Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Monday, June 19, 2023 • 8:10 PM
Minute Maid Park • Houston, Texas
RHP Max Scherzer (5-2, 4.45) vs. RHP Hunter Brown (6-3, 3.35)
SNY

The New York Mets look to put another frustrating weekend of baseball behind them as they head down to Houston to start a series with the Astros tonight.

On Friday night, the Mets cruised to victory over the struggling Cardinals. They had chances on Saturday but couldn’t cash in, as the Cardinals beat them 5-3. Yesterday, Carlos Carrasco couldn’t get the job done on the mound. Despite the Mets scoring seven runs, they couldn’t overcome the Cardinals and lost 8-7. It was a disappointing weekend. However, Tommy Pham said after the game that all it takes to turn it around is for the Mets to go on a bit of a run.

Can they start that tonight?

Mets Lineup

Max Scherzer looks to take a step in the right direction for himself and the team tonight. Over 11 starts and 56 2/3 innings, he has a 4.45 ERA, 4.35 FIP, 1.235 WHIP, and a 94 ERA+. Scherzer has had only two seasons in his career, 2011 and 2023, where his ERA+ was below 100. In his last two starts, he’s allowed 11 runs on 18 hits and no walks. Last time out he lasted only 3 1/3 innings. Before that pair of starts, Scherzer allowed only four runs (three earned) over his previous 25 innings. Which Scherzer will the Mets get tonight? The Astros have the following career numbers against Scherzer:

Opposing Lineup

Hunter Brown gets the start for the Astros tonight. In 75 1/3 innings this season he has a 3.35 ERA, 3.30 FIP, 1.195 WHIP, and a 126 ERA+. Brown is coming off of a great start where he held the Nationals scoreless over seven innings, scattering four hits and three walks. Before that, he had a two-start stretch where he allowed eight runs over 10 2/3 innings. This will be Brown’s first time facing anyone on the Mets roster in an official major league game.

Game Notes

The Mets have selected RHP Grant Hartwig from Triple-A Syracuse. Hartwig will wear number 93, the first Mets player to ever don that uniform number. He has yet to throw a pitch in the majors. The Mets optioned John Curtiss back to Triple-A after Sunday’s game. Hartwig had a 1.75 ERA across multiple levels of the minors in 2022. He has a 4.21 ERA and 12.3 K/9 with Syracuse this season.

Justin Verlander will receive his World Series ring and be honored with a tribute video in a ceremony prior to the game. Verlander won his second title with the Astros last season.

The Astros swept the Mets in a pair of two-game series last season. However, the Houston hitter who did the most damage in those games, Yordan Álvarez, is currently on the injured list with an oblique strain. Álvarez went 6-for-13 with four homers and six RBI in those four games. He also walked four times.

Three Things To Watch For

  1. Can the Mets’ offense keep the momentum going? The result stunk yesterday, but the Mets’ offense showed all the different ways they can get on base and score runs. Francisco Lindor and Pham both homered. Brandon Nimmo got a double. Jeff McNeil was on base three times because he got plunked twice and walked once. Mark Canha walked twice. The Mets were able to combine all of this together and get seven runs. At times, the offense disappears. Other times, it becomes supported only by solo blasts. If the bats can put together games like they did yesterday more routinely, the wins will start to come.
  2. The Astros are struggling too. The Astros aren’t struggling like the Mets, but things aren’t great in Houston right now. They have lost four games in a row and were swept by the Reds this weekend. Similar to the Mets, they also scored seven runs yesterday and lost! Both the Mets and the Astros are battling right now to right the ship.
  3. There is hope in peripherals. We are looking everywhere for hope right now, and there is some hope to be found on Max Scherzer’s Baseball Savant page. Teams are hitting Scherzer hard; we know this. His Barrel Rate is in the 25th percentile in the league. That being said, he’s in the 84th and 88th percentile for fastball and curveball spin. He’s in the 84th percentile for walk rate and the 67th percentile for xERA/xwOBA. With the way he’s been playing, I thought that would be a lot worse. He’s still getting hitters to chase (76th percentile).

Let’s go Mets!