Series Preview: Mets Open Second Half Against Padres

The All-Star break has come and gone. As good as a first half as the Mets (58-35) had, they have their eyes sight on their ultimate prizes now.

A possible 100-win season.

A division title.

Winning the pennant.

And finally,  bringing the World Series trophy back to Queens for the first time in 36 years.

To start the second half, the Mets will immediately be challenged, with the San Diego Padres (52-42) coming into town in what may be a possible postseason preview. San Diego boasts one of the better rotations in the NL led by 2022 All-Star Joe Musgrove. Their offense has been led by Manny Machado having a monster season. They also have versatile players in Jake Cronenworth, Ha-Seong Kim, and Jurickson Profar that have all played well this season.

After falling flat in the 2020 playoffs and collapsing down the stretch last year, this is the Padres best chance to win their first World Series in franchise history since at least the late 1990s.

Friday, July 22, 2022: RHP Max Scherzer (6-1, 2.22 ERA) vs. RHP Yu Darvish (8-4, 3.41) 

Since returning from the IL on July 5, Max Scherzer has not seemed to skip a beat. In fact, he’s actually gotten significantly better since being back in the rotation. Over these three starts, Scherzer has a 1.40 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings. He’s also just walked just one batter and allowed just one home run in this span. Scherzer’s 11 strikeouts on both July 5 and July 16 tied for a season-high in K’s.

While Yu Darvish has been roughed up a few starts this year – such as on July 2 when he allowed five runs and three home runs – he’s generally been one of the Padres better pitchers all season. In his first start against the Mets this year on June 7, he threw seven shutout frames, allowing just two hits. Darvish’s last start before the All-Star break saw throw a quality start, allowing five hits and three runs in seven innings. His nine strikeouts in that game tied for his second-most all season.

Saturday, July 23, 2022: RHP Chris Bassitt (7-6, 3.79 ERA) vs. LHP Blake Snell (1-5, 5.22 ERA)

After a few tough starts earlier in the year, Chris Bassitt has settled down recently to become a really effective pitcher. In five starts since June 14, Bassitt has posted a 2.41 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings. Before the break commenced, he pitched very well against the division-rival Braves, allowing just one earned run across six innings.

Blake Snell, the former Cy Young winner, has had an overall rough 2022. Despite allowing just one run each in consecutive games against the Dodgers and Giants in early July, he followed up that start by allowing five runs – and walking six batters – in just 3 2/3 frames in Colorado. In fact, Snell has allowed four or more earned runs in four separate starts this year. Against the Mets on June 6, he allowed five runs (four earned) in four innings, walking another three batters as well.

Sunday, July 24, 2022: RHP Carlos Carrasco (10-4, 4.27 ERA) vs. RHP Joe Musgrove (8-2, 2.42 ERA) 

Carlos Carrasco may finally be hitting his stride, after mixing in a handful of tough outings over the first three months of the season. But so far in July, Carrasco has a 1.56 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings. In his last start before the break, he threw six shutout frames, the first time he allowed no runs in a start since June 1. It was also the first time this season that he had put up “zero” in the run column in a road game.

Joe Musgrove pitched a shutout inning in the All-Star Game this week, but leading up to the mid-summer classic, he’s hit a bit of a wall. In his last four starts, Musgrove has a 5.04 ERA in 25 innings. His last start before the break saw him allow nine hits and five runs in five frames at the Rockies.