Saturday, September 8, 2018 • 7:10 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, N.Y.
RHP Zach Eflin (9-6, 4.05) vs. RHP Noah Syndergaard (10-3, 3.33)
SNY • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050 AM

The Mets could do two things yesterday to make Philly fans miserable: win and tag Nola for runs. They missed the former and for the latter, they nudged his ERA slightly but not significantly at all, thus failing on both of these goals.

The Mets could still play spoiler to the Phillies season by winning today and tomorrow. Last night’s mostly quiet Mets offense included a second homer this week for Jay Bruce and a homer for Dominic Smith.

Mets Lineup

  1. Amed Rosario (R) SS
  2. Jeff McNeil (L) 2B
  3. Michael Conforto (L) RF
  4. Jay Bruce (L) 1B
  5. Todd Frazier (R) 3B
  6. Brandon Nimmo (L) CF
  7. Dominic Smith (L) LF
  8. Tomas Nido (R) C
  9. Noah Syndergaard (L) P

Phillies Lineup

  1. Carlos Santana (S) 3B
  2. Justin Bour (L) 1B
  3. Wilson Ramos (R) C
  4. Rhys Hoskins (R) LF
  5. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
  6. Nick Williams (L) RF
  7. Cesar Hernandez (S) 2B
  8. Odubel Herrera (L) CF
  9. Zach Eflin (R) P

Noah Syndergaard is 10-3 over 20 games and 121.2 innings with a 3.33 ERA, 2.50 FIP, 1.208 WHIP and a 111 ERA+. His last game out was a masterpiece as he tossed a complete game, two hit, one run performance while walking one and striking out 11. The last time he faced Philly in August, he allowed four runs over 5.2 innings from eight hits. The Phillies have the following numbers against him:

  • Hernandez 4-for-16, 3 BB
  • Franco 5-for-18, 2B
  • Bour 5-for-17, 2B, 7 K
  • Herrera 1-for-17
  • Ramos 5-for-15, 2B
  • Altherr 1-for-9
  • Hoskins 1-for-3, 2B
  • Cabrera 2-for-4, 2B
  • Bautista 1-for-2, HR

Zach Eflin starts for the Phillies tonight. He is 9-6 over 20 games and 111.0 innings with a4 4.05 ERA, 3.74 FIP, 1.261 WHIP and a 104 ERA+. In his last four starts he has allowed 18 runs, 14 earned over 20.1 innings, a 6.20 ERA. This includes a start against the Mets where he allowed four runs off seven hits in 6.2 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Eflin:

  • Conforto 3-for-11, 2B, HR, BB
  • Reyes 3-for-10, 3 2B
  • Flores 1-for-6
  • Rosario 3-for-6, 3 2B
  • Nimmo 1-for-5
  • Smith 1-for-5
  • McNeil 1-for-4, 2B
  • Jackson 1-for-3, 2B
  • Bruce 1-for-2
  • Frazier 0-for-1

Notes

Prior to tonight’s game, LHP Steven Matz will be honored in a pre-game ceremony as the Mets representative of the Roberto Clemente Award, presented to a player on each team who best represents baseball through character, community involvement and philanthropy on and off the field. Matz hosts his TRU32 program at Citi Field, where he brings NYC first responders and military service members to Mets games. He often takes time out of his schedule to visit area firehouses. Matz is one of 30 nominees eligible to win the league-wide Roberto Clemente Award.

Jeff McNeil has hit safely in 19 of his last 20 starts and has reached base safely in each of those 20 starts. According to Elias, his on-base streak in starts is the longest Josh Satin (29 starts in 2013). His .319 (44-138) batting average since his debut on July 24 is ninth in the NL (min. 140 PA)…He hit .330 (34-103) in August, ninth in the NL (min. 100 PA) and had a .373 OBP in August. He has 11 multi-hit games.

Brandon Nimmo is fourth in the NL with a .389 OBP, ninth with a .892 OPS, 12th with a .503 slugging percentage, tied for third with eight triples and tied for second with 18 HBP (a single-season franchise record)…He has a career-high 16 homers. Nimmo is slashing .410/.486/.721 with 16 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples, two homers and 11 RBI over his last 17 games. He is fourth in the NL with a .426 OBP since the All-Star break and is tied for 12th with 12 doubles in the second-half.

Michael Conforto has three homers and six RBI in his last 10 games and seven homers and 18 RBI in his last 26 games.  Overall, he is tied for 10th in the NL with 71 walks. Conforto has 10 homers (tied for 11th in the NL), 28 RBI (tied for 14th in the NL) with a .328 OBP and a .471 slugging percentage since the AllStar break.

Mets Hall of Famer Buddy Harrelson will attend tonight’s game to help raise awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association. Harrelson is the only person to be in uniform for both Mets championships (as a player in 1969 and as a coach in 1986). He is a two-time All-Star (1970, 1971) and a Gold Glove winner (1971). Harrelson, 74, played for the Mets from 1965-1977, was a coach with the club in 1982, 1985-1990 and managed the Mets from 1990-1991. Harrelson suffers from early stage Alzheimer’s. More that 5.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and it is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. To learn more visit ALZ.org.

Let’s Go Mets!