MMO Game Thread: Reds vs Mets, 7:10 PM

Tuesday, April 30, 2019 • 7:10 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Luis Castillo (3-1, 1.23) vs. LHP Jason Vargas (1-1, 7.20)
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • ESPN 1050 AM

The Mets just couldn’t squeak out a couple more runs early last night against the Reds and it ended up costing them the game as Edwin Diaz allowed the winning run for the Reds on a go-ahead homer in the 9th inning.

Zack Wheeler had one bad inning that allowed four runs but limited the damage to just that. Seth Lugo and the struggling Jeurys Familia had scoreless innings behind him. The Mets bats just couldn’t get a hit when it counted and now they have to face one of the strongest pitchers on the Reds staff.

Mets Lineup

Jeff McNeil – 2B
Pete Alonso – 1B
Brandon Nimmo – LF
Michael Conforto – RF
Todd Frazier – 3B
Wilson Ramos – C
Amed Rosario – SS
Juan Lagares – CF
Jason Vargas – LHP

Reds Lineup

Jose Peraza – 2B
Joey Votto – 1B
Eugenio Suárez – 3B
Yasiel Puig – RF
Curt Casali – C
Phil Ervin – CF
Jesse Winker – LF
Jose Iglesias – SS
Luis Castillo – P

Luis Castillo 3-1 over 6 starts this season and 36.2 innings. He has a 1.23 ERA (league leading), 2.54 FIP, 0.955 WHIP, 369 ERA+ (league leading) and a 0.2 HR/9 (league leading). This is a tremendous improvement from last year where he posted a 4.30 ERA, 4.32 FIP, 1.220 WHIP and 98 ERA+ in 31 games and 169.2 innings. He made one start against the Mets last year where he allowed 2 runs off 3 hits and a walk in 5.2 innings of work. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

Keon Broxton 1-5, BB, 2 K
Michael Conforto 0-2, BB, K
Todd Frazier 1-2
Tomas Nido 0-2
Amed Rosario 1-2
Jason Vargas 0-1

The Mets will hope for a longer outing from Vargas tonight. He was effective in his last start, but still short on innings. Over 5 games and 4 starts this season he has a 7.20 ERA, 6.40 FIP, 1.933 WHIP and 56 ERA+ in 15.0 innings of work. In his last two starts he has allowed 2 ER over 8.2 innings, a 2.08 ERA. He faced the Reds twice last year and it wasn’t pretty, allowing 7 runs off 9 hits and 2 walks in 4.1 innings. The Reds have the following numbers against Vargas: