Sunday, July 8, 2018 • 1:10 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, N.Y.
RHP Nathan Eovaldi (2-3, 3.92) vs. RHP Chris Flexen (0-1, 10.80)
SNY • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050
The Mets bats wasted another strong start yesterday, this time from Steven Matz as the Mets fell to the Rays 3-0. The Mets now will face off against the Rays in a rubber game with Chris Flexen on the mound. Flexen was recalled from Vegas before the Mets last bullpen game started by Blevins and ended by Flexen.
Mets Lineup
- Brandon Nimmo CF
- Wilmer Flores 1B
- Asdrubal Cabrera 2B
- Michael Conforto RF
- Todd Frazier 3B
- Dominic Smith LF
- Devin Mesoraco C
- Jose Reyes SS
- Chris Flexen P
Rays Lineup
- Joey Wendle LF
- Matt Duffy 3B
- Jake Bauers RF
- C.J. Cron 1B
- Daniel Robertson 2B
- Adeiny Hechavarria SS
- Mallex Smith CF
- Jesus Sucre C
- Nathan Eovaldi P
On the season Flexen has pitched in three games totaling 3.1 innings allowing eight runs, only four earned from nine hits and three walks. Last year he was 3-6 over 14 games and 9 starts totaling 48.0 innings with a 7.88 ERA. He was a nudge better as a starter with a 7.78 ERA over 41.2 innings. The only player on the Rays that has seen Flexen is Gomez who is 1-for-2 with a walk.
The Mets will get to see Nathan Eovaldi again who they used to face all the time. Nathan started off with the Dodgers, played for several seasons with the Marlins before joining the Yankees. He missed all of 2017 and now is with the Rays. He is 2-3 over seven games pitching 41.1 innings with a 3.92 ERA, 4.77 FIP, 0.919 WHIP, 102 ERA+. In his last two starts, he has allowed two runs over 12 innings from nine hits and three walks lowering his ERA from 4.91 to 3.92. The Mets have the following numbers against Nathan:
- Cabrera 2-11, BB
- Bautista 1-7, 2 BB
- Frazier 2-6
- Mesoraco 0-5, BB
- Flores 1-4, 2B
- Conforto 0-3
- Plawecki 0-2
Game Notes
Jacob deGrom is expected to be named to the All-Star team tonight…Leads the majors with a 1.79 ERA. He’s second in the NL and eighth in the majors with 142 strikeouts, second in the NL in WHIP (0.99) and is third in the majors with a .297 slugging. DeGrom has allowed three or fewer runs in 15 straight starts. That is the longest streak by a Mets starter within one season since Dwight Gooden did so in 24 consecutive outings in 1985.
New York is 1-1 on their season-high 11-game homestand. The Mets have lost 16 of their last 19 home games. New York is 15-27 at home this year. The Mets are hitting .214 at home this year with 35 homers. New York has posted a 3.89 ERA at Citi Field this season.
Brandon Nimmo is 11th in the NL with a .384 OBP, seventh with a .901 OPS and 10th with a .517 slugging percentage. He has a career-high 12 homers and is tied for fourth in the majors with six triples.
Wilmer Flores has driven in 10 runs in his last 12 games and has 13 RBI in his last 17 games. Flores has hit in 15 of his last 17 games, including three hits yesterday…Flores hit in career-high 11 straight games, going 13-42 (.310), tied with Asdrúbal Cabrera for the team season-high. Over his last 39 games, Flores is batting .304 (38-125) with 11 doubles, five home runs, 21 RBI, 13 runs scored, 10 walks and a .350 OBP (dating back to May 4).
Let’s Go Mets!
