Thursday, June 21, 2018 • 3:10 p.m. (ET)
Coors Field • Denver, CO
LHP Steven Matz (3-4, 3.31) vs. LHP Kyle Freeland (6-6, 3.59)
SNY • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050
For a second straight day the Mets bats showed up in Colorado but couldn’t dig the team out of the hole left by the starting pitcher. Last night the Mets bats worked early and late but ultimately could not overcome Lugo’s start and then Gsellman’s inning of relief as the two of them allowed 9 runs, 6 earned in 4.0 innings. On the positive, Mesoraco continued to heat up as did Dom Smith who recorded three hits on the night including a triple.
Mets Lineup
- Brandon Nimmo – RF
- Todd Frazier – 3B
- Michael Conforto – CF
- Wilmer Flores – 1B
- Jose Bautista – LF
- Kevin Plawecki – C
- Jose Reyes – 2B
- Amed Rosario – SS
- Steven Matz – LHP
Rockies Lineup
- DJ LeMahieu – 2B
- Charlie Blackmon – CF
- Nolan Arenado – 3B
- Trevor Story – SS
- Ian Desmond – 1B
- Chris Iannetta – C
- Gerardo Parra – LF
- Noel Cuevas – RF
- Kyle Freeland – LHP
The Mets will turn to Steven Matz to help the Mets escape Colorado with a series split. He is 3-4 over 13 games and 65.1 innings this year with a 3.31 ERA, 5.06 FIP, 1.240 WHIP, and a 115 ERA+. He is coming off a string start against the Diamondbacks where he allowed 1 run over 6.2 innings and since May 5th he has had a 2.47 ERA in 8 starts, 43.2 innings of work. That May 5th start was against the Rockies where he held them to 1 run over 6.0 innings from 3 hits and a walk, a game the Mets lost 2-0. The Rockies have the following numbers against Matz:
- Blackmon 6-11, 2 2B, BB
- Arendado 3-11, 3 HR
- Castro 4-9, HR
- LeMahieu 4-7, 2B
- Story 3-7, 2B, BB
- Gonzalez 1-7, 2B
- Desmond 1-4
The Mets bats draw Kyle Freeland who is 6-6 over 14 games and 85.1 innings with a 3.59 ERA, 3.89 FIP, 1.242 WHIP and 130 ERA+. He is coming off a good start against Texas where he allowed 2 runs from 8 hits and a walk in 7.0 innings. In his last five starts he has allowed 15 earned runs in 31.1 innings, a 4.31 ERA. Before his last start on June 16th, his last time pitching 7.0 innings was against the Mets on May 6th where he allowed 2 runs over 7. The Mets have the following numbers against him:
- Frazier 0-4, BB
- Bruce 0-4, 2 K
- Cabrera 1-4
- Flores 0-2, BB
- Conforto 0-2, 2 K
- Mesoraco 1-2
- Nimmo 0-2, 2 K
- Rosario 0-2
Game Notes
New York has scored eight or more runs in three straight games for the first time since May 3-6, 2017. The last time the club plated eight or more runs in four consecutive games was September 22-25, 2016. New York has lost back-to-back games while scoring eight or more runs for the second time in team history (also: April 7-8, 2004 at Atlanta).
Rapper and record producer Busta Rhymes will perform at Citi Field following tomorrow’s 7:10 p.m. vs. the Dodgers to celebrate the release of the New Balance 247v2.
Matz will make his seventh road start of the season. Is 2-1 with a 1.55 ERA (five earned runs/29.0 innings) this year. He has allowed one run or fewer in five of his six road starts this year and has allowed three or fewer earned runs in eight straight road starts dating to August 1, 2017.
Let’s Go Mets!
