Series Preview: Mets Head Back to Philadelphia

The New York Mets are set to begin the sixth and final series of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park this weekend. Both teams are playing good baseball as of late, which should make for an exciting four-game set between two squads looking to make the postseason. This matchup is favoring the Mets so far this year, as they have an 11-4 record against the Phillies this season.

Taking one of four in Atlanta against the Braves this week may be disappointing, but the Mets are still right where they want to be as the season winds down. A 3.5-game lead at the top of the NL East is certainly something they will look to build off of down the stretch. The big story for the Mets is the arrival of infielder Brett Baty, who made his major league debut on Wednesday. The third baseman marked that night with a home run in his first at-bat, helping his team get a much-needed victory. With the Braves hosting the Houston Astros this weekend, the Mets will look to look to take care of their own business in Philadelphia.

The Phillies have been one of the best teams in baseball to begin the second half, owning a 16-9 record over that stretch. What makes this run so incredible is they are having all of this success without their superstar Bryce Harper, who is still recovering from a fractured thumb. All-Star slugger Kyle Schwarber has also been dealing with an injury over the last ten days, though he has been able to make appear as a pinch hitter twice. His availability for this weekend will be one of the main talking points heading into this series.

Friday, August 19, 2022: RHP Chris Bassitt (10-7, 3.27 ERA) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (8-9, 3.07 ERA)

Chris Bassitt is having one of his best seasons of his career, helping the Mets create a rotation filled with quality depth. The right-hander was good over the first few months of the season, but his starts have significantly improved since the All-Star break. Bassitt is 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA over five starts in the second half. His numbers in August are even better, as the former Oakland Athletic has surrendered zero runs in 20 innings across three starts. The 33-year-old is coming off a solid start against the Phillies, giving up no runs on four hits in five scoreless innings. Bassitt is 2-0 with an outstanding 1.08 ERA in 16 2/3 innings across three starts against the Phillies this season.

Aaron Nola has a win-loss record that does not resemble the kind of season he is having individually. The right-hander has not only kept his team in the game when he has taken the mound, but he has also pitched deep into games consistently. The 29-year-old ranks third in the majors with 152 2/3 innings pitched this season. Nola was nearly untouchable in his last start against the Mets on Saturday, receiving the loss after giving up one run on just four hits while striking out eight in eight innings. The only run he gave up in that outing came on an RBI single from Pete Alonso in the bottom of the first inning. Nola has made four starts against the Mets this year, owning a 0-3 record with a 2.96 ERA in 24 1/3 innings.

Saturday, August 20, 2022 (GM. 1): RHP Trevor Williams (2-5, 3.02 ERA) vs. Zack Wheeler (11-6, 2.92 ERA)

This start would have gone to Carlos Carrasco, but a left oblique strain has put the right-hander on the shelf for up to a month. That means Trevor Williams will be making his ninth start of the season, pitching to a 2-4 record with a 4.67 ERA in 34 2/3 innings over the first eight. The 30-year-old has been much more effective as a reliever in a similar sample size, owning a 1.16 ERA with 31 innings across 14 appearances. Williams made his last start back on July 7 against the Miami Marlins, surrendering just two hits and striking out seven in seven scoreless innings. The right-hander last pitched on Sunday against the Phillies, getting two scoreless innings of work out of the bullpen.

Zack Wheeler is having another excellent season for the Phillies, proving to be one of the more dominant pitchers in the National League. The right-hander does a great job of keeping teams off the scoreboard, as he ranks tenth in the NL with his 2.92 ERA over 132 2/3 innings. Wheeler struggled in his last outing against the Mets, conceding six runs on nine hits in six innings of work. He is 0-2 with a 4.32 ERA in 16 2/3 innings across three starts against his former team this season.

Saturday, August 20, 2022 (GM. 2): LHP David Peterson (6-2, 3.30 ERA) vs. LHP Bailey Falter (0-3, 4.85 ERA)

David Peterson has performed well when given the chance to pitch at the major league level this season. The 26-year-old has spent a fair amount of time in Triple-A Syracuse, but the injury to Carlos Carrasco may put Peterson back in the rotation for the foreseeable future. The left-hander has only made one appearance against the Phillies in 2022, pitching four shutout innings out of the bullpen on April 11. Peterson last pitched for the Mets on August 6 against the Braves, giving up no runs on three hits in 5 1/3 scoreless innings.

Bailey Falter has been up and down between Triple-A and the majors throughout the 2022 season. The left-hander is getting called up for the doubleheader to make his eighth start of the year for the Phillies. Falter is 0-2 with a 4.83 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP in 31 2/3 innings as a starter in the majors. In comparison, his numbers with Triple-A Lehigh Valley are quite good this season, owning a 4-1 record with a 1.91 ERA and a 0.66 WHIP in 47 innings. Falter last appeared for the Phillies on July 29 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving up two runs on five hits in six innings of work.

Sunday, August 21, 2022: TBD vs. Kyle Gibson (8-5, 4.30 ERA) 

This game would line up for Taijuan Walker to pitch, but the right-hander had to exit after two innings on Tuesday with back spasms. The Mets got an encouraging update on the 30-year-old the following day, but it is unknown whether or not he will be able to start the final game of this series. If Walker needs to skip his spot in the rotation, the most likely alternative is to go with José Butto. The 12th-ranked prospect in the Mets system according to MMN was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse just a week and a half ago, but the Mets should have him ready to pitch if needed in Philadelphia. Butto was pulled from his minor league start after one inning on Thursday, giving him a chance to take the mound on this weekend. If the Mets ended up going in a different direction though, another option would be to go with a bullpen game.

Kyle Gibson is not having the type of year he wanted in his first full season with the Phillies. The 34-year-old right-hander has performed better as of late after struggling in the middle of the season. Even though Gibson is having a year full of inconsistency, he has performed well when facing the Mets. He owns a 1.74 ERA in 10 1/3 innings across two starts against their divisional opponent. Gibson’s last start against the Mets came back on May 8, earning the victory after pitching six innings while giving up two runs on six hits.