Carlos Carrasco. Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Sunday, July 23, 2023 • 7:10 PM
Fenway Park • Boston, Massachusetts
RHP Carlos Carrasco (3-3, 5.35) vs. LHP Brennan Bernadino (1-0, 2.48)
ESPN

The New York Mets and Boston Red Sox play a rubber game tonight after splitting the doubleheader yesterday. The Mets won the first game of the afternoon 5-4, a game that they were leading 4-3 before the rain suspended the game in the fourth inning.

The nightcap was a much messier affair for the Mets as Max Scherzer allowed five runs and the bullpen immediately allowed three more. The Mets were able to make it close, but couldn’t complete the comeback and lost 8-6.

Mets Lineup

Carlos Carrasco has pitched 65 2/3 innings this season with a 5.35 ERA, 5.95 FIP, 1.447 WHIP, and a 77 ERA+. He’s coming off of a rougher start where he allowed four runs over 4 2/3 innings, in a game where the Mets eventually won 11-10.

Before that, he pitched an absolute gem, allowing no runs and three hits over eight innings in Arizona.

The Red Sox have the following career numbers against him:

Red Sox Lineup

Alex Cora put the Red Sox in a interesting position yesterday. Today was always going to be a bullpen day for the Red Sox, probably featuring an opener with Pivetta doing the bulk of the work after. Pivetta only pitched an inning yesterday, but that’s enough to mean the bullpen is going to need to do a lot more today.

Brennan Bernardino is slated to starts things off for the Red Sox. Over 28 games, including three starts, he has pitched 32 2/3 innings with a 2.48 ERA, 2.86 FIP, 1.041 WHIP, and a 189 ERA+. As a starter, he has pitched 5 1/3 innings allowing only one run from three hits while striking out seven. Two innings is the most he has tossed in any game this season and the most amount of pitches he’s tossed is 36.

On Friday night (really Saturday) against the Mets, he allowed two hits and a run over an inning of work. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

Game Notes

Outfielder Tommy Pham (groin) is not in the lineup today but reportedly plans to be in the lineup Tuesday and is available off the bench today.

Over his last three games, Pete Alonso is 5-for-12 with three runs, two doubles, one triple and an RBI. He is one double away from number 100 in his career.

Brandon Nimmo has hit 15 home runs in 96 games this season. Nimmo’s career-high is 17 home runs, which he accomplished in 140 games in 2018.

The Mets are 10-6 through 16 games this month. The team’s .625 winning percentage is tied for eighth in the majors and fourth in the National League.

Three Things To Watch For

  1. Mark Vientos! Vientos pinch hit and then stayed in the game afterwards in the first game Saturday, going 1-for-2 at the plate with a strikeout. Then he got to start in the nightcap going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Vientos struggled when he was initially called up this season. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets the call once again today.
  2. Pete Alonso! Alonso needed a good weekend at the plate in the absolute worst way, and he got it. He went 2-for-4 in both games, collecting a double and a triple in the nightcap. If the Mets are going to make a run, they absolutely need Alonso’s bat to heat up.
  3. The Red Sox Bullpen. The Red Sox used four pitchers in the first game yesterday (Joe Jacques, Bernardino, Richard Bleier, and Chris Martin) and four pitchers in the second game (Josh Winckowski, Pivetta, Justin Garza, and Kenley Jansen). The Mets need to take advantage of a tired bullpen this evening.