The New York Mets look to salvage the series against the Red Sox Sunday afternoon before heading into a long, All-Star break. New York is continually struggling to score, as has been the case the last two days. A win Sunday would mean the Mets have gone 3-3 in their last six. A loss means New York enters the All-Star break 17 games below 500.

Mets Lineup

1. A.J. Ewing – CF
2. Juan Soto – DH
3. Francisco Lindor – SS
4. Eric Wagaman – 1B
5. Carson Benge – RF
6. Tyrone Taylor – LF
7. Luis Torrens – C
8. Brett Baty – 3B
9. Zack Short – 2B

Starting Pitcher: Zach Thornton

Zach Thornton returns to the big leagues. In his first two starts he allowed five runs over 10 1/3 innings from nine hits and three walks while striking out 10 batters.

His second major league start was great holding the Phillies to one run over six innings while striking out seven batters. Since then he has pitched 7 2/3 innings over two outings in Syracuse (Triple-A) allowing three runs, two earned. He was pulled after two perfect innings in his last start a few days ago with five strikeouts, in preparation for Sunday’s big league start.

With Kodai Senfa back in the bullpen, and the potential departure of Freddy Peralta looming via trade, there is room for Thornton to stick around in the big leagues if he does well this afternoon.

Red Sox Lineup

1. Anthony Siegler – 2B
2. Ceddane Rafaela – CF
3. Wilyer Abreu – RF
4. Romy Gonzalez – 1B
5. Caleb Durbin – 3B
6. Andruw Monasterio – SS
7. Jarren Duran – DH
8. Nate Eaton – LF
9. Connor Wong – C

Starting Pitcher: Payton Tolle

Payton Tolle has made 14 starts for the Red Sox totaling 80 1/3 innings with a 3.14 ERA, 3.39 FIP, 1.071 WHIP, and a 129 ERA+. Since the start of June, Tolle has made seven starts pitching 39 innings with a 3.69 ERA and 4.11 FIP.

In three of those starts he has allowed no runs over 19 innings, scattering 10 hits. In the other four starts he has allowed 16 runs over 20 innings. Which version of Tolle will the Mets see Sunday?

The only hitter on the Mets who has seen Payton Tolle is Zack Short (0-for-2, K).

Game Notes

Prior to Sunday’s game the Mets announced the following roster moves:

• LHP Zach Thornton has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.
• RHP Tobias Myers was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse following Saturday’s game.

The remainder of the MLB Draft begins Sunday at 11:00 am ET.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Getting hits with runners in scoring position (RISP). On Friday, the Mets recorded 10 hits but went 0-for-8 with RISP leaving seven runners on base. Saturday, the Mets did it again, going 0-for-8 with RISP and leaving nine on base. The Mets worked seven walks as a team but only mustered three hits.
2. Carson Benge stealing bases. Benge has stolen a bag in three consecutive games and four times in his last five games. His steal on July 7 was his first stolen base since June 18. Benge actually had only two stolen bases the entire month of June. More impressively, Benge hasn’t been caught stealing this month yet, a problem that has plagued the Mets this season.
3. The trade block. It’s still a bit early in the month for the deluge of trades the Mets are heading towards. Relievers on the Mets should almost all be available. A.J. Minter pitched in back-to-back days, so he should be unavailable today. Brooks Raley pitched for the first time since Wednesday yesterday pitching a clean inning. We still haven’t seen Luke Weaver from the start of the week as he continues his strong season. Tyrone Taylor has gone hitless in his last three at-bats over two games, after homering three times in five games. There is a non-zero chance that someone here will not be a Met after the All-Star Break.

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The Red Sox overcame their plane issues and beat the Mets in the first game of the series last night. The Mets were able to string together 10 hits but old problems returned and they went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Now the Mets need to win the next two games in order to end the first of the season with a series win.

Juan Soto by Berto Carlo

Mets Lineup

1. A.J. Ewing – CF
2. Juan Soto – LF
3. Francisco Lindor – SS
4. Carson Benge – RF
5. Jorge Polanco – DH
6. Eric Wagaman – 1B
7. Francisco Alvarez – C
8. Brett Baty – 3B
9. Zack Short – 2B

Starting Pitcher: Freddy Peralta

This is a huge start for Freddy Peralta. Unless the Mets go on a historic run for the rest of the month, Peralta will be dealt at the trade deadline. He has started 19 games this season ,totaling 100 innings with a 4.68 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 1.420 WHIP and an 88 ERA+. Peralta allowed three runs, only one earned, in his last start in 4 2/3 innings. His starts have been weird recently. He’s been ineffective in two of his last five, allowing a total of 15 runs. In his other three starts in his last five he has allowed only two earned runs but seven runs total thanks to the defense behind him.

