Series Preview: Struggling Mets Host Giants & Old Friends

The New York Mets (36-45) will finish the month of June without a single series victory after losing three of four to the Milwaukee Brewers. Nothing seems to be going right for a team filled with so many talented individuals. It won’t get any easier for the Mets, who host the San Francisco Giants (45-36) this weekend.

Citi Field will greet some familiar faces over the next three days, as J.D. Davis and Michael Conforto make their return to Queens. The Mets are running out of time to make something out of this season, so this matchup with the Giants would be a great time to shift their momentum. Here are some important notes to look for in each of the three pitching matchups.

Friday, June 30, 2023: RHP Alex Cobb (5-2, 3.09 ERA) vs. RHP Carlos Carrasco (2-3, 6.19 ERA)

Alex Cobb has been one of the more underrated starters in all of baseball over the last three years, reestablishing himself over the last 1.5 seasons with the Giants. The 35-year-old has made six quality starts through 78 2/3 innings, giving his team a chance to win each time he takes the mound. Cobb is coming off on of his shortest outings of the season, allowing two runs to score on five hits in four innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 13. The veteran has been dealing with an oblique injury for the last few weeks but is set to pitch on Friday. Cobb is 1-2 with a 5.87 ERA in four career starts against the Mets.

Carlos Carrasco has two strong starts to end the month of May, throwing at least six innings against the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. Unfortunately for the Mets, the right-hander has failed to build off of that, going 0-1 with a 7.02 ERA in his first four starts of this month. Carrasco has been hurt by his inability to start strong, as he owns a 9.00 ERA in the first inning. Unless he is able to fix that issue, it is hard to envision a scenario where he will provide much more length at the back-end of the rotation. Carrasco has been good in his brief opportunities against the Giants, going 1-2 with a 2.86 ERA in five career starts.

Saturday, July 1, 2023: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (4-7, 4.28 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (2-4, 4.11 ERA)

Anthony DeSclafani got off to an impressive start in 2023, going 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in the month of April. The right-hander kept that momentum going for his next few starts, but is has been rough for him as of late. DeSclafani is 0-3 with a 6.65 ERA over his last five starts, owning a 1.609 WHIP during that stretch. The former Cincinnati Red came out on the short side in his last appearance, despite making a quality start. He surrendered two runs on five hits in six innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 25. DeSclafani took his first loss of the season against the Mets back on Apr. 21, allowing four runs on seven hits in five innings.

Justin Verlander has performed way below expectations in his first season as a Met, making just four quality starts through 57 innings. Whenever it seems like the veteran is about to hit his stride, an opponent is able to get after him early in the game. It is hard to believe that Verlander was the best pitcher in the American League last season, given how much he has struggled with his new team. The right-hander gave up no runs in his start against the Brewers on Jun. 26, but he was only able to throw five innings. Verlander will look for better results against the Giants, who he is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA against in his career.

Sunday, July 2, 2023: TBD vs. LHP David Peterson (2-6, 7.00 ERA)

The Giants have yet to announce a starter for the series finale, although it does line up as Alex Wood‘s spot in the rotation. If Kapler elects to go with the left-hander, it will be his 12th appearance of the season. The 32-year-old starter has been on the injured list twice this season, dealing with a hamstring injury in April and a back problem in early June. Wood has been inconstant throughout, but is coming off one of his better starts, throwing five scoreless with seven strikeouts in a 3-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Jun. 27. He is 1-2 with a 4.11 ERA in six career starts at Citi Field.

It was difficult to envision a scenario where David Peterson returned to the big leagues in 2023 after he gave up six runs in five innings against the Washington Nationals on May 15. The 27-year-old had his fair share of struggles down in Triple-A Syracuse too, but when the Mets found out that they needed someone to pitch on Tuesday against the Brewers, they went back to Peterson. That decision payed off in a big way, as the left-hander threw six shutout innings with five strikeouts and a season-high 110 pitches. Peterson will look to continue his turnaround against the Giants, a team that tagged him for seven runs in five innings all the way back on April 22.