By Ed Delany of MMO

Tuesday, February 28, 2022 • 1:10 PM
Clover Park • Port St. Lucie, Florida
RHP Luis Garcia vs. LHP José Quintana
ESPN

The Mets look to get back in the (meaningless) win column today as they take on the Astros to close out the month of February. Yesterday, the Mets lost to the Cardinals 12-7 thanks to a big inning the Cardinals were able to put up against Jose Chacin.

But it’s spring and the results don’t exactly matter. David Peterson had a tremendous start to the game where he held the Cardinals to no hits and a walk while striking out three over two innings of work. Ronny Mauricio continued his hot start to spring, homering in a second straight game. Brett Baty went 1-for-2 at the plate with an opposite field single and William Lugo hit his first homer of the spring. A big day for the young guys trying to make noise.

Mets Lineup

Astros Lineup

Game Notes

Quintana makes his Mets debut today!

Mark Canha is playing in center field, even with Tommy Pham in the lineup. Eduardo Escobar is playing third base, though Buck Showalter said he may try to get him reps in left field. Team Venezuela might use him there, but it would also be beneficial to see his ability out there when Brett Baty eventually hits the major leagues.

Three Things To Watch For

  1. Eduardo Escobar: Escobar needs reps in left field in order to get ready for the World Baseball Classic. With the way Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio have been playing this spring, the Mets could be interested in a more versatile Eduardo Escobar. Remember this for the next time someone says something negative about the WBC. Right now Escobar is slated to start at third – we’ll see if Showalter shifts him to left at some point today.
  2. José Quintana: Quintana quietly had a strong year in 2022. Between the Pirates and the Cardinals, he had a 2.93 ERA over 32 starts and 165 2/3 innings. This was because he led the league in HR/9 at a paltry 0.4 (career 0.9). This is pretty much the polar opposite of his 2021 campaign where he pitched in 29 games making 10 starts with a 6.43 ERA and a 1.7 HR/9 innings.
  3. Look To The Backfields! Kodai Senga pitched live BP today and it was announced that he will start on Sunday.

Let’s go Mets!