The New York Mets will look to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins tonight, when RHP Noah Syndergaard opposes RHP Edinson Volquez in a nationally broadcast matchup at Citi Field. The two teams will close out their weekend series on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, coverage begins at 8:00 PM. The game can also be heard on WOR 710 AM and ESPN 1050 AM.
Five of the last seven times the Mets have made the playoffs, the club began the year 2-3. New York opened the season 2-3 last year, in 2015, 2000, 1988 and 1986. The two years the Mets qualified for the postseason and started better than 2-3 was in 1999 (3-2) and 2006 (4-1).
Following tonight’s game, the Mets will embark on their first road trip of the year to Philadelphia and Miami. The Mets were 43-38 on the road in 2016. The 43 road victories were tied for the eighth-most in a single season in team history and the most since they also won 43 games in 2011.
Marlins Lineup
- Dee Gordon (L) 2B
- J.T. Realmuto (R) C
- Christian Yelich (L) CF
- Giancarlo Stanton (R) RF
- Justin Bour (L) 1B
- Marcell Ozuna (R) LF
- Derek Dietrich (L) 3B
- Miguel Rojas (R) SS
- Edinson Volquez (R) P
Mets Lineup
- José Reyes – 3B
- Asdrúbal Cabrera – SS
- Yoenis Céspedes – LF
- Jay Bruce – RF
- Neil Walker – 2B
- Lucas Duda – 1B
- Michael Conforto – CF
- René Rivera – C
- Noah Syndergaard – RHP
Noah Syndergaard will make his second start of the season tonight coming off of a strong first start and a blister injury that pushed him back one day. On Opening Day he pitched 6.0 scoreless innings allowing five hits, no walks while striking out seven Braves. Syndergaard faced the Marlins three times last year pitching 20.0 innings allowing 18 hits and 4 runs (1.80 ERA) while walking 2 and striking out 29. The Marlins have the following numbers against Noah:
- Ozuna 3-8, HR
- Stanton 0-8, 5 K
- Yelich 2-9, 2B
- Bour 4-8, 2B
- Hechavarria 2-8
- Dietrich 3-7, 2B
- Gordon 1-6
The Mets bats will get a look at Edinson Volquez who the Mets know well from the 2015 World Series. After being with the Royals last year he signed as a free agent to the Marlins this year and had a strong outing for his Marlins debut going 5.0 innings allowing 4 hits, no runs with a walk and 6 strikeouts. He faced the Mets at the start of last year and went 6.0 innings holding the Mets to 2 hits and no runs while walking 3 and struck out 5. That was about the only positive game for him on the season as he finished going 10-11 over 34 games and a 5.37 ERA with a league leading 113 earned runs. The Mets have the following numbers against Edinson:
- Granderson 2-16, 2 HR, 5 BB, 6 K
- Bruce 8-16, 2B, HR, 4 BB
- Duda 4-14, 2B, 5 BB, 3 K
- Walker 3-19, 2B
- Cabrera 5-15, HR
- d’Arnaud 1-12
- Reyes 8-12, 2B, 3B
- Cespedes 3-12
As a team the Mets have 131 AB’s against Edinson with 35 hits and 22 walks, making for a .365 OBP.
Let’s Go Mets!
