Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, July 17, 2021 • 7:05 P.M.
PNC Park • Pittsburgh, PA
RHP Tylor Megill (0-0, 3.50) vs. RHP Wil Crowe (1-5, 6.05)
WPIX • WCBS 880 AM • WQBU 92.7 FM

The Mets try to move beyond last night’s game with the Pirates and avoid the series/season loss to the Pirates with today’s game! Not much positive with yesterday’s game – the Mets bats were flat, they left a ton of runners in scoring position and lost Francisco Lindor to a right side injury. With the way the Mets were working counts and getting on base early, the game felt like it should have been a blowout.

Mets Lineup

  1. Brandon Nimmo – CF
  2. Pete Alonso – 1B
  3. Jeff McNeil – 2B
  4. J.D. Davis – 3B
  5. Dominic Smith – LF
  6. Michael Conforto – RF
  7. James McCann – C
  8. Luis Guillorme – SS
  9. Tylor Megill – RHP

Pirates Lineup

  1. Adam Frazier – 2B
  2. Ke’Bryan Hayes – 3B
  3. Bryan Reynolds – CF
  4. Ben Gamel – LF
  5. John Nogowski – 1B
  6. Gregory Polanco – RF
  7. Jacob Stallings – C
  8. Kevin Newman – SS
  9. Wil Crowe – RHP

Alas, the Mets will turn to Tylor Megill to put the team back on the right track. In four starts and 18.0 innings this year, the rookie pitcher has a 3.50 ERA, 4.12 FIP, 1.278 WHIP and a 114 ERA+. He’s allowed 2 runs over 8.2 innings in his last two starts including one against the Pirates where he allowed 1 run over 3.2 innings. The Pirates got on base a lot in that game, 4 hits and 3 walks, but Megill was able to keep them to one run. An interesting note, in his four starts this year he has thrown 92, 85, 92 and 85 pitches. The Pirates have the following numbers against Megill:

  • Wilmer Difo 1-1
  • Ke’Bryan Hayes 1-2, K
  • Bryan Reynolds 1-2
  • Kevin Newman 1-2, K
  • Jared Oliva 0-1, BB
  • Jacob Stallings 0-1, BB, K
  • Ben Gamel 0-1, BB
  • John Nogowski 0-2, 2 K
  • Rodolfo Castro 0-2, 2 K

The Mets bats will try to move on from last night against Wil Crowe who has pitched in 13 games and made 12 starts this season. Over 55.0 innings he has a 6.05 ERA, 5.83 FIP, 1.618 WHIP and a 68 ERA+. Good news for Wil, he’s allowed 2 runs in four of his last 5 starts. But he also has left the game with 4.2 innings of work in three of those starts because of his pitch count. He’s still allowing a lot of people on base (10 hits and 5 walks in his last two starts) but they aren’t scoring. The only Met who has seen him in a game is Jonathan Villar who is 2-2 against him.

Game Notes

The Mets will be without Francisco Lindor today as he was placed on the IL with a right oblique strain. Read the full report here.

The Mets haven’t had all eight presumed starting position players in the lineup together since May 1, as Tim Healey pointed out.

Taijuan Walker is scheduled to start on Sunday, meaning it will likely be Jacob deGrom on Monday.

Let’s Go Mets!