Series Preview: Mets Continue Pivotal Stretch in Boston

The New York Mets (45-51) remain seven games out of a Wild Card spot as they begin a five-game road trip. With the trade deadline just 11 days away, this stretch could make the difference between the Mets becoming sellers, buyers, or a team that sticks with the group they have. Francisco Álvarez and Brett Baty will be joined by Mark Vientos, who is back from Triple-A Syracuse after Starling Marte went on the 10-day injured list with migraines. He will look to give this offense a boost as they look to build off their series victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Buck Showalter‘s team will be going up against the Boston Red Sox (51-46), who are fourth in the American League East but only three games out of a playoff spot. They have been led by their offense, which ranks fifth in the league with 5.01 runs per game. While they are 7-3 over their last 10, the Red Sox did lose two of three to the last-placed Oakland Athletics earlier this week. Given where both of these teams are in their respective leagues, this is going to be an important series for each organization. Here are some important notes to look for in each of the three pitching matchups.

Friday, July 21, 2023: RHP Kodai Senga (7-5, 3.20 ERA) vs. RHP Kutter Crawford (4-4, 3.74 ERA)

Kodai Senga has gotten off to an incredible start in the month of July, owning a 1.29 ERA through 14 innings. The right-hander last pitched on Jul. 15 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, when he gave up one run on four hits while striking out nine across six innings. Senga has begun to dominate opposing lineups, allowing two earned runs or fewer in four of his last five starts. While things are going great for him at the moment, Friday’s start in Boston will be a difficult test. More of Senga’s struggles have come on the road, as he owns a 3.97 ERA in eight starts away from Citi Field.

Kutter Crawford has worked as a starter and a reliever in 2023, giving Red Sox manager Álex Cora plenty of versatility. Each of his last eight appearances have come as a starter, although some of his appearances have been on the shorter side. Since the beginning of June, Crawford has thrown four innings or less on four separate occasions. His last appearance was far from that, as the right-hander gave his team six scoreless innings in an 11-5 win over the Chicago Cubs on Jul. 16. Crawford will look to improve on his home numbers, as he is 0-1 with a 5.60 ERA in Fenway Park this season.

Saturday, July 22, 2023: RHP Max Scherzer (8-3, 3.99 ERA) vs. LHP James Paxton (5-2, 3.51 ERA)

Max Scherzer began his second half with a dominant performance, throwing seven scoreless innings with six strikeouts against the Dodgers on Jul. 16. The right-hander needed an outing like that, especially after giving up a total of nine runs over his previous two starts. While it may be unlikely, this could be Scherzer’s final start with the Mets if the team falls any further over the next five games. He will look to keep things moving in the right direction against the Red Sox, a team he is 5-5 against with a 5.51 ERA in 12 starts throughout his career. This will be Scherzer’s 12th road start of the year, going 6-3 with a 4.92 ERA in the previous 11.

James Paxton has basically missed all of the last two seasons, but that has not stopped him from being a consistent part of the Red Sox rotation. Prior to this season, the left-hander had thrown a total of 21 2/3 innings since 2020. He has more than doubled that through 11 starts in Boston, which is a remarkable achievement for the 34-year-old. Paxton has performed really well, but he is coming off a very rough performance. He allowed six runs to score on three hits and three walks in just three innings against the Cubs on Jul. 15. Paxton will look to bounce back at home, where he is 1-0 with a 2.05 ERA in four starts this season.

Sunday, July 23, 2023: RHP Carlos Carrasco (3-3, 5.35 ERA) vs. TBD

Carlos Carrasco has yet to find any amount of consistency this season, but if the Mets are going to make a run over the next two plus months, they will need him to improve. The veteran right-hander struggled in his first appearance since the All-Star break, allowing four runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings against the White Sox on Jul. 18. Only three of Carrasco’s 13 starts have been quality outings, two of which were all the way back in May. The good news for him is he owns a 3.86 ERA on the road in seven starts, something he will look to build on against the Red Sox.

The Red Sox have yet to announce a starter for the series finale, although it is likely that Boston will use an opener in that game. They did that on Jul. 17 against the Athletics, going to Brennan Bernardino for two innings and Nick Pivetta followed him up with six no-hit innings, including 13 strikeouts. It is certainly possible that the Mets may face that combination on Sunday night. Pivetta is a pitcher that is familiar with facing the New York, dating back to his days in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. The right-hander is 4-2 with a 5.36 ERA in nine appearances against the Mets throughout his career.