The Red Sox have the following career stats against him:

• Wilyer Abreu 0-3, 2 K
• Jarren Duran 3-5
• Ceddanne Rafaela 2-2, HR
• Connor Wong 1-2
• Masataka Yoshida 0-3, 2 K

Opposing Lineup

1. Anthony Seigler – 2B
2. Ceddanne Rafaela – CF
3. Wilyer Abreu – RF
4. Caleb Durbin – 3B
5. Masataka Yoshida – DH
6. Andrew Monasterio – 1B
7. Jaren Duran – LF
8. Carlos Narváez – C
9. Tsung-che Cheng – SS

The Red Sox needed a starter today after an injury to Ranger Suárez after his last start. This was a perfect opportunity for the Red Sox to bring back Brayan Bello after his struggles in the rotation earlier this season. Instead the Red Sox are going with Eduardo Rivera who pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings against the Yankees in his MLB debut back at the end of April. Across two levels in the minors, Rivera has pitched 87 innings over 20 games with a 2.48 ERA. He’ll probably go a few innings then its on to the bullpen for the rest of the game.

Game Notes

The Mets will make their first draft picks of the 2026 draft today!

Three Things To Watch For

1. Brett Baty. Baty has been quietly putting together a hot streak in his last 10 games. In his last 10 he has gone 13-for-38 with four doubles, a home run, two stolen bases and eight runs scored. Before this streak he was hitting .208/.295/.290 and now he’s hitting .226/.301/.322. For context he is a career .230/.296/.360 hitter.
2. Watch Fielding Alignments. On Thursday A.J. Ewing played in center then saw time at second base before going back to center. In the same game, Brett Baty moved between second, third and back to second. Yesterday, Ewing started the game in center until Tyrone Taylor came in as a pinch hitter and stayed in the game at center. Ewing then took over second from Zack Short. With Marcus Semien injured, Polanco working his way back as a DH, and the inevitable return of Luis Robert Jr, the Mets need to find ways to keep A.J. Ewing (and to a lesser extent, Brett Baty) in the lineup. Let’s see if the defensive alignment changes continue today.
3. Trade Targets. Tyrone Taylor came in late as a pinch hitter yesterday and then played center going 0-for-2 at the plate. In his last six games he has a double and three home runs going a combined 4-for-12 with a walk. Raley and Luke Weaver, who both could be traded this month, had another day of rest yesterday. Weaver hasn’t pitched since Monday and has a 1.89 ERA over 38 innings. Raley hasn’t pitched since Wednesday and has a 2.16 ERA over 37 games.

Let’s go Mets!

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The Mets look to end the first half the season on a high note! The Mets have won two games in a row, taking the series from the last-place Kansas City Royals. On Wednesday, the Mets had a five-run eighth inning. Yesterday afternoon, the Mets had a no-stress, straight-forward win. Now, they welcome the fourth-place Red Sox to Queens, who arrived late to Citi Field.

The start of tonight’s game has been pushed back to 7:50 p.m. EST as a result of Boston’s travel issues, per MLB Communications.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

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

Starting Pitcher: Nolan McLean

McLean has made 18 starts this season totaling 101 1/3 innings with a 3.73 ERA, 3.52 FIP, 1.115 WHIP and a 111 ERA+. In his last two starts, he has allowed three runs (two earned) over 12 innings on 10 hits and three walks while striking out 12. He’s pitched at least six innings in four consecutive starts. He has also hit four batters over his last three starts, bringing him to 12 on the season, which leads the league. This will be McLean’s first start against the Red Sox and no one on the Red Sox has faced McLean in a major league game.

Opposing Lineup

1. Anthony Seigler – 2B
2. Ceddanne Rafaela – CF
3. Wilyer Abreu – RF
4. Romy Gonzalez – 1B
5. Masataka Yoshida – DH
6. Caleb Durbin – 3B
7. Jarren Duran – LF
8. Connor Wong – C
9. Tsung-Che Cheng – SS

Gray is having his best season since 2023. This year, he has made 16 starts totaling 89 2/3 innings with a 2.61 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 1.104 WHIP and a 155 ERA+. He currently leads the league with 10 wins. For context, last season he made 32 starts with a 4.28 ERA, 3.39 FIP, 1.234 WHIP and a 95 ERA+. In his last three starts he has allowed only two runs on 11 hits over 20 1/3 innings while striking out 27 batters.

The Mets have the following career numbers against Gray:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-2, K
• Brett Baty 0-3, BB
• Bo Bichette 3-7, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 8-29, 3 HR, 5 BB, 9 K
• Jorge Polanco 1-7, K
• Juan Soto 6-13, 2B, HR, 4 BB, 3 K
• Tyrone Taylor 3-11, HR, K
• Luis Torrens 0-2
• Mark Vientos 1-2, K

