Series Preview: Mets Desperately Need Wins Against Pirates

The New York Mets come into this four-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates following a disappointing few days against the Chicago Cubs. Before this week, the team had yet to get swept by an opponent this season in a three-game series. The Mets scored a total of six runs across three games, failing to earn one win against the Cubs that are now 21 games below .500.

With the Atlanta Braves losing two of three against the San Francisco Giants at the same time, the Mets still lead the division by a 0.5 game with less than three weeks left in the season. If the Mets are going to win the NL East, the team will need to capitalize against the weaker teams remaining on their schedule. The last-placed Pirates (who have won four straight), will look to play spoiler at Citi Field this weekend.

Thursday, September 15, 2022: RHP JT Brubaker (3-11, 4.36 ERA) vs. RHP Carlos Carrasco (14-6, 3.80 ERA)

Brubaker may not have the numbers to qualify as an ace of the Pirates rotation, but what he has been able to do is pitch every fifth day. The 28-year-old has thrown a team-high 138 1/3 innings this season, despite having a poor win/loss record. Brubaker has yet to earn a victory on the road (0-7 in 14 starts) this season, but his 3.88 ERA is better than his numbers at PNC Park (3-4, 4.88 ERA in 12 home starts). In eight starts since the beginning of the second half, he is 1-3 with a 5.08 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP in 44 1/3 innings.

The right-hander has struggled in his only two starts against the Mets throughout his career (both of which came last season), pitching to a 0-1 record with a 10.38 ERA in 8 2/3 innings. Brubaker was solid on the mound in his last outing, allowing three runs to score on six hits in six innings of work against the St. Louis Cardinals last Saturday.

Carrasco had a great performance against the Miami Marlins last Saturday, allowing one run to score on four hits while striking out six in six innings. The 35-year-old is now tied for seventh among all pitchers with 14 wins, an incredible turnaround after the kind of season he had in 2021. The right-hander has made three career starts against the Pirates, owning a 1-0 record with a 3.24 ERA in 16 2/3 innings. Carrasco will be making his 15th start at home on Thursday, earning an 8-2 record with a 3.35 ERA in the previous 14.

Friday, September 16, 2022: RHP Mitch Keller (5-10, 4.01 ERA) vs. RHP Taijuan Walker (11-4, 3.48 ERA)

Keller is another example of a Pirates starter who has been able to stay healthy throughout the season. The 26-year-old pitcher has thrown 137 innings in 2022, the second-highest tally in the rotation. Before this year, Keller had thrown no more than 100 2/3 innings in any given season. The right-hander had a magnificent performance against the Mets on September 6, giving up no runs on five hits while striking out two in six innings.

Walker has struggled post-All-Star break for the second straight season, but his last start was certainly a sign of good things to come. The right-hander allowed one run to score on just five hits while striking out 10 in seven innings against the Marlins last Sunday. Walker is now 4-2 with a 5.44 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP in nine second-half starts. In comparison, he was 7-2 with a 2.55 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP in 16 first-half starts.

The test for him will come against a Pirates lineup that frustrated the Mets starter on September 6. Walker surrendered four runs on six hits in five innings, including a home run given up to Rodolfo Castro. He is now 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA and a 2.08 WHIP in four career starts against the Pirates.

Saturday, September 17, 2022: RHP Bryse Wilson (3-8, 6.03 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Bassitt (13-8, 3.44 ERA)

Wilson came over to the Pirates as part of the deal that sent reliever Richard Rodríguez to the Atlanta Braves at the trade deadline last season. The young right-hander has yet to find any consistency as a full-time starter with his new team, as he is 4-12 with a 5.69 ERA in 134 1/3 innings with the Pirates. Wilson came out of the bullpen against the Mets in the first game of the doubleheader on September 7, allowing four runs to score on seven hits in six innings.

Bassitt is having a sensational season in his first year with the New York Mets, as the team is 18-9 in games he has pitched in. But his upcoming start against the Pirates may be one of his most important, considering how his last outing went. The 33-year-old gave up five runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings against the Chicago Cubs on Monday, resulting in his eighth loss of the season.

Bassitt had a magnificent performance against the Pirates in the first game of the doubleheader on September 7, allowing one run to score on just five hits while striking out 10 in seven innings. The right-hander is now 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in two starts across 12 innings against the Pirates in his career.

Sunday, September 18, 2022: Johan Oviedo (1-1, 3.72 ERA) vs. Jacob deGrom (5-2, 2.01 ERA)

Oviedo gets the start on Sunday for the Pirates. Oviedo struggled in his only appearance against the Mets this season, surrendering four runs on one hit and five walks in 1 2/3 innings back on September 7.

DeGrom will be looking to bounce back after a rough performance (by his standards at least) against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. The veteran right-hander allowed three runs to score on five hits while striking out ten in six innings, resulting in his second loss of the year. DeGrom made his biggest mistake against All-Star outfielder Ian Happ, who turned on a 99 MPH fastball for his 17 home run of the season in the third inning of that game.

The 34-year-old is 2-3 with a 2.08 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP in seven career starts against the Pirates. His last outing against them was maybe his best, as he gave up no runs on three hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings in the second game of the doubleheader on September 7.