Wednesday, June 27, 2018 • 7:10 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, N.Y.
RHP Ivan Nova (4-5, 3.98) vs. RHP Zack Wheeler (2-6, 4.85)
PIX11 • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050
Tonight, Zack Wheeler will take the mound against Ivan Nova for the Pirates. Wheeler is 2-6 over 14 games and 81.2 innings with a 4.85 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 1.371 WHIP and a 78 ERA+. His last start was more or less average of his season numbers where he allowed four runs over seven innings. You could look and be worried about Wheeler, after a stretch of taking many steps forward, his lines in two of last three games don’t look good, ten runs over 12.2 innings, but he really did perform better than his lines. Callaway deserves criticism about some decisions this year, but he has also started to move Wheeler in the right direction.
Mets Lineup
- Brandon Nimmo CF
- Jose Bautista RF
- Asdrubal Cabrera 2B
- Wilmer Flores 1B
- Michael Conforto LF
- Todd Frazier 3B
- Devin Mesoraco C
- Amed Rosario SS
- Zack Wheeler P
Pirates Lineup
- Austin Meadows CF
- Josh Bell 1B
- Josh Harrison 2B
- Colin Moran 3B
- Elias Diaz C
- Corey Dickerson LF
- Gregory Polanco RF
- Jordy Mercer SS
- Ivan Nova P
Against Pittsburgh last year, Wheeler allowed three runs over six innings from seven hits and two runs. The Pirates have the following numbers against Zack:
- Bell 1-3
- Cervelli 2-3
- Frazier 0-3
- Freese 0-2
- Harrison 1-3, 2B
- Polanco 1-3
Ivan Nova is 4-5 over 14 games and 81.1 innings with a 3.98 ERA, 3.87 FIP, 1.230 WHIP and a 99 ERA+. He is coming off his best game of the season where he held the Diamondbacks scoreless over eight innings which is the second time in 2018 he has produced a line like that. Overall in June, he has pitched 19.2 innings over 3 games with a 0.92 ERA. In comparison, in May, he pitched 23.2 innings over five games with a 7.61 ERA. Ivan Nova, longtime Yankee, hasn’t faced the Mets in a while which means most of the homegrown New York Mets have never seen him. But the Mets have a good amount of players from trades and bargain bin signings over the last couple of years that have seen him:
- Bautista 9-29, 3 2B, HR, 8 BB
- Reyes 3-10, BB
- Cabrera 2-8
- Bruce 0-6, 3 K
- Cespedes 4-5, 2B, BB
- Frazier 1-5, HR
- Mesoraco 1-2, 2B
Game Notes
Last night was New York’s third walk-off win this season (first since May 19 vs. Arizona). The Mets have ten wins in their last at-bat this season, tied for the fifth-most in the majors.
The Mets have hit 22 home runs in their last 18 games and 36 homers in their last 31 games, but, 25 of those have been solo blasts.
Michael Conforto hit his 10th homer of the year last night giving him three straight years of double-digit homers. He has 58 homers through his first 342 games, fourth-most by a player who began his career with the Mets through 342 games. He trails Darryl Strawberry (71), David Wright (63) and Ike Davis (59).
Asdrubal Cabrera is hitting .350 (14-40) with two homers, seven RBI and five runs scored in his last nine games.
Tim Peterson earned his first major league win last night. He has not allowed a hit to a right-hander yet (0-20) and only allowed one run in his last 8.1 innings.
Let’s Go Mets!
