Saturday, July 27, 2019 • 7:10 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Trevor Williams (3-3, 4.96) vs. LHP Steven Matz (5-6, 4.75)
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • ESPN 1050 AM

The Mets look to take the series against the Pirates tonight while the ball club celebrates the 50th anniversary of humankind walking on the moon. On the baseball side, the Mets will try the astronomical feat of focusing on a baseball game while a plethora of trade rumors rockets past Citi-Field. Will the Mets trade Noah Syndergaard? Will they trade Zack Wheeler? Does anyone actually want Todd Frazier? Has Jason Vargas’ mouth torpedoed his trade chances?

Mets Lineup

  1. Jeff McNeil  RF
  2. Michael Conforto  CF
  3. Pete Alonso  1B
  4. Robinson Cano  2B
  5. Wilson Ramos  C
  6. Todd Frazier  3B
  7. J.D. Davis  LF
  8. Amed Rosario  SS
  9. Steven Matz  P

Pirates Lineup

  1. Kevin Newman  2B
  2. Melky Cabrera  LF
  3. Starling Marte  CF
  4. Josh Bell  1B
  5. Bryan Reynolds  RF
  6. Jose Osuna  3B
  7. Jung Ho Kang  SS
  8. Jacob Stallings  C
  9. Trevor Williams  P

We don’t have to worry about our starting pitcher being pulled early today for #HugWatch! Steven Matz is 5-6 over 20 games and 18 starts logging 91.0 innings with a 4.75 ERA, 5.20 FIP, 1.462 WHIP and 86 ERA+. Since returning to the rotation he has pitched 10.0 innings allowing four runs from 11 hits and two walks and only one homer.

Matz faced the Pirates twice last year and slightly above average in one start and slightly below average in the other leading to seven earned runs overall between 13 innings of work from nine hits and two walks. The Pirates have the following numbers against Matz:

The Mets bats draw Trevor Williams who has started 14 games and pitched 81.2 innings this year with a 4.96 ERA, 4.47 FIP, 1.359 WHIP, and 88 ERA+. Williams is coming off of a strong 2018 campaign where he posted a 3.11 ERA, 3.86 FIP, 1.178 WHIP and 127 ERA+ over 31 starts and his last time out he showed that version of himself, allowing two runs, one earned, over five innings.

Williams missed some time this year due to injury and since returning has allowed 26 runs, 25 earned, over 27.2 innings (and that includes his good start his last time out). His one start against the Mets last year was a good one, holding the Mets scoreless from five hits and three walks in six innings. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

Let’s Go Mets!

Game Notes 

The Mets are tied for fourth in the majors with 69 first-inning runs. New York ranks second with a .301 batting average in the first frame, behind Cincinnati (.309) and third in OBP (.358), trailing Cincinnati (.374) and Colorado (.360).

Luis Avilan hasn’t allowed a run in eight outings (5.1 innings) since his return from the Injured List on July 2. Seth Lugo has hurled 10.2 scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts and a save over his last 10 games. Edwin DÍaz has four saves in his last seven outings (six scoreless innings).

Wilson Ramos has hit at least 10 home runs in every season since 2013. He is the only catcher in the majors with double-digit home runs in each of the last seven years.

The Mets have posted a 2.81 ERA (39 earned runs/125 innings) since the All-Star break, the second-best mark in the majors and the best in the NL. The Mets are only one of two teams to own an ERA under 3.00 after the break. Cleveland leads MLB with a 2.69 mark after the break.

Michael Conforto has 94 home runs for his career. He is tied for 17th on the Mets all-time home run list. With another blast, he would tie Curtis Granderson and Bobby Bonilla for 15th all-time. Conforto is looking to become the 14th player in franchise history to hit at least 100 home runs for the club.