Game Two • Thursday, April 28, 2024 • 4:20 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Matt Manning (0-0, -.–) vs. RHP Jose Buttó (0-0, -.–)
SNY

The Mets dropped game one of the doubleheader in 11 innings, 6-3. The Mets are now 0-5 to start the season.

The tri-state has had an incredibly rainy start of the week, and the last two Mets games were postponed and pushed to today. This creates a new challenge for the Mets, who will play 15 games over the next 14 days.

The Mets are calling up Jose Buttó to be the 27th man and starting pitcher for the second game, which should prevent one of the current Mets starters from pitching on short rest down the road. Further, the Mets signed Julio Teherán to a major league contract, and Julio will slot into the rotation for an injured Tylor Megill.

Mets Lineup

  1. Brandon Nimmo DH
  2. Francisco Lindor SS
  3. Pete Alonso 1B
  4. Brett Baty 3B
  5. Starling Marte RF
  6. Tyrone Taylor LF
  7. Omar Narváez C
  8. Harrison Bader CF
  9. Joey Wendle 2B

Jose Buttó gets the start for the Mets in the afternoon game today. Buttó had a successful season with the Mets last year, making seven starts over nine games and 42 innings of work. During that time, he had a 3.64 ERA, 4.02 FIP, 1.333 WHIP, and a 117 ERA+. This includes an outing against the Tigers where he allowed one run over 2 1/3 innings last May. He also had a tremendous spring for the Mets, allowing only one run from nine hits over ten innings while striking out nine batters.

Opposing Lineup

  1. Parker Meadows CF
  2. Spencer Torkelson 1B
  3. Kerry Carpenter RF
  4. Riley Greene DH
  5. Mark Canha LF
  6. Colt Keith 2B
  7. Andy Ibáñez 3B
  8. Javier Báez SS
  9. Jake Rogers C

Matt Manning will make his 2024 debut today. He made 15 starts for the Tigers last season, tossing 78 innings with a 3.58 ERA, 4.81 FIP, 1.038 WHIP with a 124 ERA+ (career best). His season was interrupted last April when he fractured his foot by taking a comebacker against the Blue Jays. He returned in late June and picked up where he left off.

In September, he took another comebacker to the same foot, broke it again, and missed the rest of the season. Similar to Buttó, Manning just missed the last spot in the Tigers’ rotation and is being called up for today’s doubleheader. Casey Mize, the starter in game one, narrowly beat Manning out for the rotation spot.

Game Notes

J.D. Martinez could join a Mets affiliate on Friday. All four of the Mets’ full-season affiliates will be in action for the first time this year. The Triple-A Syracuse Mets began their season last week, but have been postponed two days in a row.

Three Things To Watch For

  1. The top of the lineup sets the tone. In Monday night’s game, the top of the lineup (Nimmo, Lindor, Alonso) went 0-for-11 with two walks. Nimmo and Lindor are off to cold starts this season and Alonso had his first rough game of the season. When the top of the lineup fully turns around, the whole team will follow.
  2. Reed Garrett: Reed Garrett was recalled before the start of Monday’s game, with Tylor Megill landing on the injured list. Over nine games last season, Garrett pitched 17 innings with a 5.82 ERA, 4.90 FIP, 1.235 WHIP, and a 74 ERA+. In one game this season, he pitched two innings for Syracuse, allowing a hit and nothing else while striking out four batters. If there is an extended delay in the middle of today’s game or a doubleheader later this week, the Mets are going to need Garrett to eat some innings save the bullpen.
  3. Roster Management: Today is going to be an early test of Carlos Mendoza and David Stearns’ roster management. The Mets are about to embark on a 15-game, 14-day quest. Only one starting pitcher for the Mets, Sean Manaea, has thrown a pitch in the sixth inning this year.

Let’s go Mets!