Game Chat: Pirates vs. Mets, 7:10 P.M.

Monday, April 15, 2024 • 7:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
LHP Martín Pérez (1-0, 1.89) vs. RHP Adrian Houser (0-1, 5.40)
SNY

The Mets are rolling! With Sunday’s win over the Royals, the Mets have won three consecutive series and seven of their last ten games. The schedule for the Mets has been unforgiving to start the year, as many of the teams they’ve faced have overperformed and are rolling themselves. The Pirates find themselves in that position for a second consecutive year. They are 11-5, winning six of their last four, and have a +24 run differential, second-best in the NL Central. Can Adrian Houser throw them off their game?

Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Mets Lineup

Over his first two starts of the season, Houser has allowed six runs on 11 hits and five walks over ten innings of work. Almost all of his negative stats came in his last start, where the Braves racked up five runs over five innings against him. He had only one start against the Pirates last season and held them to one run from four hits and two walks over six innings while striking out five. The Pirates have the following career numbers against Houser:

Oneil Cruz 1-2, HR, K
Henry Davis, 0-3
Ke’Bryan Hayes, 4-17, 3 K
Connor Joe, 0-1
Andrew McCutchen, 1-4
Edward Olivares, 0-2
Bryan Reynolds, 6-21, 2B, HR, 3 BB, K
Jack Suwinksi, 1-3, HR, BB, K
Michael A. Taylor, 0-1, K
Alika Williams, 1-2

Opposing Lineup

Oneil Cruz, SS
Bryan Reynolds, LF
Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B
Rowdy Tellez, 1B
Andrew McCutchen, DH
Jack Suwinski, CF
Connor Joe, RF
Jared Triolo, 2B
Henry Davis, C

The Mets bats will get a look at Martín Pérez this evening. Pérez is in Pittsburgh now after his second stint with the Texas Rangers. He’s off to a good start this season with a 1.89 ERA, 3.14 FIP, 1.211 WHIP and a 229 ERA+ over three games (19 innings). He’s coming off his best start of the season, where he held the Tigers to one run over eight innings of work. Last season, Pérez had a stint as a long reliever and ended up facing the Mets twice in the same three-game set. Over both games, he allowed no runs off four hits over five innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

Pete Alonso, 0-9, 3 BB, K
Francisco Alvarez, 0-1
Francisco Lindor, 5-14, 5 BB, K
Starling Marte, 4-8, 2B, HR
Jeff McNeil, 4-10, 2B
Omar Narváez, 1-1
Brandon Nimmo, 4-11, 2B
Zack Short, 2-3
DJ Stewart, 0-1
Tyrone Taylor, 1-1, BB
Joey Wendle, 1-7

Game Notes

The Mets, Pirates and all of MLB will honor Jackie Robinson on Monday as they wear the number 42 on their jerseys tonight.
Entering their series with Pittsburgh, the Mets have won their last three series in a row against Kansas City, Atlanta and Cincinnati.
Prior to Monday’s game, Pete Alonso was announced as the National League Player of the Week.

Three Things To Watch For

Brandon Nimmo: Over his last eight games, Nimmo has gone 12-for-34 at the plate with three doubles, a triple and two homers. He’s scored seven times, and he has worked five walks. His .450 OBP has been setting the pace for the Mets. It’s a complete flip of his first six games of the season, where he went 1-for-21 at the plate with a .286 OBP.
Just collecting two-hit games: Harrison Bader got the start on Sunday after having Saturday off. In his last four games, he has collected eight hits, exactly two hits per game. His batting average is up to .302 for the season now. Further, he has scored five runs during this stretch (all but one of the runs he scored this season). He still hasn’t had an extra-base hit yet, but the Mets will absolutely take their 9th hitter constantly turning over the lineup with singles.
Reed Garrett: Garrett has been a critical piece for the Mets this season, soaking up innings when starters fall short, and has kept the Mets in games they had no business being in. In three games, he has allowed only three hits and two walks over 6 2/3 innings while striking out 11. Over the last five calendar days, he pitched once (Friday), tossing only 15 pitches.

Let’s go Mets!