Game Notes

• Clay Holmes threw 40 pitches in live batting practice today as he continues progressing from a fractured right fibula he suffered against the New York Yankees on May 15.
• The Mets recalled Tobias Myers from Triple-A Syracuse and selected Zack Short to the major league roster ahead of Friday’s game. As the corresponding moves, they placed Vientos on the 10-day injured list with a right hand fracture and designated Dan Hammer for assignment.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Juan Soto. If you want to feel good about the Mets, just open up Soto’s Baseball Reference page. He had another big day at the plate yesterday, going 1-for-2 with two walks and a home run. He now has seven walks and three home runs in his last four games. He has a 3.1 bWAR and is leading the league in OBP (.414), SLG (.579), OPS (.993), OPS+ (175) and rOBA (.418). He’s 13th in the league with 54 walks despite missing two weeks.
2. Carson Benge Two-Hit Streak. Benge comes into today’s game with a four-game streak of getting at least two hits per game. He’s also worked at least one walk per game! Overall, in his last four games, he has gone 8-for-13 with a double, a home run, five walks and stole two bases (.615/.722/.923). After weeks of the Mets’ offense flailing, it really has picked up in the last week and Benge is a major reason why!
3. Trade Targets. Unless a miracle occurs, the Mets will probably be selling at the deadline. Taylor continues to rake since returning from the injured list. Yesterday, he went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run. He now has three homers in his last five games, good for six on the season. Luke Weaver hasn’t pitched since Monday and has put up All-Star numbers this season with a 1.89 ERA over 38 innings. He’s signed through 2027, so it will take a major package to get the Mets to trade him. Brooks Raley pitched on Wednesday where he allowed one hit but no runs against the Royals. Over 37 games this season, he has a 2.16 ERA.

Let’s go Mets!

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Tuesday night was another low point for the Mets this season. They lost 16-12 against the Royals, a game they should have easily won. Last night the Mets had a nice bounce-back win with a five-run rally in the eighth inning. The Mets’ offense seems to be clicking, and maybe there is hope starting to percolate through the surface! A win today would mean the Mets would win the series!

Aug 26, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (59) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

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

Starting Pitcher: Sean Manaea

Sean Manaea has pitched in 19 games this year, totaling 68 innings with a 4.76 ERA, 4.02 FIP, 1.353 WHIP and an 87 ERA+. He allowed six runs, but only three earned, in his last start of five innings against the Braves. Since returning to the rotation, Manaea has pitched 25 innings over five games with a 4.32 ERA and 4.04 FIP while striking out 23 batters. The Royals have the following career stats against him:

• Jac Caglianone 0-1, K
• Isaac Collins 2-3, 2B, K
• Nick Loftin 3-4, BB, K
• Luke Maile 0-3, K, BB
• Starling Marte 0-2, K
• Salvador Perez 6-18, 3 HR, 4 K
• Josh Rojas 1-9, 2B, 3 K
• Lane Thomas 2-11, 2B, BB, 4 K
• Tyler Tolbert 1-1
• Bobby Witt Jr. 3-10, HR, BB, 4 K

Opposing Lineup

1. Lane Thomas – CF
2. Bobby Witt Jr. – SS
3. Salvador Perez – 1B
4. Starling Marte – DH
5. Nick Loftin – 3B
6. Jac Caglianone – RF
7. Isaac Collins – LF
8. Tyler Tolbert – 2B
9. Luke Maile – C

The Mets’ bats will face off against former Met Michael Wacha. Wacha pitched for the Mets in 2020 with a 6.62 ERA over 34 innings (eight games). This season, Wacha has made 18 starts and is leading the league with 114 2/3 innings. He has a 3.45 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 1.160 WHIP and a 119 ERA+. He had a pair of good starts to end June, allowing two runs over 14 2/3 innings. In his last start, he allowed four runs from eight hits, including three home runs against the Phillies. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 1-3
• Brett Baty 2-3, 2B
• Bo Bichette 7-16, 2B, HR, 2 BB
• Francisco Lindor 2-5, BB
• Jorge Polanco 3-12, HR BB, 4 K
• Juan Soto 4-10, 2B, BB, 3 K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-3
• Luis Torrens 3-6, K
• Mark Vientos 0-2, 2 K
• Eric Wagaman 0-2

Game Notes

• Luis Robert Jr. played in a rehab game for Double-A Binghamton on Wednesday, collecting two hits.
• A.J. Ewing became the fifth different Met to hit a lead-off home run this season, joining Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Carson Benge and Bo Bichette. This is the second time in franchise history that has happened – the inaugural 1962 Mets also accomplished the feat.
• The Mets optioned Tobias Myers to Triple-A Syracuse and called up righty Dan Hammer. Additionally, the Mets designated Jared Oliva for assignment.

Three Things To Watch For

1. A.J. Ewing. Ewing has been crushing the ball out of the lead-off spot the last two games. He has gone 6-for-9 with five runs scored, a double and two home runs. He has multi-hit games in three of his last four. He has a 1.8 bWAR and 126 OPS+. The Mets have been scoring a lot lately and a lot of that has to do with Ewing.
2. Bringing Down the Hammer. Dan Hammer is getting the call-up to make his Major League debut. Hammer was originally drafted by the Orioles and stayed in their system from 2019 until 2025, when he joined the Rays. Between Syracuse and Binghamton this season, Hammer has pitched 27 games totaling 33 1/3 innings with a 2.16 ERA. He has a high heater that can touch 98 mph.
3. Luke Weaver. Weaver hasn’t pitched since his back-to-back outings last Sunday and Monday. He’s had a tremendous season, pitching 38 innings with a 1.89 ERA, 2.54 FIP, 0.842 WHIP and a 220 ERA+. This season he’s getting hitters to chase him 35% of the time (90th percentile) and Whiff 31.3% of the time (88th percentile). He could be the best bet for the Mets to acquire a serious prospect at the trade deadline if they decide to trade him.

