Series Preview: Mets Host Red Sox For Two Interleague Games

The New York Mets (9-8), coming off taking two of three games from the Washington Nationals at Citi Field, will engage in their first interleague play of the season when they host Alex Cora‘s Boston Red Sox (14-9) for two games, Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

The Mets sit alone atop the National League East, and are the only team over .500 in the division. The Red Sox are one of the biggest surprises in baseball thus far, as many thought they would be going through a rebuild after the trade of Andrew Benintendi. However, Boston finds itself 2.5 games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays, and in first place in the American League East.

The weather is anticipated to be good, even summer-like, for the brief series in Queens. Let’s take a look at the projected pitching matchups.

Tuesday, April 27, RHP Garrett Richards (0-2) BOS vs. LHP David Peterson (1-2) NYM, 7:10 pm

Richards has started four games for the Red Sox in 2021, and has pitched to a 6.48 ERA and a 1.86 WHIP. In 16.2 innings pitched, the Riverside, CA native has allowed 18 hits and 13 walks. He has struck out 12 hitters. Richards is primarily a fastball/slider hurler, throwing his fastball 62 percent of the time, ad his slider 31 percent of the time. He also features a curve ball.

Richards is a ten-year veteran, having pitched eight seasons for the Angels and two for the Padres before this season. He has a career record of 47-43, with an ERA of 3.68 and a 1.27 WHIP.

Peterson has started three games in 2021, and compiled a 6.75 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. His statistics are skewed by a bad start he had in Philadelphia on April 7, when he allowed six runs (all earned) in four innings pitched.

Since that game, the lefty faced the Phillies again on April 14, tossing six innings of one-run baseball. In his next start on April 21, he was defeated by the Cubs, allowing six runs (three earned) in 3.1 innings, in a game where the Mets’ defense was extremely porous.

Peterson will look to bounce back from that bad night in the freezing conditions at Wrigley Field, and keep the Mets good fortunes going at home. The Mets are 6-2 at Citi Field this year.

The game can be seen locally on SNY and heard locally on WCBS 880 a.m.

Wednesday, April 28, RHP Nick Pivetta (2-0) BOS vs. RHP Jacob deGrom (2-1) NYM, 6:40 pm

Pivetta, the former Phillie, has pitched well so far, posting a 3.48 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP in four starts this season. The Red Sox obtained Pivetta in August of 2020 in deal for pitchers Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree.

Pivetta is a five-year veteran, and has a career record of 23-30 with a 5.31 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. The Victoria, British Columbia native throws his four-seam fastball 59 percent of the time, and his curveball 23 percent of the time. He also has a slider that he has used on 16 percent of his pitches.

The deGrom story is well known. He has established himself as the best starting pitcher in the game, and is posting other-worldly numbers. In four starts in 2021, the DeLand, FL native has a 0.31 ERA and a 0.55 WHIP. He has, almost unbelievably, struck out 5o batters in 29 innings pitched, while walking just three.

In his last three starts against Miami, Colorado, and Washington. he struck out 14, 14, and 15 batters respectively. As if all of this were not enough, deGrom also has a batting average of .545 with two run batted in.

Pivettea has been pitching well since joining the Red Sox, and the weather should be quite warm on Wednesday evening. This game could be an old-fashioned, mid-summer-type pitchers duel.

The game can be seen locally on SNY and heard locally on WCBS radio 880 a.m.

Series Notes For Red Sox:

Boston’s starters have a combined 4.44 ERA, their relievers have an ERA of 3.29. Their staff ERA is 3.94, 12th in baseball

Boston’s OPS leaders are J.D. Martinez (1.199), Xander Bogaerts (.975), Alex Verdugo (.908) and Rafael Devers (.907)

The Red Sox have a team BA of .276, the best in baseball. Their team OBP is .340, third in baseball

Series Notes for Mets:

Dellin Betances is on the 60-day injured list. The Mets called up reliever Stephen Tarpley, who appeared in Saturday’s game and did not retire a batter

Mets OPS leaders are Brandon Nimmo (.977), Pete Alonso (.907), and Michael Conforto (.673)

Alonso now has five home runs on the season

The Mets’ team BA is .243, ninth in the game, and their OBP is .329, which is fourth

The Mets are batting .189 with runners in scoring position, last among the 30 teams in baseball

The Mets’ starters have an ERA of 2.69, their relievers have an ERA of 4.31, for a team ERA of 3.24, which is 6th in baseball

The Mets have traditionally done well during inter league play. This week represents their first chance to keep that going in 2021, before venturing to Philadelphia for a weekend series.