Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, July 10, 2021 • 4:10 P.M.
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Max Kranick (1-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Tylor Megill (0-0, 3.77)
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • WQBU 92.7 FM

Thanks to the rain on Thursday that flooded New York, the Mets and Pirates are playing two games today! The Mets handled Thursdays game very differently than Tuesday’s rain out. The Mets didn’t make the call for that game until 2.5 hours after the scheduled first pitch with fans in the ball park the entire time. The hope then was to squeeze in another deGrom start before the All-Star break which is easier today if deGrom made his scheduled start. On Thursday the Mets cancelled the game hours before first pitch and unlike the Brewers series, made the double header single admission rather than split admission (which feels very cheap when doubleheaders aren’t full games).

Mets Lineup

  1. Brandon Nimmo – CF
  2. Francisco Lindor – SS
  3. Dominic Smith – LF
  4. Pete Alonso – 1B
  5. Jeff McNeil – 2B
  6. Michael Conforto – RF
  7. Jonathan Villar – 3B
  8. James McCann – C
  9. Tylor Megill – RHP

Pirates Lineup

  1. Kevin Newman – SS
  2. Ke-Bryan Hayes – 3B
  3. Bryan Reynolds – CF
  4. Ben Gamel – LF
  5. John Nogowski – 1B
  6. Rodolfo Castro – 2B
  7. Jacob Stallings – C
  8. Jared Olivaa – RF
  9. Max Kranick – RHP

So here we are at the second Pirates vs Mets game of the day, this one being led by Tylor Megill. (We could have had a Tyler vs Tylor match up today). In his first three major league starts Megill has pitched 14.1 innings with a 3.77 ERA, 4.71 FIP, 1.116 WHIP and a 105 ERA+. His start against the Brewers was the best of his three starts this year where he allowed 1 run from 2 hits and 2 walks over 5.0 innings. It was also the second time he reached 92 pitches as a major leaguer. The goal today will be similar, with 5.0 innings in a shortened game holding more value than in a full game.

The Pirates are calling Max Kranick up to make his second career start. Since his first start at the end of June against the Cardinals, the Pirates have been using a 6-man rotation. Kranick was immediately sent down after his last start and since he’s the 27th man today heading into the All-Star break, probably the same thing will happen again. The Pirates prospect had a strong start against the Cardinals in his first start, allowing no hits and no walks in 5.0 innings while striking out 3. Across Double A Altoona and Triple A Indianapolis he has made 8 starts in the minors this year totaling 38.0 innings with a 5.21 ERA.

Let’s Go Mets!