jacob degrom 2

Sunday, July 17, 2016 • 1:35 p.m.
Citizens Bank Park • Philadelphia, PA
RHP Jacob deGrom (5-4, 2.61) vs. RHP Zach Eflin (2-2, 4.08) 
PIX11 • WOR 710 AM • ESPN 1050 AM

After Saturday night’s 4-2 loss to Philadelphia, the Mets slipped to 7 games behind the NL East leading Nationals. They will turn to Jacob deGrom in an important rubber match against the Phillies today at Citizens Bank Park.

In my opinion, deGrom’s first half numbers certainly merited an All-Star nod. With his velocity back at 2015 mid-season levels, deGrom has 68 strikeouts over his last 57.0 innings and has struck out six or more batters in nine straight starts, tied for the fourth-longest current streak in the majors.

The Mets have lost four of their last five games and are 5-5 over their last 10 games. The Mets are 20-23 vs. the NL East this year. They were 47-29 vs. the NL East in 2015.

Mets Lineup

  1. Jose Reyes – 3B
  2. Curtis Granderson – RF
  3. Yoenis Cespedes – LF
  4. Neil Walker – 2B
  5. James Loney – 1B
  6. Asdrubal Cabrera – SS
  7. Juan Lagares – CF
  8. Rene Rivera – C
  9. Jacob deGrom – RHP

Phillies Lineup

  1. Odubel Herrera – CF
  2. Peter Bourjos – RF
  3. Cody Asche – LF
  4. Maikel Franco – 3B
  5. Ryan Howard – 1B
  6. Cameron Rupp – C
  7. Freddy Galvis – SS
  8. Cesar Hernandez – 2B
  9. Zach Eflin – RHP

In the first half of the season deGrom was 5-4 over 93.0 innings and 15 starts with a 2.61 ERA. In his last three starts he logged 20.0 innings with a 2-0 record and an 1.35 ERA while striking out 20 batters.

DeGrom hasn’t faced the Phillies since his first start of the season where he allowed 1 ER over 6.0 innings of work while striking out 6. The Phillies have the following numbers against Jacob:

  • Howard 4-17, 2 HR
  • Galvis 5-11
  • Herrera 3-11
  • Ruiz 1-9
  • Asche 4-7, 2B
  • Hernandez 2-5
  • Blanch 1-4
  • Paredes 1-4
  • Rupp 1-3, HR

The Mets bats will finish off the series against the rookie Zach Eflin who is making his 7th start of his major league career. So far, he is 2-2 over 6 games and 35.1 innings with a 4.08 ERA. Zach’s numbers are being weighted, heavily, by his first start where he allowed 9 runs, 8 earned over 2.2 innings. Since then he has a 2.20 ERA over 32.2 innings. This will be Zach’s first start against the Mets and no one on the Mets has faced him while they were with other teams before making their way over.

Let’s Go Mets!