Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
Sunday, Oct 2 • 7:08 P.M. ET
Truist Park • Atlanta, GA
RHP Chris Bassitt (15-8, 3.27) vs. Charlie Morton (9-6, 4.29 ERA)
ESPN • WCBS 880 AM • ESPN 1050
Tonight is a must win game for the Mets if they want a shot at winning the NL East title. After Saturday’s loss, the Mets are now one-game back and in second place. A win tonight would tie the division again and give the Mets the season tiebreaker, ultimately giving New York control of their own destiny again.
If the Mets lose and get swept by the Braves, the Braves will be up two games in the division with three games left to play this season, all but sending the Mets to this season’s version of the Wild Card shenanigans.
Mets Lineup
Sunday Night Baseball. #LGM
🆚: Atlanta
💪: Chris Bassitt
📍: Atlanta, GA
🕕: 7:08 p.m.
📺: ESPN
📻: @wcbs880
🔗: https://t.co/a91DcLmiJD pic.twitter.com/0yqQFqDMQX— New York Mets (@Mets) October 2, 2022
The Mets’ bats will look to wake up against Charlie Morton. Morton has made 30 starts tossing 167 2/3 innings with a 4.29 ERA, 4.18 FIP, 1.205 WHIP and a 96 ERA+. He is coming off of a rough start where he allowed six runs over 4 2/3 innings via six hit sand three walks. Overall, in his last four starts, he has pitched 21 2/3 innings allowing 15 runs via 19 hits and 10 walks, including five homers (6.23 ERA and 5.61 FIP).
Morton has pitched against the Mets three times this year. Two of them have been woeful starts, though his most recent was fantastic. In his first two starts he pitched a combined 10 2/3 innings allowing 10 runs, nine earned, via 13 hits and six walks. This is made more impressive when you consider that everyone on the Mets’ 40-man roster, including players on the injured list and in the minors, have a total of 32 hits against Morton over 175 at-bats (.182 average).
On August 16th, he shut the Mets out over 6 2/3 innings. He held New York to just three hits, striking out 12. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:
- Francisco Lindor, 5-for-32, 2 2B, HR, 8 K
- Pete Alonso, 5-for-16, 2B, 3 K
- Eduardo Escobar, 3-for-14, HR, BB, 3 K
- Jeff McNeil, 2-for-12, 7 K
- Luis Guillorme, 1-for-4 BB, K
- Daniel Vogelbach, 2-for-11, HR, 2 BB, 6 K
- Brandon Nimmo, 2-for-12, BB, 4 K
- Mark Canha, 2-for-9, HR, 4 K
- Tomás Nido, 2-for-6, BB, K
Braves Lineup
Sunday Night Baseball!#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/Dz2ScX13D7
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 2, 2022
The Mets will turn to Chris Bassitt to right the ship tonight. Over 29 games and 179 innings, Bassitt has a 3.27 ERA, 3.55 FIP, 1.128 WHIP, and a 118 ERA+. In his last two starts, he has allowed two runs over 14 innings via nine hits and three walks while striking out 10.
Bassitt has made two starts against the Braves this season. On May 2nd, he allowed three runs from six hits over seven innings. Then, on July 13, he allowed one run from five hits and two walks over six innings. The Braves have the following career numbers against Bassitt:
- Robbie Grossman, 0-for-6, 2 BB, 3 K
- Ronald Acuña Jr. 2-for-5, BB, K
- Matt Olson, 1-for-6, HR, 2 K
- Austin Riley, 3-for-6, HR, K
- Eddie Rosario, 3-for-6, 2B, K
- Dansby Swanson, 0-for-5, BB, 3 K
- Marcell Ozuna, 0-for-5, BB, K
- William Contreras, 0-for-3
- Travis d’Arnaud, 2-for-3, 2B
- Orlando Arcia, 2-for-4
Games Notes
The Mets are 47-25 against the NL East this year. They have lost only three series in the division all season long. A series loss today would all but end the Mets’ chances at a division title.
The last time the Mets were swept by the Braves was August 23-25, 2019 at Citi Field.
The Mets have won 98 games. The team’s 98 wins are tied for the fourth-most in franchise history. That is tied for the third-most in the major leagues. The last time the team recorded more than 98 wins was in 1988 when they won 100.
