Thursday, August 1, 2019 • 2:10 p.m. ET
Guaranteed Rate Field • Chicago, IL
RHP Zack Wheeler (7-6, 4.71) vs. RHP Dylan Cease (1-3, 6.86)
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • ESPN 1050 AM
Yesterday was the trade deadline and shockingly Zack Wheeler is still a Met. While the Mets didn’t improve any of the weaknesses on the roster (defense, bullpen, depth) the Mets didn’t trade away an pieces that may be critical in a run (sans-Vargas?) On top of that, the Mets actually won yesterday! That’s six games in a row for the Mets and they go for the sweep of the White Sox today. The Mets still have a lot of work to do to be in the wild card conversation but a win today wouldn’t hurt.
Mets Lineup
- Jeff McNeil RF
- Michael Conforto C
- Pete Alonso 1B
- Robinson Cano DH
- Wilson Ramos C
- J.D. Davis LF
- Todd Frazier 3B
- Amed Rosario SS
- Adeiny Hechavarria 2B
White Sox’s Lineup
- Leury Garcia RF
- Ryan Goins 3B
- Jose Abreu DH
- AJ Reed 1B
- Eloy Jimenez LF
- Welington Castillo C
- Tim Anderson SS
- Yolmer Sanchez 2B
- Adam Engel CF
Wheeler is still here and starting today! On the season he is 7-6 over 20 starts and 124.1 innings with a 4.71 ERA, 3.64 FIP, 1.271 WHIP and 87 ERA+. Last time out was his first start since returning from the IL and he allowed 3 runs off 6 hits and no walks in 5.1 innings. He just ran out of gas in that 6th inning and would have had a clean sheet if he was taken out of the game in the 5th inning. Only three White Sox on the roster have faced him in a major league game, including pitcher Ivan Nova who I’m fairly confident won’t be taking an at bat against Wheeler tonight. Welington Castillo is 1-2 with a strikeout while Jon Jay has gone 0-3 with three strikeouts.
Rookie Dylan Cease will make his 5th major league start today against the Mets. The first two starters the Mets faced in this series (Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez) were acquired in the Adam Eaton trade. Cease (with Eloy Jimenez) was acquired in the trade that sent Jose Quintana across town to the Cubs. The 23 year-old is 1-3 over 4 games and 21.0 innings with a 6.86 ERA, 5.56 FIP, 1.619 WHIP and 69 ERA+. In AAA Charlotte this year, Cease posted a 4.48 ERA and 1.566 WHIP over 68.1 innings. Over his career in the minors (where he has never been older than the average player in his league) he has a 3.02 ERA and 1.233 WHIP in 354.1 innings of work.
Game Notes
The Mets are looking for their sixth sweep of the season and their third on the road. A win today would give the Mets their first sweep over the White Sox in franchise history. It would mark the team’s first sweep on the road since a two-game sweep of the Twins in Minnesota from July 16-17.
The Mets struck out 15 batters last night for the second consecutive game.That marks the second time in franchise history that the Mets have struck out 15 or more batters in back-to-back games. The Mets also accomplished that feat from July 7-8 this year
New York owns second-best winning percentage in the majors (.706, 12-5) since the All-Star break. Only the Giants (.737, 14-5) have a better winning percentage after the break.
Let’s Go Mets!
