Friday, September 6, 2019 • 7:10 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Zach Eflin (8-11, 4.33) vs. LHP Steven Matz (9-8, 4.04)
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • ESPN 1050 AM
Despite one heartbreaking, crazy loss on the road trip, the Mets road trip on paper was mostly a success – going 4-2 against two very good teams. Because of the previous week though, they really needed to do better than that in order to have clear path to the playoff’s and now they start an incredibly important home stand first with the Phillies and then with the Diamondbacks. The Mets are 5.0 games out of the second wild card and 7.0 out of the first one. The Phillies are 4.0 and 6.0 games out respectively and the Diamondbacks are 3.5 and 5.5 games out. The Mets can leap frog themselves above the mess of teams on the bubble this week. The Mets can be pushed way behind the pack this week.
Mets Lineup
- Jeff McNeil – LF
- Pete Alonso – 1B
- Michael Conforto – RF
- Wilson Ramos – C
- Robinson Cano – 2B
- Amed Rosario – SS
- Brandon Nimmo – CF
- Todd Frazier – 3B
- Steven Matz – LHP
Phillies Lineup
- Jean Segura – SS
- J.T. Realmuto – C
- Bryce Harper – RF
- Rhys Hoskins – 1B
- Scott Kingery – CF
- Cesar Hernandez – 2B
- Maikel Franco – 3B
- Jose Pirela – LF
- Zach Eflin – RHP
Steven Matz will do his best to make sure the Mets are in the win column tonight. He is 9-8 over 27 games and 25 starts totaling 133.2 innings with a 4.04 ERA, 4.50 FIP, 1.309 WHIP and 102 ERA+. His last start was against the Phillies where he allowed 3 runs, 2 earned over 5.0 innings off 7 hits and a walk. In his last five starts he has allowed 7 runs over 30.0 innings – a 2.10 ERA with opponents slashing .205/.252/.366 against him. The Phillies have the following batting lines against Matz:
- Bryce Harper 9-26, 4 2B, HR, 3 BB, 5 K
- Rhys Hoskins 3-18, 3 HR, 3 BB, 2 K
- Cesar Hernandez 9-17, 2B, 5 BB, 2 K
- J.T. Realmuto 5-19, 2B, 2 BB
- Scott Kingery 6-14, 2 HR, 2 K
- Maikel Franco 5-10, 2 HR
- Jean Segura 5-10, 2B, 3B, HR
The Mets bats look to welcome Zach Eflin to Queens. He is 8-11 over 23 games and 135.0 innings this year with a 4.33 ERA, 4.72 FIP, 1.341 WHIP and 105 ERA+. His last start was against the Mets and it was quite good, allowing 1 run over 7.0 innings in a game the Phillies won 5-2. He’s now allowed 3 runs over his last 13.0 innings of work. On the season against the Mets he has allowed 11 runs, 10 earned, over 16.0 innings from 18 hits and 3 walks. The Mets have the following numbers against him:
- Michael Conforto 6-24, 2 2B, 2 HR, BB, 4 K
- Jeff McNeil 3-15, 2B, 3B, 2 BB, 3 K
- Amed Rosario 6-16, 3 2B, 2 K
- Todd Frazier 4-11, 2 HR, 6 K
- Brandon Nimmo 1-9, 2 BB, 3 K
- Joe Panik 0-7, 3 BB
- Pete Alonso 3-7, HR, K
- Wilson Ramos 3-6, 2B, HR, 2 BB
Game Notes
Pete Alonso has reached base safely in 30-straight games since August 2, the longest active streak in the majors and the longest ever by a Mets rookie.
Jeff McNeil is hitting .407 (37-91) with 12 doubles, 12 homers and a 1.353 OPS on the first pitch of an at-bat this season. Is first in the majors with 24 extra-base hits and tied for first with 12 homers this season on the first pitch. His 12 homers with a 0-0 count are tied for the most by a Met (Ike Davis, 2012) since data tracking began in 1988.
Let’s Go Mets!
