Series Preview: Mets Start West Coast Trip in Oakland

The New York Mets won each of their first two series at home, taking two of three against the Miami Marlins and the San Diego Padres. That was a response they so desperately needed, given the way they performed in Milwaukee last week. Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and the Mets are set to begin a 10-game road trip in Oakland Friday night, facing off against an Athletics team that has struggled mightily to start the season. 

A strong start to the trip would be great for the Mets, especially against the 3-10 Athletics. Oakland is back home after finishing up a four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles. The Mets could be facing off against some familiar faces, including Trevor May and Jeurys Familia.

Friday, April 14, 2023: RHP Kodai Senga (2-0, 1.59 ERA) vs. RHP James Kaprielian (0-1, 11.17 ERA)

Kodai Senga has been excellent in each of his first two MLB starts, both of which have come against the Miami Marlins. The right-hander will get the opportunity to face off against an Athletics lineup that is averaging 3.67 runs per game, the fourth-lowest total in all of baseball. Senga uses a well-balanced four-pitch mix to his advantage, but the most effective one is his forkball. Opponents are having little to no success against it, hitting .071 with an expected batting average .038 against Senga’s forkball. 12 of his 14 strikeouts have come on that pitch, which goes to show how much of a weapon it actually is.

The biggest knock of the 30-year-old rookie is the number of walks he has surrendered through 11 1/3 innings. He is allowing 4.8 walks per nine, and even though it has yet to hurt him, that is something he’d like to improve on. Senga has been the most consistent piece of a Mets rotation that has dealt with injuries and inconsistent performances. Manager Buck Showlater will hope that his starter will be able to continue his strong pitching in Oakland this weekend.

James Kaprielian was expected to be a key piece of the Athletics rotation after throwing a career-high 134 innings in 2022. The start of the year has been far from good for the 29-year-old, allowing 12 runs to score over 9 2/3 innings. His last outing was a disappointing one, surrounding seven runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays last Sunday. Kaprielian gave up a first-inning home run to Wander Franco and never recovered.

The right-hander had reverse home/road splits last season, as his numbers were much better away from the Oakland Coliseum. Kaprielian was 4-4 with a 3.67 ERA in 15 starts and 81 innings on the road. In comparison, he was only 1-5 with a 5.09 ERA in 11 starts and 53 innings at home. Kaprielian is not a hard thrower (92.3 MPH on the four-seam fastball), but he does go to his breaking stuff quite frequently. He has a slider, sinker and changeup that he uses to play off his four-seam fastball.

Saturday, April 15, 2023: RHP Carlos Carrasco (0-2, 11.42 ERA) vs. RHP Shintaro Fujinami (0-2, 17.55 ERA)

Carlos Carrasco’s status in the Mets starting rotation may begin to come into question if he is unable to rediscover his rhythm on the mound, especially with Justin Verlander closing in on a return. The 36-year-old right-hander struggled against the Miami Marlins last Sunday, allowing six runs to score on six hits in 4 2/3 innings. Carrasco put himself in first-inning trouble and was unable to escape, giving up a three-run home run to outfielder Bryan De La Cruz. His troubles with the home run ball struck again in the sixth, when Marlins slugger Garrett Cooper hit a two-run shot to left field.

While it may seem like all doom and gloom for Carrasco, this upcoming start against an opponent that has had success against in the past could change his fortunes. He owns a 4-2 record with a 3.14 ERA in 51 2/3 innings and seven career starts against the Athletics. Even further, Carrasco is 2-1 with a 2.31 ERA in three starts at the Oakland Coliseum all-time. Those numbers provide optimism for a veteran that has not had a good start to the 2023 season. Carrasco desperately needs a strong performance, and this just may be the right opponent for him to put it all together against.

Shintaro Fujinami has had a bit of a rocky start to his MLB career after spending the last ten seasons with the Hanshin Tigers in the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball). The 29-year-old rookie has thrown a total of 6 2/3 innings, surrendering 13 runs on just eight hits. Allowing hitters to reach base via the walk has really hurt Fujinami, as he is up to 9.5 walks allowed per nine. He has a four-seam fastball, a splitter that drops, and a slider that he goes to quite a bit. If Fujinami can pitch with more control as this season unfolds, the Athletics will certainly get some quality innings from the Japanese international. 

The right-hander may find himself in some trouble if he is unable to throw strikes. Creating long at-bats is what this Mets lineup is best known for, as guys like Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil have a great understanding of the strike zone. If they are able to lay off the splitter out of the zone and are able to find themselves in favorable counts, it may be a long night for the Athletics starter. Fujinami struggled against the Los Angeles Angels and the Rays, both of which has swung the bat well to start the year. Will the outcome be similar against the Mets?

Sunday, April 16, 2023: RHP Max Scherzer (2-1, 4.41 ERA) vs. LHP JP Sears (0-1, 5.59 ERA)

Max Scherzer has uncharacteristically pitched below his high standards to begin this season. The right-hander gave up three home runs in a 9-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Apr. 4, but he was able to bounce back a few days later. Scherzer battled through five innings against the Padres, throwing five scoreless innings while striking out six in a win on Monday. Scherzer looked more like his normal self in that outing, as he was able to rediscover his putaway pitch when he needed it most.

The 38-year-old was dominant when the Mets went out to Oakland in September of 2022, throwing six innings of one-run ball in the series finale. Scherzer is 3-1 with a 4.29 ERA in eight starts and 42 innings in his career against the Athletics. His overall numbers at the Oakland Coliseum are similar, as he is 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA in 29 1/3 innings at that ballpark. Scherzer, pitching in the final game of the series again, will look to stack good starts together after the way he performed against the Padres earlier this week.

JP Sears has struggled on the mound since he was traded from the New York Yankees to the Oakland Athletics at last season’s trade deadline. The left-hander in 3-4 with a 4.84 ERA in 57 2/3 innings since the move, giving up ten home runs along the way. Sears is certainly a guy the Athletics would like to build around, but for one reason or another, he has yet to find any sort of consistency with his new team. He was much better in his last start, allowing three runs to score on three hits in five innings against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.

The 27-year-old did not fare well in his only start against the Mets last season, surrendering six runs on eight hits in just 3 2/3 innings on Sep. 25. Sears was able to work through a scoreless first, but he was hit around in the next three innings. He will be looking for much better results against a Mets lineup that looks very similar to the one he faced in 2022. Sears will be making his second home start of the season, throwing 4 2/3 innings against the Cleveland Guardians on Apr. 4 in his first one.