Saturday, July 21, 2018 • 1:05 p.m.
Yankee Stadium • Bronx, N.Y.
LHP Steven Matz (4-7, 3.38) vs. RHP Sonny Gray (6-7, 5.46)
PIX11 • MLBN • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050

Yesterday was an odd day for the orange and blue. Cespedes returned from the DL and hit a big homer and Conforto had three RBI as the Mets avoided giving up a once 6-1 lead to beat the Yankees 7-5.

We knew something else was up though when during the ninth inning, Familia wasn’t warming up. During the game the Mets moved close to a deal to trade their long time closer. Also after the game Cespedes revealed that he may need a surgery with an 8-10 month recovery time. Layered with Syndergaard’s velocity drop and early exit, it was a whirlwind, not exactly happy feeling, Mets win in the Bronx.

Mets Lineup

  1. Brandon Nimmo (L) RF
  2. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) DH
  3. Wilmer Flores (R) 1B
  4. Michael Conforto (L) LF
  5. Jose Bautista (R) 3B
  6. Kevin Plawecki (R) C
  7. Amed Rosario (R) SS
  8. Matthew den Dekker (L) CF
  9. Jose Reyes (S) 2B

Yankees Lineup

  1. Aaron Hicks (S) CF
  2. Aaron Judge (R) RF
  3. Giancarlo Stanton (R) LF
  4. Gary Sanchez (R) DH
  5. Didi Gregorius (L) SS
  6. Miguel Andujar (R) 3B
  7. Greg Bird (L) 1B
  8. Brandon Drury (R) 2B
  9. Austin Romine (R) C

Steven Matz gets the start for the Mets today. He is 4-7 over 18 games and 96.0 innings with a 3.38 ERA, 4.81 FIP, 1.250 WHIP and 114 ERA+. In three starts in July he has tossed 18.0 innings with a 2.00 ERA from 16 hits and four walks while striking out 15. When he faced the Yankees in June he allowed three runs over six innings from five hits and four walks. The Yankees have the following numbers against him:

  • Stanton 4-for-12, 2 HR, 2 BB
  • Gregorius 5-for-10, 2B, BB
  • Hicks 1-for-6, 2B, 2 BB
  • Sanchez 1-for-6, 2B
  • Garnder 2-for-5, 2B, BB
  • Judge 0-for-5
  • Austin 2-for-5
  • Andujar 1-for-3, HR
  • Bird 1-for-3
  • Drury 2-for-3, HR

The Mets bats will get a look at Sonny Gray who is 6-7 over 18 games and 90.2 innings with a 5.46 ERA, 4.34 FIP, 1.511 WHIP and 79 ERA+. He is coming off a good start where he shut out the Orioles over six innings allowing three hits and walk while striking out eight. Prior to that in three starts he totaled 11.0 innings posting a 12.27 ERA. The Mets have the following numbers against Gray:

  • Bautista 6-for-20, 2B, HR, BB
  • Cabrera 2-for-11, HR, 2 BB
  • Reyes 1-for-10, 2 K
  • Cespedes 3-for-6
  • Conforto 1-for-2, BB
  • Flores 0-for-2, BB
  • Rosario 0-for-2, 2 K

Notes

José Bautista has hit 18 home runs at the new Yankee Stadium, the highest total by any visiting player. The 18 homers are the second-most for him in any visiting ballpark. Bautista has 26 homers at Fenway.

Noah Syndergaard struck out Neil Walker in the fourth inning last night to record his 500th career strikeout, becoming the fastest to reach the mark in franchise history by innings pitched (437.1 innings). Dwight Gooden is now second having reached 500 strikeouts in 445.1 innings.

Steven Matz  is 3-5 with a 2.91 ERA (24 earned runs/74.1 innings) in 13 starts since the beginning of May. His 2.91 ERA during that span is the eighth-best in the NL. All eight of his quality starts this season have come in that span. Matz has allowed three or fewer earned runs in 11 of those 13 starts, including seven starts allowing one or no earned runs.

Let’s Go Mets!