David Peterson. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Sunday, July 2, 2023 • 7:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, New York
RHP Ross Stripling (0-2, 6.88) vs. LHP David Peterson (2-6, 7.00)
ESPN

The calendar flipped to July and the New York Mets have started winning again! It’s a sample size of one, but a win is a win. The Mets got a flurry of solo homers and an outstanding start from Justin Verlander en route to a 4-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Now, the Mets have a chance to win a series for the first time since June 1.

Mets Lineup

David Peterson gets a second-straight start in the rotation this evening. José Quintana is close to joining the Mets’ rotation and a decision will need to be made about whether the Mets stick to a five-man rotation or jump to a six-man.

Peterson made that decision a bit more interesting in his last start, tossing six scoreless innings against the Milwaukee Brewers. He worked out of multiple jams and gave one of his best efforts of the season. Over nine starts and 45 innings, he has a 7.00 ERA, 4.57 FIP, 1.689 WHIP, and a 59 ERA+.

He faced the Giants back on April 22, in a forgettable start, where he allowed seven runs via seven hits and a walk over five innings. The Giants have the following numbers against him:

Giants Lineup

Ross Stripling will make his first start tonight since coming off the injured list about a week ago. In ten games this season (five starts), Stripling has a 6.88 ERA, 6.25 FIP, 1.557 WHIP, and a 63 ERA+. He tossed 50 pitches in relief on June 28, holding the Toronto Blue Jays to one run and four hits over three innings. It was arguably his best outing of the season.

Stripling faced the Mets at the end of April and allowed three runs (two earned) over 3 1/3 innings after allowing six hits. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

Game Notes

Buck Showalter said in his pre-game press conference that José Quintana will make another start in the minor leagues.

Tonight, the Mets are seeking their first series win since their three-game sweep of the Phillies from May 30 – June 2. New York has lost or split each of their last eight series.

This season, the Mets have hit 103 home runs through their first 83 games, the seventh-most in franchise history during that span.

Three Things To Watch For

  1. Giants’ bullpen usage questions. Anthony DeSclafani lasted only three innings yesterday, giving up three solo homers. Sean Manaea came in after him and pitched three innings. Between Friday and Saturday, Manaea has tossed 71 pitches, Taylor Rogers 21, Tyler Rogers 19, and Jakob Junis 17 (over two innings). Ross Stripling has thrown five innings only three times this year, and was effective in only one of those starts. The Mets can do themselves a lot of favors tonight if they work counts early in the game and put the Giants in a pitching conundrum.
  2. The return of the homer-happy offense. Three of the Mets’ runs yesterday came on solo homers (Álvarez, Nimmo, Lindor). For Álvarez, it was his first homer since June 10. Nimmo and Lindor were continuing their power-hitting summer. It would be nice if the Mets can get runners on before they hit a blast, but after the way the offense has been the last week, it’s just nice to see them hitting blasts.
  3. Another day, another notable stat for Pham. After going 8-for-11 in his last three games, a 1-for-3 day at the plate seems a bit like a let down. The hottest hitter in the Mets’ lineup hit a double and drove in a run yesterday. Pham’s RBI was the only RBI not from solo homer.