Let’s go Mets!

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Every game only counts as one win or one loss. The Mets wrapped up a four-game series with the Braves where they split the series but played way worse than two wins. Last night just picked up with that feeling as the Mets lost 16-12 against the Royals. It’s a game the Mets should have won. The Royals made three errors on a play early in the game that led to a little league home run for Carson Benge. The Mets scored 12 runs, until last night they always win at Citi Field when scoring at least 11 runs. Every time the Mets bats took a commanding lead the Mets pitching immediately squandered it.

Rather than starting the day with a three-game winning the streak the Mets look to avoid a losing streak tonight. Every game counts as one win or one loss. A simple 5-3 win today counts as much as whatever has happened in the last week.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

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

Starting Pitcher: Christian Scott

Christian Scott has made 11 starts for the Mets season totaling 49 innings with a 3.49 ERA, 4.36 FIP, 1.347 WHIP and a 119 ERA+. The Mets need some length from Scott tonight after the last couple of taxing games on the Mets bullpen. Last time out Scott allowed three runs over four innings. In his last three starts he has pitched 13 innings allowing nine runs from 12 hits and seven walks. Home runs have also become a problem recently. Scott went five starts without allowing a home run and now has allowed six in his last three starts. The only member of the Royals to see Scott in a major league game before is Lane Thomas (0-for-3).

Opposing Lineup

1. Carter Jensen – C
2. Bobby Witt Jr. – SS
3. Jac Caglianone – 1B
4. Lane Thomas – CF
5. Salvador Perez – DH
6. Michael Massey – 2B
7. Nick Loftin – 3B
8. Isaac Collins – LF
9. Tyler Tolbert – RF

The Royals have a bullpen game tonight behind Steven Cruz. Over seven games and 28 1/3 innings Cruz has a 5.08 ERA, 5.87 FIP, 1.447 WHIP and an 82 ERA+. He pitched as an opener back on June 26th holding the White Sox scoreless over 1 1/3 innings. A game where the Royals eventually lost 22-1. Cruz hasn’t allowed a run in his last outings, totaling 6 1/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Brett Baty 0-1, K
• Francisco Lindor 0-0, BB
• Jorge Polanco 0-1
• Juan Soto 0-0, BB
• Tyrone Taylor 0-2
• Mark Vientos 0-1
• Eric Wagaman 0-1

Game Notes

The Mets made more roster moves on Wednesday to get fresh arms available: DFA’d Matt Seelinger for assignment, placed Austin Warren on the IL with a right forearm strain, recalled righty Tobias Myers from Triple-A and selected the contract of right-hander Xzavion Curry from Triple-A.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Cool down the Royals Bats. In the last two games the Royals have scored 31 runs off of 41 hits. They have done like a month’s worth of Mets run scoring. Last night the Royals never felt out of the game, despite fielding and pitching poorly allowing the Mets to score 12 runs from 13 hits and three errors. Christian Scott have to find ways today to cool everyone from potential AL MVP Bobby Witt Jr. to 9th in the lineup Tyler Tolbert down. If you missed it, Tyler Tolbert set a record near the end of the game yesterday recording a hit in 12 consecutive at bats.
2. A.J. Ewing up top! What a table setter for the Mets! A.J. Ewing on Monday night went a disappointing 0-for-4, but everyone behind him hit. Last night went 4-for-4 including his sixth home run of the season. Soto, Bichette and Benge behind him all hit and Ewing scored in four of the five times he was on base. That’s a recipe for success!
3. Juan Soto. Soto now has a five game hit streak going where he has gone 7-for-21 with three home runs and five walks. The two things he has done exceptionally well since he has joined the Mets is hit bombs and work walks. Going into yesterday’s game (Baseball Reference still hasn’t updated at the time of writing), Soto was leading the league with a .414 OBP, his fourth highest OBP in his career. He also was leading in SLG (.570), OPS (.984) and OPS+ (173).

Let’s go Mets!

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The Mets have somehow won two games in a row! Sunday afternoon, the Mets took a huge lead in the ninth inning but almost squandered it away in the bottom frame. Last night, the Mets took the lead in the ninth inning, only for the Braves to tie it in the ninth. The Mets scored two in the 10th and again were able to hold off another last-frame Atlanta rally for the win.

The Royals come to town also in last place in their division, but they are coming off two wins in a row against the Phillies. They beat the Phillies yesterday 15-1, racking up 22 hits. Here’s hoping they used up all of their offense for the next few days!

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

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

The Mets blew through their bullpen yesterday with the game going into extra innings and Freddy Peralta only giving the Mets 4 2/3 innings.

