Wednesday, September 26, 2018 • 7:10 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, N.Y.
LHP Sean Newcomb  (12-9, 4.04 ERA) vs. RHP Jacob deGrom (9-9, 1.77 ERA)
SNY • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050 AM

Noah Syndergaard‘s strong start wasn’t enough for the Mets last night as they fell to the Braves 7-3 and look to rebound tonight. After Syndergaard tossed six scoreless innings the bullpen with Gsellman and Blevins imploded. But that’s all yesterday! Today Jacob deGrom makes what will probably be his last start this season!

Mets Lineup

  1. Amed Rosario  SS
  2. Jeff McNeil  2B
  3. Austin Jackson  CF
  4. Michael Conforto  LF
  5. Todd Frazier  3B
  6. Dominic Smith  1B
  7. Devin Mesoraco  C
  8. Jacob deGrom  P
  9. Brandon Nimmo  RF

Braves Lineup

  1. Ronald Acuna Jr.  LF
  2. Ender Inciarte  CF
  3. Freddie Freeman  1B
  4. Nick Markakis  RF
  5. Johan Camargo  3B
  6. Tyler Flowers  C
  7. Ozzie Albies  2B
  8. Charlie Culberson  SS
  9. Sean Newcomb  P

Jacob deGrom is 9-9 over 31 starts over 209 innings with a 1.77 ERA (league leading), 2.03 FIP (league leading), 0.938 WHIP, and 209 ERA+ (league leading). In his last seven starts, he has allowed 11 runs, nine earned over 50 innings, a 1.62 ERA while striking out 64. He is 0-2 against the Braves this year despite starting against them five times posting a 1.09 ERA over 33 innings. The Braves have the following numbers against him:

  • Freeman 12-for-41, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 BB, 11 K
  • Markakis 10-for-36, HR, BB, 5 K
  • Inciarte 6-for-32, 2 2B, 2 BB, 8 K
  • Albies 3-for-17, 2B, BB
  • Swanson 3-for-13, 2B, 3 BB, 6 K
  • Flowers 4-for-11, HR, 3 BB

The Mets bats will desperately try to get deGrom a win against Sean Newcomb who is 12-9 over 29 starts and 158.1 innings with a 4.04 ERA.  He’s coming off a rough start vs the Nationals where he allowed five runs over three innings and in his last four starts has allowed 15 runs over 17.1 innings (one of those starts he allowed one run over six innings). He was good against the Mets at the start of the season tossing six innings allowing three runs, two earned and then allowing no runs over seven. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

  • Reyes 1-for-9, 3 K
  • Bruce 1-for-6, 2B
  • Conforto 0-for-3, 2 BB
  • Frazier 0-for-5, BB
  • Nimmo 0-for-6, 3 K
  • Plawecki 2-for-6
  • Rosario 3-for-4, 2 2B
  • Smith 1-for-2, 2B

Game Notes

Michael Conforto is tied for the major league lead with 28 RBI and eight homers this month. He is second in the majors with 16 extra-base hits in September. The last Mets player with 28 or more RBI in any calendar month was David Wright, who drove in 29 runs in June 2010.

The Mets are 4-13 vs. Atlanta with three games remaining. The last time the Mets lost 13 or more games in one year to the Braves was in 2009 (5-13). The last time they had more than 13 losses was in 1966 (a franchise-record 14 losses). Also, they lost 14 times to the Braves in 1964.

Jacob deGrom has 259 strikeouts to become the third pitcher in franchise history to reach 250 or more strikeouts. Tom Seaver did it three times (1970, 1971, 1973) and Dwight Gooden did it twice (1984, 1985). DeGrom is 10 strikeouts shy of 1,000 for his career. He has 10 double-digit strikeout games this year.

DeGrom has a 1.77 ERA and 259 strikeouts and 46 walks this season. Since 1908, only two pitchers have had an ERA of less than 2.00, at least 250 strikeouts and 50 or fewer walks (Christy Mathewson 1908, Pedro Martinez 2000).

The 30-year-old has faced 609 batters with the score tied or the Mets up or down by one run, the most by any pitcher
in the majors this year.

Let’s Go Mets!