Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Friday, July 1, 2022 • 7:10 P.M.
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Glenn Otto (4-3, 5.31) vs. LHP David Peterson (4-3, 3.10)
Apple TV+  • WCBS 880 AM

We have good news and bad news. The good news: June is over! The Mets survived June, which has crushed them the last several years with a winning record and they are still in first place. The bad news: the Mets have lost three games in a row for the first time season. After losing a walk-off in Miami, the Mets dropped their next two against the Astros. One game was a blowout. The Astros scored twice in the top of the ninth to beat the Mets in their last game.

Mets Lineup

  1. Brandon Nimmo – CF
  2. Starling Marte – RF
  3. Francisco Lindor – SS
  4. Pete Alonso – 1B
  5. Jeff McNeil – DH
  6. Mark Canha – LF
  7. Luis Guillorme – 2B
  8. Eduardo Escobar – 3B
  9. James McCann – C

Rangers Lineup

  1. Marcus Semien – 2B
  2. Corey Seager – SS
  3. Adolis Garcia – RF
  4. Jonah Heim – C
  5. Kole Calhoun – LF
  6. Mitch Garver – DH
  7. Nathaniel Lowe – 1B
  8. Leody Taveras – CF
  9. Josh H. Smith – 3B

But the Mets had a day off to push aside that series and welcome the Texas Rangers into town tonight. Chris Bassitt was scheduled to get the start, but he was placed on the injured list before the game with what is presumed to be a COVID-19 related issue. David Peterson will start in his place.

The Mets bats will get a look at Glenn Otto. Over nine starts and 42 1/3 innings he has a 5.31 ERA, 5.19 FIP, 1.512 WHIP and a 73 ERA+. His numbers are inflated by two starts. On May 14 he allowed eight runs over four innings. His last time out he allowed six runs over two innings. In between those two starts he allowed seven runs, six earned, over 22 innings which is a 2.45 ERA. There are only two batters on the Mets roster who have seen Otto in a major league are Starling Marte (2-3, 3B) and Mark Canha (0-1, K).

Game Notes

Starling Marte is a life time .390 (30-for-77) hitter against the Rangers with a .420 OBP.

Brandon Nimmo is on an eight-game hitting streak with a .394 average and 1.006 OPS in that span. He’s batting .319 with a .351 OBP and .522 SLG over his last 17 games. Nimmo has also been hit by 49 pitches in his career, the second-most in team history.

The Mets are second in the majors with a .273 average with runners in scoring position, and sixth with a .346 OBP.

Let’s go Mets!