The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies will get to know each other a little more over the last 35 games of the season. The two NL East rivals will play each other ten times between now and October 2nd, with the first meeting scheduled for Friday night.
Both teams will have a lot to say on how each other’s season ends. The Mets are staying relevant in the NL Wild card race and their ten games against the Phillies could likely make or break their season. For the Phillies, they are trying to get over 73 wins, which would have them finishing with their best record since 2012, where they went 81-81.
Series Preview
Friday – The series will start off with Big Sexy on the mound. You can make the case that 43-year old Bartolo Colon (11-7 3.36 ERA) has been the most reliable starter the Mets have. With a rotation that started the season with Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Steven Matz, it is the old veteran that leads the Mets in games started, wins (tied) and walks allowed (by the remaining starters). Colon has a 2.36 ERA in August and has held the Phillies to a .206 batting average against in three starts this season.
Saturday – The second game will feature both these staff’s best pitchers. Jeremy Hellickson (14-10 3.60 ERA) leads all Phillies starters in wins, games started, ERA, innings pitching, and WHIP this season. Hellickson will go up against Noah Syndergaard (11-7 2.61 ERA), who leads the Mets starters in ERA, strikeouts, innings pitched, home runs allowed, K/9, and WAR. Syndergaard is coming off his best start since the beginning of July, as he went eight scoreless against the Giants in a big game. Syndergaard only faced the Phillies once this season, throwing seven innings of one run ball in his first start of the year back in April.
Sunday – The Mets will have the opportunity to tee off against one of the worst starters in baseball over the last month in Vince Velasquez. Velasquez (8-6 4.31 ERA) owns a 10.47 ERA in his last three starts and a 7.29 over his last six. With Jon Niese hurting his knee in the first inning of Tuesday’s game, the Mets have a void to fill in their rotation. Terry Collins has two options; he can go with Erik Goeddel, who was called up after the Niese was placed on the disabled list. The second option is rookie Robert Gsellman, who stepped up when Niese went down in the first inning, earning his first career victory.
The Mets need to take care of the Phillies in their ten remaining games this season if they have any plans on making the wild card game. With Colon and Syndergaard pitching the first two games and struggling Velasquez going for the Phillies on Sunday, the Mets have the opportunity to start a must-needed late season push.
Mets Quote
“We came into this series knowing we had to pick up some ground and we picked up a game. That means a lot.” – Terry Collins
Series Notes
Jose Reyes is one extra-base hit from 415 as a member of the Mets which would tie him for fourth-place on the club’s all-time list with Mike Piazza.
The Mets should have second baseman Neil Walker, who missed the last three games due to the birth of his daughter, and outfielder Jay Bruce, who was dealing with a strained calf, back on Friday.