Cionel Pérez will start for the Mets, and new call-up Matt Seelinger will certainly play a role. Kodai Senga last pitched on Saturday, and if he pitches tonight, it will surely be the quickest turnaround between outings of his MLB career.

Opposing Lineup

1. Carter Jensen – C
2. Bobby Witt Jr. – SS
3. Lane Thomas – CF
4. Salvador Perez – DH
5. Jac Caglianone – 1B
6. Nick Loftin – 3B
7. Isaac Collins – LF
8. Michael Massey – 2B
9. Tyler Tolbert – RF

The Mets will face an old friend tonight in Seth Lugo. Over 17 starts, Lugo has pitched 96 1/3 innings with a 4.20 ERA, 4.15 FIP, 1.381 WHIP and a 98 ERA+. In his last two starts, he has allowed 10 runs from 16 hits and five home runs over 11 innings while striking out 10 batters. In the two starts before that, he allowed only three runs, two earned, in 9 1/3 innings.

The Mets have the following career numbers against Lugo:

• Bo Bichette 2-8, BB, K
• Juan Soto 5-19, HR, 6 BB, 5 K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-1, K
• Luis Torrens 0-0, BB

Game Notes

Jorge Polanco was activated from the injured list after dealing with Achilles and wrist injuries for the last three months. He hasn’t played in a game with the Mets since April 14, but he’s had sporadic rehab assignments since then. In his latest, he hit two home runs across 12 at-bats. Ronny Mauricio was optioned to make room. Polanco will likely just DH for the time being.

Luis Robert Jr.‘s rehab has advanced to Double-A Binghamton. He may be a week or so away from returning.

The Mets on Tuesday designated Guillo Zuñiga for assignment after his scoreless inning the previous night to make 40-man roster room for Matt Seelinger, whom they acquired from the Tigers on Monday. They also designated reliever Alex Carillo for assignment. He had a 5.57 ERA with Syracuse across 21 innings.

New pitcher Matt Seelinger was added to the active roster, and we’ll surely see him pitch tonight.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Chasing Whiffs. Seth Lugo was with the Mets from 2016 through 2023. In 2020 and 2021, Lugo became a whiff machine, with his whiff percentage spiking to 30.1% and 31.1% of the time. Things dropped back down to the low 20s for Lugo his last two years with the Mets. This year, his whiff percentage has reached a career low of 18.2%.
2. Carson Benge. Benge had a huge day at the plate in the last game of the Blue Jays series, going 2-for-4 with a double and a home run. He was super quiet in the first three games of the Braves series, going a combined 2-for-13 with two strikeouts. Last night, he hit behind Francisco Lindor and had a huge day, going 2-for-4 with a double, home run, and a walk. If the Mets want to start playing competitive baseball, they’ll need Carson’s bat.
3. Luis Torrens. Torrens came in as a pinch hitter last night and hit a two-run double in the 10th inning. Over the last couple of days there have been reports by beat reporters that the Mets’ catching depth has been “catching” the eye of teams looking to make a playoff push. Luis Torrens may hold more value than we thought a couple of months ago in this market, but it would also leave the Mets in a tough position going forward. Whether Torrens starts or not, we’ve seen the Mets value his bat in high-leverage situations, even though he has a .605 OPS.

Let’s go Mets!

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By the smallest of margins, the Mets were able to hold on to a lead on Sunday and now have a chance to leave Atlanta with a series split. The Mets scored first, but the Braves immediately responded with a three-run first inning. The Mets went on to score four runs in the second, and neither team scored again until the ninth inning. The Mets opened the frame with a huge inning, scoring five runs, putting the game seemingly out of reach with a 10-3 lead. The Braves, though, would work the inning, hit a grand slam, and continue to get runners on bases. At the end of the game, the Mets managed to survive with a 10-9 win, stranding runners on second and third.

A win is a win, though! And a win today means the Mets will win the series, even though it feels like the Braves have been in control.

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

1. A.J. Ewing, CF
2. Juan Soto, LF
3. Bo Bichette, 3B
4. Francisco Lindor, DH
5. Carson Benge, RF
6. Jared Young, 1B
7. Francisco Alvarez, C
8. Brett Baty, 2B
9. Ronny Mauricio, SS

Starting Pitcher: Freddy Peralta

Freddy Peralta has a shot at redemption tonight. Overall, this season he has made 18 starts, totaling 95 1/3 innings with a 4.81 ERA, 4.27 FIP, 1.416 WHIP, and an 86 ERA+. This is his lowest ERA+ since 2019. Most of the season, he was sitting around 110-113. In his last start, Peralta allowed five runs over four innings from seven hits and three walks. Peralta did have a good start against the Braves earlier in the month, holding them to one run over five innings. The Braves have the following career stats against him:

