Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Tuesday, May 4, 2021 • 7:45 p.m. ET
Busch Stadium • St. Louis, MO
RHP Miguel Castro (0-0, 3.60) vs. RHP Johan Oviedo (0-0, 2.79)
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • WQBU 92.7
The Mets look to bounce back from a surprising loss last night.
It wasn’t initially surprising. Throughout the day when the Mets didn’t name a starter, it seemed like the Mets were going to lose. When the Mets named the starter as Lucchesi, it felt like they might lose.
Then the game started and the Mets jumped out to a 5-2 lead. It felt like the Mets could win. The Cardinals then tagged Lucchesi for more runs and made it 6-5 and the score stayed there despite strong outings by Sean Reid-Foley and Robert Gsellman in relief.
This feels like a failure both with the front office and at the manager level. With the righties in the Cardinals line up, why wasn’t Yamamoto promoted? Why didn’t the Mets go with an opener?
The postgame was crazy too, as the Mets announced they fired hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Travis Slater. So that actually happened.
And of course when it rains it pours, as it was announced earlier this afternoon that Jacob deGrom was scratched from his start tonight due to right side soreness. deGrom underwent an MRI this afternoon, and the team is still awaiting the results.
Mets Lineup
- Jeff McNeil – 2B
- Francisco Lindor – SS
- Michael Conforto – RF
- Pete Alonso – 1B
- Dominic Smith – LF
- Kevin Pillar – CF
- Jonathan Villar – 3B
- James McCann – C
- Miguel Castro – RHP
Cardinals Lineup
- Tommy Edman – 2B
- Dylan Carlson – RF
- Paul Goldschmidt – 1B
- Paul DeJong – SS
- Matt Carpenter – 3B
- Justin Williams – LF
- Harrison Bader – CF
- Andrew Knizner – C
- Johan Oviedo – RHP
The Mets announced that reliever Miguel Castro will make tonight’s start in place of deGrom. This is Castro’s first start since July of 2018, and the longest outing he has recorded this season is just 1.2 innings.
The hard throwing right-hander has been one of the Mets’ best relievers thus far this season. Over 10 innings pitched, he has struck out 18 batters and walked just three, while posting a 3.60 ERA.
It will obviously be all hands on deck for the Mets in this one.
Luis Rojas said pregame that Edwin Diaz will be available for the Mets in relief tonight. Righty Jordan Yamamoto is en route to St. Louis from Syracuse, where he was expected to make the Opening Day start, and he might be part of the Mets’ bullpen tonight as well.
We’ll see what the Mets plan behind Castro is soon enough. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt is the only member of the Cardinals who has faced Castro in his career, though he is just 1-for-2.
The Mets bats will get a look at Johan Oveido tonight. The young righty had a great first game, where he pitched 4.2 innings allowing two hits and nothing else against the Brewers. In his start against the Phillies he allowed three runs from three hits while striking out seven.
He made his major league debut last year and pitched in 24.2 innings over 5 games with a 5.47 ERA, 5.30 FIP, 1.378 WHIP and a 78 ERA+. There is no one the Mets’ roster who has seen Oveido in a major league game.
Let’s Go Mets!
