Saturday, September 19, 2026 • 4:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Andrew Painter (3-9, 5.54) vs. RHP Christian Scott (4-5, 3.76)
SNY

The New York Mets will retire Carlos Beltrán’s number today in a ceremony before the game. The Hall of Famer was inducted in July. Over 20 seasons, he racked up 70 bWAR with 435 home runs, playing some great center field. Beltrán signed a seven-year contract with the Mets after the 2004 season and was a leader on the 2006 Mets, blasting 41 home runs. He’s an icon of his era, and his number now joins his teammate, David Wright.

There’s also baseball to play today! The Mets finally snapped their five-game losing streak Friday night. Heading into play today, all three NL Wild Card Teams have the same record. The Diamondbacks, the only other team that can enter the playoff picture, are five games out. It would be great for the Mets to make the Phillies sweat out the last 10 days or so of the season by beating them this weekend.

May 30, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Christian Scott (45) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

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

Starting Pitcher: Christian Scott

Christian Scott has made 22 starts this season, totaling 105 1/3 innings with a 3.76 ERA, 3.73 FIP, 1.263 WHIP, and a 108 ERA+. He’s coming off a solid start against the Yankees, where he held them to only two runs over six innings in the Bronx. In his two September starts, he allowed only four runs from seven hits over 10 2/3 innings. Scott has done well so far against the Phillies this season, where he allowed only two runs over 10 innings while striking out 13 batters. The Phillies have the following career stats against him:

Opposing Lineup

  1. Kyle Schwarber – DH
  2. Trea Turner – SS
  3. Bryce Harper – RF
  4. Luis Arraez – 2B
  5. Alec Bohm – 1B
  6. Bryson Stott – 3B
  7. Brandon Marsh – LF
  8. J.T. Realmuto – C
  9. Justin Crawford – CF

Starting Pitcher: Andrew Painter

Andrew Painter has pitched in 23 games, making 21 starts totaling 115 1/3 innings with a 5.54 ERA, 4.75 FIP, 1.439 WHIP, and an 83 ERA+. Painter has either been fantastic or terrible over the last four weeks or so. He has multiple starts where he has allowed only one run and even has seven-out shutouts. He’s also had multiple starts where he has allowed five runs. This will be his first start against the Mets, and no one on the Mets has faced him before in a Major League game.

Game Notes

  • RHP Cameron Weston was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse following Friday’s game. LHP Cionel Pérez has been reinstated from the 15-day Injured List.
  • Today, the New York Mets will induct Carlos Beltrán into the team’s Hall of Fame as well as retire his uniform number. Beltrán will become the ninth player in franchise history to have his number retired by the Mets. Beltrán ranks in the Top 10 in team history in home runs, RBI, runs scored, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS.
  • The New York Mets announced the club will honor legendary broadcaster Howie Rose with a special retirement
    ceremony prior to the team’s final regular season home game of the 2026 season on Sunday, September 20 against the Philadelphia Phillies at 1:10 p.m. at Citi Field. Rose, whose unmistakable voice has been part of Mets baseball for nearly four decades, announced that the 2026 season would be his final year in the Mets radio booth. The first 15,000 fans will receive a “Put it in the books” notebook and scorecard.

Three Things To Watch For

  1. Top of the Lineup. Three of the first four hitters in the Mets lineup went off Friday night, setting the tone. Lindor, Soto, and Benge combined to go 7-for-13 with two doubles and a home run. Keep the pressure up!
  2. Ronny Mauricio. Mauricio is back up with the Mets with the injury to Jared Young. Mauricio has been hitting .180/.180/.260 over 17 games with the Mets, with a stint in April and a stint in late June and early July. Over 71 games with Syracuse, he has hit .261/.302/.493 with 18 home runs. In his last 15 games, he has hit .188/.224/.328. It would be great for the Mets to find him some positive at-bats before the end of the season.
  3. Milestones. The milestones are mostly unchanged. Francisco Lindor is still only one home run away from 300 for his career. Carson Benge is two homes away from a 20-20 season. Thanks to Juan Soto’s home run yesterday, if he ends the season on a hot streak and hits four more home runs, he can reach 30 this season.

Let’s go Mets!