Wednesday, September 20, 2023 • 6:40 PM
loanDepot Park • Miami, Florida
RHP Kodai Senga (11-7, 2.95) vs. RHP Eury Pérez (5-5, 3.06)
SNY

The Mets bid to play spoiler for two nights in a row failed late on Tuesday as the Marlins overcame the the Mets late-game comeback to walk it off in the ninth inning,.. Entering play today, the Diamondbacks have a half game lead on the second wild card spot. The Cubs snapped their losing streak and have the third wild card spot. The Marlins are a half-game behind the Cubs, and the Reds are sitting one game out. Meanwhile the Mets have “fallen” to ninth in the tankathon standings as every team they’re chasing lost last night except the Royals.

Kodai Senga. Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Mets Lineup

Kodai Senga is putting together a resume for either NL Rookie of the Year or, possibly, the NL Cy Young. Over 27 starts and 155 1/3 innings,  he has a 2.95 ERA, 3.46 FIP, 1.210 WHIP and a 143 ERA+. In his last five starts, Senga has pitched 32 2/3 innings (1.65 ERA, 3.17 FIP) allowing only six runs while striking out 42 batters. Since July 5th, he has made 12 starts with a 2.32 ERA, 2.88 FIP. The last time Senga faced the Marlins was way back at the start of the season where he allowed two runs from six hits and six walks over 11 1/3 innings (back-to-back starts) while striking out 14 batters. The Marlins have the following stats against Kodai:

Marlins Lineup

The Mets bats will get a look at Eury Pérez tonight. Over 18 starts and 88 1/3 innings, he has a 3.06 ERA, 3.94 FIP, 1.098 WHIP and a 145 ERA+. The Marlins are trying to be careful with Eury’s innings this season and he hasn’t thrown above 90 pitches since July 6th. In September he has allowed eight runs from 14 hits and six walks over 14 1/3 innings while striking out 16 batters. Four of the 14 home runs he’s allowed this season have come over his last three starts. This will be his first time facing the Mets.

Game Notes

Just ahead of Wednesday’s matchup, DJ Stewart was scratched from the Mets’ lineup and replaced by Rafael Ortega. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo notes that Stewart was spotted with a large ice wrap on his wrist.

Starling Marte is scheduled to play simulated games at Class A St. Lucie Thursday and Friday, followed by Triple-A games with Syracuse over the weekend. If the plan goes well, Marte is in line to return to the team in their final homestand.

A report surfaced on Wednesday that, while Pete Alonso and the Mets are aligned on financials on a potential extension, they disagree on the amount of years the contract would last. Billy Eppler released a statement later in the day refuting the report.

Mets OF prospect Jett Williams was named the team’s Minor League Player of the Year on Wednesday. Williams had an .876 OPS over three levels this season and hit his first Double-A home run last night to help lead the Binghamton Rumble Ponies to a Game 1 victory in their Eastern League Divisional Series. Pitcher Christian Scott, who had a 2.59 ERA over three levels, was named the team’s Pitcher of the Year.

While the Mets offense has been difficult to watch at times this year, one thing they have not struggled to do is hit dingers. The Mets are sitting at 197 team home runs, needing only three more to become the fifth Mets team to reach the 200 home-run plateau, with the most recent being the 2019 squad.

Three Things To Watch For

  1. Can Kodai Senga reach 200 strikeouts for the season? Senga is sitting at 191 strikeouts for the season. Reaching the 200 mark, while keeping his season ERA below 3.00, would be a nice boost to his resume for either ROY or Cy Young. If he reaches 200 strikeouts, Senga would be only the 13th Mets pitcher to achieve that in a season, and the first since Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.
  2. Jeff McNeil loves hitting in Miami. So far this series, Jeff McNeil has gone 5-for-8 at the plate with a double and a homer. Last night was McNeil’s third three-hit game since September 2nd. Over this stretch McNeil has gone 19-for-63 with eight extra-base hits. He’s finishing 2023 strong.
  3. Milestone Tracker. There was a little movement last night again on the milestones we are watching for the rest of the season as Lindor stole a base for the second night in a row. He is now sitting at 26 homers and 28 stolen bases on the season as time ticks down to reach 30-30. Pete Alonso has five more home runs to go until 50. Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Álvarez each have two more home runs to go for 25 on the season.

Let’s go Mets!