Series Preview: Mets Host Marlins in Four-Game Set

The Mets are back in New York for a four-game series against the Miami Marlins, before embarking on a seven-game road trip before the All-Star Break. The Mets head home on a happy note, as they just took two of three from the Reds in Cincinnati, including an epic comeback 8-3 victory in Wednesday’s series finale. Dominic Smith and James McCann, both who have struggled for large parts of this season, provided the clutch hits before Brandon Nimmo‘s three-run home run was the icing on the cake. The Mets remain 2 1/2 games up on the Braves in the NL East.

The Marlins lost their most recent game, falling 5-2 to the Halos, but that loss brought an end to an impressive six-game winning streak. NL Cy Young favorite Sandy Alcantara picked up two wins during the streak, and he’s scheduled to face the Mets in the series finale on Sunday afternoon. Miami is now just three games out of a Wild Card playoff spot.

Thursday, July 7, 2022: RHP Trevor Williams (1-5, 4.34 ERA) vs. LHP Daniel Castano (1-1, 2.42 ERA) 

After a mostly successful June (3.77 ERA across five appearances), Trevor Williams had one of his worst outings in his most recent start. On July 2 against the Rangers, Williams allowed five hits and five runs, including three home runs, in just 3 2/3 innings. While he’s been a serviceable rotation fill-in with over half of the normal rotation sidelined, he’ll be on the outside looking in as soon as Jacob deGrom makes his return.

Daniel Castano started the season as a late-inning mop-up reliever but has since transitioned into a starting role. Since his first start of the season on June 15, Castano has a 2.86 ERA in 22 innings, throwing 13 strikeouts in that span. He earned his first win of the season last week in Washington, allowing three runs (one earned) in five innings.

Friday, July 8, 2022: RHP Chris Bassitt (6-5, 4.01 ERA) vs. Pablo Lopez (5-4, 2.97 ERA) 

Since allowing eight hits and seven runs in 3 1/3 innings on June 8, Chris Bassitt has significantly improved. In his three subsequent starts, Bassitt has a 2.78 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings. Notably, he threw eight shutout frames against the Brewers on June 14.

After allowing just one total earned run through four April starts, Lopez has settled back down to reality. Since the start of June, he has a 4.89 ERA in six starts, allowing five home runs in that span. When he faced the Mets on June 17, Lopez allowed eight hits and seven runs (six earned) in 5 1/3 innings.

Saturday, July 9, 2022: RHP Carlos Carrasco (9-4, 4.64 ERA) vs. LHP Braxton Garrett (1-3, 4.25 ERA) 

After a rough end to June (14.85 ERA across 6 2/3 innings in his last two starts of the month), Carlos Carrasco had a fantastic start to July. Last week against Texas, he allowed six hits and just one run, striking out eight batters as well in 5 2/3 frames. Last month in his lone start of this season against Miami, Carrasco allowed three runs and struck out seven batters in 6 1/3 innings.

Braxton Garrett is coming off his best start of the season, having allowed just one run in 7 1/3 dominant innings against the Nationals. Prior to this start, Garrett had not gone beyond six innings in any of his five other starts this year. In his start against the Mets on June 18, Garrett allowed five hits and three runs in four frames, recording no strikeouts though.

 

Sunday, July 10, 2022: RHP Taijuan Walker (7-2, 2.86 ERA) vs. RHP Sandy Alcantara (9-3, 1.82 ERA)

Taijuan Walker continues to build a case to be selected to his second consecutive NL All-Star team. Since the start of June, Walker has had a 2.89 ERA in 43 2/3 innings with 42 strikeouts. Against the Marlins, Walker has pitched 12 2/3 frames and allowed four earned runs against them this year. In his last home start, Walker dominated the powerful Astros, allowing no runs in 7 1/3 innings. He has arguably been the Mets best starter all season with the two aces not around.

Sandy Alcantara has been so dominant this season, as his 1.82 ERA shows, but against the Mets, he’s actually fared a bit worse compared to his typical numbers on the year. He “only” has a 3.60 ERA in 15 innings, striking out 12 combined batters across these two starts. Alcantara’s durability is something to note as well. He’s pitched at least seven innings in each of his last 11 starts, dating back to May 11. In that span, his ERA is tiny: 1.33.