David Peterson. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, September 9, 2023 • 2:10 PM
Target Field • Minneapolis, MN
LHP David Peterson (3-7, 5.40) vs. RHP Kenta Maeda (3-7, 4.73)
SNY

The Mets will try to get back in the win column this afternoon as they take on the Twins in game two of their three-game set. Kodai Senga kept the Mets in the game last night but the bullpen behind him melted down as the Mets allowed three runs in the seventh inning to give the Twins a 5-2 lead. The Twins never looked back after that and could take the series today.

Mets Lineup

Brandon Nimmo CF
Jeff McNeil LF
Pete Alonso 1B
Francisco Lindor SS
Daniel Vogelbach DH
DJ Stewart RF
Ronny Mauricio 2B
Brett Baty 3B
Omar Narváez C

David Peterson goes for the Mets tonight. Over 23 games and 88 1/3 innings, he has a 5.40 ERA, 4.73 FIP, 1.608 WHIP and a 77 ERA+. He’s coming off of a start where he allowed four runs over four innings against the Mariners, the second time in three starts he allowed that many runs. Curiously, thanks to the new interplay roles in baseball, this will be his third consecutive start against an American League team. Very few Twins have faced him before in a major league game:

Opposing Lineup

Donovan Solano 1B
Jorge Polanco 2B
Royce Lewis DH
Carlos Correa SS
Jordan Luplow LF
Kyle Farmer 3B
Ryan Jeffers C
Matt Wallner RF
Willi Castro CF

The Mets bats will get to see Kenta Maeda this afternoon. In 17 starts throwing 83 2/3 innings, Maeda has a 4.73 ERA, 4.08 FIP, 1.267 WHIP and a 92 ERA+. Over his last four starts, he has pitched 18 innings, allowing 15 runs (7.50 ERA, 6.04 FIP) from 27 hits including five homers. The Mets have the following career numbers against Maeda:

  • Omar Narváez 1-8, K, 2 BB
  • Francisco Lindor 1-5, 2 K, 2 BB
  • Tim Locastro 0-2
  • Brandon Nimmo 1-1, HR
  • Rafael Ortega 0-1, K
  • DJ Stewart 0-1

Game Notes

Kodai Senga has recorded 181 strikeouts. That is the second-most strikeouts by a rookie in franchise history. He is 10-7 with a 3.07 ERA (51 ER/149.1 IP) with 70 walks and 181 strikeouts in 26 starts this season. His 3.07 ERA ranks sixth in the majors and third in the National League.

Ronny Mauricio went 0-3 last night, snapping his career-opening hitting streak at five games. He is batting .364 (8-22) with one run, one double, one RBI, and three steals in his first six career games. He is one of five players in franchise history to record a hit in each of his first five career major league games.

The Mets are on their penultimate road trip of the season. New York has nine road games remaining in the 2023 campaign. New York has posted a 29-43 record on the road this year.

Three Things To Watch For

  1. Francisco Lindor milestones. Lindor is still four homers and four stolen bases away from a 30-30 season. He had both RBIs yesterday, putting him at 85 on the season. His best RBI season was last year where he had 107. While that’s probably not attainable in the final three weeks of the season, he’s only nine RBI from tying his second-best single-season mark (92, 2018). He’s also only 15 away from 100 on the season. It’s a reach, but not impossible.
  2. David Peterson milestones. Peterson is only five strikeouts away from his second consecutive season with at least 100 strikeouts. He’s also only 11 2/3 innings away from throwing 100+ innings in the majors for the second time in his career. If Peterson throws two more quality starts, he’ll hit these milestones easily.
  3. Carlos Correa. Carlos Correa was almost a Met. Honestly, the whole Correa saga feels like a lifetime ago. He had a big night yesterday against his quasi-former team going 2-for-3 at the plate with his 18th homer of the season. Do the Mets keep him in check tonight or does this become the Correa weekend?

Let’s go Mets!