Tuesday, April 24, 2018 • 8:15 p.m. (ET)
Busch Stadium • St. Louis, MO
RHP Zack Wheeler (1-1, 2.77) vs. RHP Luke Weaver (2-1, 4.22)
SNY • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050
The Mets are coming off the uncommon, unplanned, double off-day thanks to a rain out in Atlanta on Sunday and a travel day yesterday.
For the Mets, it may be a good thing the game got rained out to give some physical distance between Saturday’s disastrous end and tonight’s game. In case you forgot, or have blocked it from your mind, here’s a recap! Jacob deGrom had an excellent game. Immediately after he pitched his last frame, the Mets put up three runs. The bullpen gave back two runs in the eighth and two runs in the ninth. Game over.
Mets Lineup
- Michael Conforto (L) CF
- Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
- Asdrubal Cabrera (S) 2B
- Todd Frazier (R) 3B
- Jay Bruce (L) RF
- Adrian Gonzalez (L) 1B
- Amed Rosario (R) SS
- Tomas Nido (R) C
- Zack Wheeler (L) P
Cardinals Lineup
- Matt Carpenter (L) 3B
- Tommy Pham (R) CF
- Jose Martinez (R) 1B
- Marcell Ozuna (R) LF
- Yadier Molina (R) C
- Dexter Fowler (S) RF
- Paul DeJong (R) SS
- Kolten Wong (L) 2B
- Luke Weaver (R) P
Zack Wheeler has allowed four runs in 13.0 innings this year from nine hits and four walks, leading to a small sample size 2.77 ERA, 3.69 FIP, 1.000 WHIP and 141 ERA+. If we go one step farther and look at his game log, his first start was a one run, seven inning gem, and his second start (against a good Nationals team despite what their record says) was an average three run over six inning performance. Wheeler faced the Cardinals in back-to-back starts last year, first allowing two runs off eight hits and a walk in six innings in St. Louis and then allowing four runs off seven hits and four walks in 5.1 innings in Queens. The Cardinals have the following numbers against him:
- Ozuna 3-for-15, 3B,, 6 K
- Gyorko 1-for-9
- Carpenter 2-for-5, 2B
- Molina 3-for-6, 2B
- Pham 2-for-3, 3 BB
- DeJong 3-for-5, 2B, 2 HR
The Mets bats draw Luke Weaver who is 2-1 over four starts and 21.1 innings this season posting a 4.22 ERA, 2.88 FIP, 1.266 WHIP and 90 ERA+. Last season he pitched in 13 games, 10 starts, totaling 60.1 innings with a 3.88 ERA, 3.17 FIP, 1.260 WHIP and 109 ERA+. His first start of the year this year was against the Mets where he held the Mets to one run over five innings with five hits, three walks and 3 K’s in a game the Cardinals won fairly decisively. The Mets have the following numbers against Luke:
- Bruce 1-for-3, 2B
- Cabrera 1-for-3
- Cespedes 1-for-3
- Frazier 0-for-2, BB
- Flores 0-for-2
- Lagares 1-for-2
- Rosario 1-for-2
Notes
This series marks the final meeting between the Mets and Cardinals this year. New York took two of three from St. Louis at Citi Field, March 29-April 1. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, excluding strike-shortened seasons, the only time the Mets played their last game of a season against a particular NL team before May 1 was in 2001 vs. the Reds (April 13-15 at Shea Stadium and April 20-22 at Cincinnati).
Asdrubal Cabrera ranks fourth in the majors with a .354 batting average, eighth in the NL with a .608 slugging percentage, is tied for fourth in the NL with 12 extra-base hits and tied for second in the majors with eight doubles. He has driven in a run in three straight games.
A Memorial Mass for Mets Hall-of-Famer Rusty Staub will take place at St. Patrick’s Cathedral tomorrow at 2 p.m. A six-time All-Star and Mets Ambassador, Staub, 73, passed away on March 29. Members of the NYPD, FDNY and PAPD Ceremonial units and respective pipe bands will be participating. Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan, Archbishop of New York, will be the main celebrant. Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director of Catholic Charities, will preach.
Jay Bruce has hit 22 career home runs and driven in 72 runs vs. St. Louis during his career. Those totals are the third-most for Bruce vs. any team. He has 35 homers and 88 RBI vs. Milwaukee and 23 home runs and 74 RBI vs. Pittsburgh.
Let’s Go Mets!