• Ozzie Albies 1-18, 2B, 3 BB, 4 K
• Drake Baldwin 2-3
• Joey Bart 1-2, HR, BB
• Mauricio Dubon 1-3
• Kyle Farmer 1-14, 2B, 6 K
• Michael Harris II 2-6, BB, 2 K
• Matt Olson 4-13, 2B, HR, 3 BB, 2 K
• Austin Riley 7-18, 2B, 2 HR, BB, 2 K
• Dominic Smith 2-6, 2 K
• Eli White 1-4, HR
• Mike Yastrzemski 1-11, 2B, 2 K

Opposing Lineup

1. Michael Harris II, CF
2. Ozzie Albies, 2B
3. Matt Olson, 1B
4. Drake Baldwin, C
5. Mauricio Dubón, LF
6. Dominic Smith, DH
7. Austin Riley, 3B
8. Mikę Yastrzemski, RF
9. Jim Jarvis, SS

Reynaldo López has pitched in 20 games this season, including seven starts totaling 51 2/3 innings with a 3.31 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 1.297 WHIP and a 126 ERA+. López had been working out of the bullpen since April 29 through June 26. Over that time, he had a 3.24 ERA over 25 innings. He rejoined the rotation on July 1 and allowed only one run from two hits over five innings. López pitched one inning of relief against the Mets in June, allowing no runs off of no hits and two walks. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-2, 2 K
• Brett Baty 0-2, BB, K
• Bo Bichette 2-4, 2B, K
• A.J. Ewing 0-1
• Francisco Lindor 3-23, HR, 3 BB, K
• Juan Soto 1-2, BB
• Tyrone Taylor 1-3, 2B, 2 K
• Luis Torrens 0-2, K
• Mark Vientos 0-1, BB

Game Notes

• The Mets acquired RHP Matt Seelinger from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for cash considerations. The Long Island native owns a 3.89 ERA across 27 games for the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Tyrone Taylor. Taylor has played in six games since returning from the injured list, going 5-for-14 with two home runs. He’ll look to make it three games in a row tonight. With the Mets looking like sellers as the deadline nears and Taylor at the end of his contract, don’t be surprised if the Mets move him. This is the time for Tyrone Taylor to show that he can play for a contender, or turn the Mets into a contender. (Wishful thinking?)
2. Top of the lineup clicking. Lindor, Soto and Bichette hit 1-2-3 yesterday and combined to go 6-for-13 with two walks, five runs scored and six RBIs. The Mets entered play yesterday at the bottom of the league in team OPS. Things will only get better for the Mets with their superstars performing like superstars.
3. Momentum? The Mets finally had a positive day at the plate with runners in scoring position on Sunday. They went 5-for-7 with RISP. In the previous week, the Mets had six hits with RISP. On the other hand, the Mets almost let it all slip away embarrassingly. Will that completely evaporate the good things the Mets did yesterday? Will the Braves come into the day pressing after almost completing a historic comeback?

Let’s go Mets!

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The New York Mets have scored three runs in each of their last four games. They have won one of those games by a shutout, lost one close game, and have been blown out twice. Taking a larger step back, the Mets have now lost 12 of their last 14 games. They entered this series against an Atlanta team that had lost eight of their last 10 games.

The Mets still have a chance to split this series, but that requires winning this afternoon’s game.

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Juan Soto – DH
3. Bo Bichette – 3B
4. Mark Vientos – 1B
5. Carson Benge – RF
6. Tyrone Taylor – LF
7. A.J. Ewing – CF
8. Luis Torrens – C
9. Brett Baty – 2B

Starting Pitcher: Nolan McLean

Nolan McLean has made 17 starts this season totaling 95 1/3 innings with a 3.78 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 1.122 WHIP, and a 110 ERA+. He’s coming off of a solid start where he held the Blue Jays scoreless over six innings, scattering five hits while striking out nine. It was his fifth solid start in his last six as he has been finding his groove again recently. In his last four starts he has struck out 31 batters over 23 innings.

Earlier in June he allowed two runs over four innings against the Braves who have the following career stats against him:

• Ozzie Albies 1-4, BB
• Drake Baldwin 1-3
• Mauricio Dubon 0-2
• Michael Harris II 0-5
• Matt Olson 0-5, 4 K
• Austin Riley 0-0, 2 BB
• Dominic Smith 1-2
• Mike Yastrzemski 1-2, K

Braves Lineup

1. Drake Baldwin – C
2. Ozzie Albies – 2B
3. Matt Olson – 1B
4. Michael Harris II – CF
5. Mauricio Dubon – LF
6. Dominic Smith – DH
7. Austin Riley – 3B
8. Mike Yastrzemski – RF
9. Jim Jarvis – SS

Starting Pitcher: Martin Pérez

Martín Pérez has pitched in 17 games this season making 13 starts totaling 77 innings with a 3.27 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 1.156 WHIP, and a 126 ERA+. In his last two starts he has allowed seven runs from seven hits, including three home runs, over nine innings of work.

