Sunday, September 1, 2019 • 7:05 p.m.
Citizens Bank Park • Philadelphia, PA
RHP Marcus Stroman (7-12, 3.29) vs. RHP Zach Eflin (8-11, 4.50)
ESPN • WCBS 880 AM • ESPN 1050 AM

The Mets go for the sweep of the Phillies tonight as they continue to try to bounce back from their no-good, very bad six-game losing streak last week.

Last night was a rare night in 2019 – the year of the juiced ball. The Mets won without hitting any homers (even more impressive because it was Citizens Bank Park, where pretty much everything is a homer). Instead, they relied on timely hitting from players like Wilson Ramos who collected four hits on the night, raising his batting average to .299. While Matz didn’t last deep into the game, the bullpen held the game together, supported by two innings of relief by Lugo.

Mets Lineup

  1. Jeff McNeil LF
  2. Pete Alonso 1B
  3. Michael Conforto RF
  4. Wilson Ramos C
  5. Joe Panik 2B
  6. Amed Rosario SS
  7. Todd Frazier 3B
  8. Juan Lagares CF
  9. Marcus Stroman P

Phillies Lineup

  1. Corey Dickerson LF
  2. J.T. Realmuto C
  3. Bryce Harper RF
  4. Rhys Hoskins 1B
  5. Jean Segura SS
  6. Cesar Hernandez 2B
  7. Scott Kingery 3B
  8. Adam Haseley CF
  9. Zach Eflin P

Now it’s Stroman’s turn to lock down the Phillies. Over five starts as a Met, he has pitched 25.2 innings with a 4.91 ERA, 5.21 FIP, 1.675 WHIP and 85 ERA+. The Cubs pushed him around a bit in his last start, getting six hits and two walks including two homers which led to four runs scored in six innings. It was the second time this year though he pitched six innings for the Mets. The Phillies have the following batting lines against him:

  • Brad Miller 5-for-27, 3B, 4 BB, 6 K
  • Corey Dickerson 10-for-27, 3 2B, 2 HR, BB, 4 K
  • Logan Morrison 5-for-25, HR, 3 BB, 4 K
  • Jean Segura 3-for-10, 3 K
  • Cesar Hernandez 1-for-3, HR

The Mets bats will look to continue their resurgence against Zach Eflin who is 8-11 over 26 games and 22 starts totaling 128.0 innings. He’s posted a 4.50 ERA, 4.73 FIP, 1.383 WHIP and 101 ERA+ (career best) this season. At the end of July, he got moved to the bullpen and pitched four games (5.2 innings) of 1.59 ERA ball. His first start back in the rotation on August 17 was a bit rough, allowing three runs over 3.2 innings but things returned to normal his last time out allowing two runs over six innings. In two starts against the Mets this season, he has allowed 10 runs, nine earned off 15 hits and two walks in nine innings. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

  • Michael Conforto 6-for-21, 2 2B, 2 HR, BB, 4 K
  • Jeff McNeil 3-for-12, 2 2B, 3B, 2 BB, 3 K
  • Amed Rosario 6-for-13, 3 2B, 2 K
  • Todd Frazier 4-for-9, 2 HR, 4 K
  • Joe Panik 0-for-5, 2 BB
  • Pete Alonso 1-for-4, K
  • Wilson Ramos 2-for-3, HR

Game Notes

Wilson Ramos has hit .446/.469/.598 during his career-high 24-game hitting streak. His streak is the longest active in the majors, and the longest single-season streak since Freddie Freeman hit in 30 straight games in 2016.

The Mets’ .644 (29-16) winning percentage is tied for the fourth best in the majors and second best in the National League. The pitching staff has posted a 3.33 ERA since the All-Star break, the second lowest mark in the majors and lowest in the NL.

Todd Frazier has heated up, going 5-for-8 with two home runs in this series. He is also two hits away from 1000 career hits.

Luis Avilan has posted a 0.52 ERA over his last 23 games, while holding left-handed hitters to an .057 batting average. That average is the second lowest mark in the majors among relievers, and his 0.55 ERA since the All-Star break is the lowest in the majors among relievers.

Let’s go Mets!