Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday, July 8, 2021 • 7:10 P.M.
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP JT Brubaker (4-8, 4.09) vs. RHP Taijuan Walker (7-3, 2.44)
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • WQBU 92.7 FM

Did you miss seeing the Mets play the Pirates last year and most of this year? Get ready for Pirate overload – the Mets play their next seven games against the Pirates. The two teams will get to know each other well through a four-game set in Queens starting today and then a three game set in Pittsburgh after the All-Star Break. The next time the Mets play a team with a different name will be on July 19th!

Another way to look at it – the Mets are in the midst of the NL Central experience. They are coming off of a split doubleheader and a series win against the Brewers, they have seven straight games against the Pirates on deck and then after that they take on the Reds.

Mets Lineup

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

Pirates Lineup

  1. Adam Frazier – 2B
  2. Ke’Bryan Hayes – 3B
  3. Ben Gamel – CF
  4. John Nogowski – 1B
  5. Wilmer Difo – RF
  6. Kevin Newman – SS
  7. Michael Perez – C
  8. Jared Oliva – LF
  9. JT Brubaker – RHP

Taijuan Walker, who should be an All-Star, will start things off for the Mets today. Walker has made 15 starts and pitched 85 innings this year with a 2.44 ERA, 3.06 FIP, 1.012 WHIP and a 157 ERA+. He’s coming off of a start against the Yankees where he allowed two runs over 5.2 innings from two hits and two walks. There is only member of the Pirates who has seen Walker in a major league game, Adam Frazier. Frazier is 1-fpr-4 against Walker.

The Mets bats will get a look at JT Brubaker today. Over 15 starts and 83.2 innings he has a 4.09 ERA, 4.62 FIP, 1.135 WHIP and a 100 ERA+. He’s coming off of a rough start against the Brewers where he allowed 5 runs over 6.0 innings and in his last two starts he has allowed 8 runs from 12 hits over 12.0 innings. Homers have been a weak point for JT in his last three starts allowing 6 of the 16 he’s allowed on the season. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

  • James McCann 2-2, 2 HR
  • Francisco Lindor 0-3, 2 BB
  • Billy McKinney 0-2

Let’s Go Mets!