In the two starts before that he allowed only two runs over 11 1/3 innings, including 5 1/3 innings of one run ball against the Mets. The Mets have the following career numbers against Pérez:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-4, 2 BB, K
• Brett Baty 1-2
• Carson Benge 0-2, K
• Bo Bichette 5-10, 2 2B, BB, K
• Francisco Lindor 8-19, 2B, 5 BB, K
• Juan Soto 4-10, HR, BB
• Tyrone Taylor2-3, BB
• Luis Torrens 0-6, BB, 3 K
• Mark Vientos 1-6, K
• Eric Wagaman 0-2, 2 K

Game Notes

Prior to Sunday’s game, the Mets announced that they selected the contract of relief pitcher Guillermo Zuñiga and sent right-handed pitcher Joey Gerber to Triple-A Syracuse.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Losing continues. The last several weeks have been real rough for the Mets. The Mets played .500 baseball for the couple of weeks in June, not gaining ground, but not really losing ground. Now they have entered another tailspin where they have lost 12 of 14 games and fired their manager.
2. Another game, the same problem. The Mets have been struggling massively with runners in scoring position over the last week. Saturday night, the Mets went 1-for-9 with RISP, leaving 11 runners on base. Overall, the Mets had 10 hits and two walks but were only able to turn that into three runs. All three runs the Mets scored came on home runs, which matches a trend we have seen this past week.
3. Juan Soto. Before Saturday night’s game, Juan Soto was named the National League’s All-Star starting lineup. It is his first time being an All-Star with the Mets after getting snubbed last season, a season where he ended with 6.1 bWAR, leading the league in stolen bases, walks, and on-base percentage. Soto has been having another All-Star quality season entering yesterday’s games leading the league in OBP, OPS, and OPS+.

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The Mets and Braves played one of the more memorable games in baseball history on July 4th in Atlanta back in 1985. The game went 19-innings and finished just before four in the morning. Hopefully the only history that repeats itself from that night is a Mets win, as this current Mets team is not set up to endure a marathon like that. Happy Independence Day!

Sean Manaea by Berto Carlo

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Juan Soto – LF
3. Bo Bichette – 3B
4. Mark Vientos – 1B
5. Eric Wagaman – DH
6. Francisco Alvarez – C
7. Carson Benge – RF
8. Tyrone Taylor – CF
9. Brett Baty – 2B

Starting Pitcher: Sean Manaea

Sean Manaea has pitched in 18 games and made four starts this season, totaling 63 innings with a 4.71 ERA, 3.65 FIP, 1.365 WHIP and an 88 ERA+. He’s coming off of a start where he allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings from three hits and two walks while striking out four. Overall in June, Manaea pitched 29 innings with a 3.72 ERA and 3.59 FIP, giving the Mets a bit more consistency in the rotation. This includes a start against the Braves where he held them to two runs over six innings. The Braves have the following career stats against Manaea:

• Ozzie Albies 1-6, 2B
• Joey Bart 1-6, 4 K
• Mauricio Dubon 2-9
• Michael Harris II 0-5, 3 K
• Ha-Seong Kim 1-12, BB, 2 K
• Jorge Mateo 0-4, K
• Matt Olson 3-8, HR, 3 K
• Austin Riley 3-6, HR, BB, 2 K
• Dominic Smith 2-4, BB
• Eli White 3-5, 2B, K
• Mike Yastrzemski 2-8, 3B, BB, 3 K

Opposing Lineup

1. Mauricio Dubón – LF
2. Drake Baldwin – DH
3. Ozzie Albies – 2B
4. Matt Olson – 1B
5. Austin Riley – 3B
6. Michael Harris II – CF
7. Eli White – RF
8. Joey Bart – C
9. Jorge Mateo – SS

Starting Pitcher: Chris Sale

Chris Sale is still Chris Sale, even at age 37. Over 15 starts this season, Sale has pitched 90 innings with a 2.10 ERA, 2.56 FIP, 1.078 WHIP, and a 196 ERA+. In his last two starts, he has allowed four runs but only one earned over 11 2/3 innings while striking out 17 batters. The Mets have the following career stats against Chris Sale:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-2
• Bo Bichette 0-3, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 14-38, 2 2B, 2 HR, BB, 9 K
• Ronny Mauricio 0-3, K
• Juan Soto 1-11, HR
• Tyrone Taylor 1-4, BB
• Luis Torrens 0-3
• Mark Vientos 0-3 2 K

