Jerad Eickhoff, Credit: Anthony DiComo, MLB.com

Monday, June 21, 2021 • 8:08 P.M.
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Jerad Eickhoff (0-0, -.–) vs. RHP Ian Anderson (4-3, 3.58)
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • WQBU 92.7 FM

The nightcap for the Mets and the Braves will be both familiar and new territory. Jerad Eickhoff will make his New York Mets debut – that’s new. He will be facing the Atlanta Braves, which is familiar for the long-time Phillie.

Eickhoff joins the Mets after not playing in the majors in 2020. After the 2019 season, he signed with the Padres, who didn’t use him in the 2020 season, then he later signed with the Rangers, who also didn’t use him in 2020. In his last season with the Phillies, he pitched 58 1/3 innings over 12 games with a 5.71 ERA, 6.51 FIP, 1.30 WHIP, and a 77 ERA+. So far in the minors, he has made eight starts and pitched 44 innings for the Syracuse Mets with a 5.32 ERA. With Joey Lucchesi and Robert Gsellman both on the IL, Eickhoff has a chance to stick around for a bit if he does well Monday night (unless he’s the next player on the way out with the Mets’ current roster crunch).

Mets Lineup

  1. Jonathan Villar – 3B
  2. Francisco Lindor – SS
  3. Jeff McNeil – 2B
  4. Pete Alonso – 1B
  5. Dominic Smith – LF
  6. James McCann – C
  7. Kevin Pillar – CF
  8. Billy McKinney – RF
  9. Jerad Eickhoff – SP

Braves Lineup

  1. Ronald Acuna Jr. – RF
  2. Freddie Freeman – 1B
  3. Ozzie Albies – 2B
  4. Abraham Almonte – LF
  5. Austin Riley – 3B
  6. Dansby Swanson – SS
  7. William Contreras – C
  8. Guillermo Heredia – CF
  9. Ian Anderson – SP

In Eickhoff’s one start against the Braves in 2019, Atlanta scored five runs off of six hits and a walk in one inning of work. They have the following career numbers against him:

The Mets’ bats will try to find themselves against Ian Anderson, who has made 13 starts and pitched 70 1/3 innings this season with a 3.58 ERA, 3.37 FIP, 1.22 WHIP, and a 122 ERA+. In his last four starts (19 1/3 innings), he has allowed 12 runs off 12 hits and six walks while striking out 21 batters, good for a 5.59 ERA. In three of those four starts, he has allowed exactly four runs, and in the other start, he shut out the Phillies over seven innings. One of those starts was also against the Mets! New York got him for four runs over four innings from seven hits and a walk in a game the Mets eventually won, 13-2. They have the following numbers against Ian:

Let’s Go Mets!