then, over four games, he has gone 1-for-13 with a walk.

Let’s go Mets!

The post Game Thread: Mets vs Braves, 7:15 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.