Game Notes

• The Mets are 34-37 all-time on the fourth of July.
• Sean Manaea is set to take the bump tonight. Over his last nine games (four starts), he is 1-3 with a 3.63 ERA (16 ER/39.2 IP) with 11 walks and 38 strikeouts. This compares to his first nine appearances (0 starts) where he posted a 6.56 ERA (17 ER/23.1 IP) with 11 walks and 26 strikeouts.
• Juan Soto has 262 career home runs. That is tied for the 11th-most in MLB history prior to turning 28 with Frank Robinson. Giancarlo Stanton‘s next with 267. His 262 homers are 24th among active players…It is 21st all-time amongst players born in the Dominican Republic. George Bell is next with 265.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Surprises for Sean Manaea. Over the last month or so Sean Manaea has looked a lot more like his 2024 self. His Baseball Savant page still has quite a bit of blue on it, but there are some positives starting to pop out. His average exit velocity is 87.9 mph, good for the 68th percentile. He’s also getting hitters to chase 32.3% of the time, good for the 70th percentile. Considering his fastball velocity (90.3 mph, 4th percentile), these are positive surprises that he’s figuring out this version of himself.
2. Tweaks in Sale’s Pitch Selection. Last season, Sale used his slider and four-seamer almost 90% of the time. This year he has decreased his slider usage by 10% and his four-seamer a bit. Instead, he is throwing his changeup and sinker more. He tossed his changeup more in 2023 and 2024, but this year’s sinker usage is the highest since 2022.
3. July 4th, 1985. It’s a real shame that the SNY crew doesn’t have tonight’s broadcast. On Independence Day, 1985, the Mets and Braves played a 19-inning game that ended at 3:55 AM. Keith Hernandez hit for the cycle. Rick Camp, a pitcher on the Braves, hit an 18th-inning home run to send the game into the 19th inning. The Mets scored five runs in the top of the 19th to eventually win the game. The Braves still launched their 4th of July fireworks after the game, which functioned more like an alarm clock in Atlanta.

Let’s go Mets!

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The 2026 season has felt like series of one step forward, two steps backward moments. The Mets beat the Blue Jays 3-0 on Tuesday thanks to a pair of solo home runs and solid pitching. The next day, the Mets completely imploded behind Freddy Peralta. Now, they head to Atlanta for a four-game set. Both the Mets and the Braves have lost eight of their last ten games. The Mets are 15 games below .500 while the Braves are 15 games above, and are feeling the pressure from the Phillies right behind them. The Braves will be highly motivated to get a four-game sweep of the Mets this weekend. The Mets are just trying to survive right now.

Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

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

Starting Pitcher: Christian Scott

Scott has made 10 starts this season totaling 45 innings with a 3.20 ERA, 3.93 FIP, 1.333 WHIP and a 130 ERA+. His last start was his first since returning from the injured list, and he allowed two runs on three hits over 4 1/3 innings while striking out six against the Phillies. It was his second consecutive start striking out at least six batters, but also his second consecutive start allowing at least one home run.

The Braves have the following career stats against Scott:

• Ozzie Albies 0-3
• Joey Bart 0-2, K
• Michael Harris II 3-3
• Matt Olson 0-3, 3 K
• Austin Riley 0-2, BB, K
• Mike Yastrzemski 0-2, K

Opposing Lineup

1. Drake Baldwin – C
2. Ozzie Albies – 2B
3. Matt Olson – 1B
4. Mauricio Dubón – LF
5. Michael Harris II – CF
6. Dominic Smith – DH
7. Austin Riley – 3B
8. Mike Yastrzemski – RF
9. Jorge Mateo – SS

Grant Holmes has pitched in 16 games this season totaling 77 1/3 innings with a 3.96 ERA, 5.19 FIP, 1.358 WHIP and a 104 ERA+. In his last two starts, he has allowed one run over 8 2/3 innings on four hits and five walks while striking out eight. In his two starts before that, he allowed six runs on eight hits and five walks over 5 2/3 innings while striking out four.

The Mets have the following career stats against Holmes:

• Brett Baty 1-1, BB
• Bo Bichette 0-3, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 1-3, K
• Ronny Mauricio 1-2, K
• Juan Soto 0-3, BB
• Tyrone Taylor 0-3, 2 K
• Luis Torrens 0-3, 2 K
• Eric Wagaman 1-3, 2B

Game Notes

• Ewing is leading off for the first time in his major league career.
• Benge, meanwhile won’t bat in the top spot in the lineup for the first time since May 10.
• Scott is making the first start of his career at Truist Park, with his only prior outing against the Braves coming at Citi Field on May 11, 2024. He gave up three earned runs with eight strikeouts over six innings.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Carson Benge. Benge is coming off of a 2-for-4 afternoon on Wednesday with a solo home run, his 10th of the season. He now has a 1.5 bWAR with a 100 OPS+ for the season to go with 11 stolen bases. The power has really started to come out over the last month. Since June 2, he has slashed .281/.328/.491 with two doubles, two triples and six home runs. His xwOBA has been above the league average for his last 100 PA’s. Things are bleak for the Mets right now, but it’s not because of Benge.
2. Hitting with RISP. The Mets really struggled across the board on Wednesday. They only had one at-bat with RISP and went hitless. In their last four games, they’ve now gone 2-for-33 with RISP. The power is there for the Mets, who have launched four home runs in their last two games, but they’re just not doing it with a lot of runners on base.
3. Michael Harris II Fan Club. English football fans invaded Truist Park earlier this week and adopted Harris II as their favorite player. Maybe the Braves fans will have learned a few things from the English fans? Listen for chants like “There’s only one Michael Harris” which is quite funny considering he’s Michael Harris II and his son is Michael “Trip” Harris III.

Let’s go Mets!

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