Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Mets go down to Miami to face the Marlins for their fourth series of the season against their divisional opponent. The Mets have faired well against the Marlins so far this year, winning seven of their first 11 games against them. Manager Buck Showalter will look to keep his team focused after two highly-intensified wins against the New York Yankees earlier this week. The Mets will try to increase their lead at the top of the NL East over the Atlanta Braves, who host the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend.
The Marlins are in an interesting position at the moment, mostly because the team could look at a lot different by next week. Reports have said most of the major league roster is available for trade, but it is hard to say if any deals will be made in the coming days. The Marlins are 47-52 on the season but are only five games back from the final wild card spot. Marlins manager Don Mattingly will be without some of his best players for this series, including All-Stars Jazz Chisholm and Garrett Cooper as well as power hitter Jorge Soler.
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Friday, July 29, 2022: RHP Chris Bassitt (7-7, 3.72 ERA) vs. RHP Sandy Alcántara (9-4, 1.81 ERA)
Chris Bassitt has been quite efficient in his last few starts after dealing with some struggles in June. The 33-year-old has pitched at least six innings in each of his last six outings. Bassitt is coming off maybe his best start of the season when he gave up two runs on four hits while striking out 11 in seven innings against the San Diego Padres. His only mistake in that game was a breaking ball that he hung to All-Star third baseman
Manny Machado, who hit a two-run home run to left field. Bassitt will be making his fourth start against the Marlins this season, who he 1-2 against with a 3.66 ERA in 19 2/3 innings of work. He last faced off against Miami on July 8 at Citi Field, surrendering two runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings, taking the loss in the end.
Sandy Alcántara has arguably been the best starting pitcher in baseball this season. His ability to pitch deep in games while still having command of his three elite pitches is what makes him so special. The right-hander was really good in his first start of the second half, only giving up two runs on two hits while striking out ten in six innings of work against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Alcántara has been nearly untouchable at home this season, pitching to a 1.66 ERA in 76 innings of work across ten starts at LoanDepot Park. He will be making his fourth start of the year against the Mets, with the Marlins going 2-1 over the first three matchups. Francisco Lindor has the best career numbers against
Alcántara, hitting .318 with one home run (which came back on June 24) and six runs batted in across 22 at-bats.
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Carlos Carrasco has pitched well this season, and his outings during July have been quite strong. The right-hander has only given up three runs in his last four starts, including back-to-back scoreless appearances against the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres. Carrasco is proving to be most effective when he has been able to avoid the home run ball. The 35-year-0ld has not given up a home run in three consecutive starts, something he has not accomplished since early May. Carrasco has pitched well against the Marlins this season, going 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA in 12 innings of work across two starts.
Trevor Rogers is having a difficult second season after showing so much promise as a rookie in 2021. The left-handed starter has lacked the ability to pitch deep into games, putting a lot of pressure on the bullpen. Rogers has only made it through the fifth inning in three of his last six outings. The long ball has played a big role in his struggles, as he is giving up 1.2 HR/9 in 2022 versus 0.4 HR/9 last season. Rogers has not pitched well in his two starts against the Mets this year, owning a 0-1 record with a 5.79 ERA in 9 1/3 innings.
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Sunday, July 31, 2022: RHP Taijuan Walker (8-2, 2.67 ERA) vs. RHP Pablo López (7-5, 3.03 ERA)
Taijuan Walker has been everything the Mets could have asked from him this season. The right-hander is pitching at an incredibly high level right now, giving his team an opportunity to win every time he takes the mound. Walker did not have his best stuff in his last start against the New York Yankees on Tuesday but still managed to get through six innings of work. Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, but Walker was able to settle in after that. The 29-year-old has dominated in his only two starts against the Marlins this season, owning a record of 2-0 with a 1.83 ERA in 19 2/3 innings of work.
Pablo López is one of the names other teams are seeking in a potential trade with the Marlins. The 26-year-old has pitched well this season, but his effort has been overshadowed by the dominance of Alcántara. López was phenomenal in his most recent start against the Cincinnati Reds, giving up just one run on two hits while striking out 11 in seven innings of work. The right-hander has made two starts against the Mets this season, one of which was good and one that was more of a struggle for him. On June 17, López surrendered six runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings, taking the loss. Less than a month later, the pitcher earned a victory following five innings of one-run ball on July 8.
