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It’s funny how much a team’s narrative can change in just a few days. Just last weekend, the Mets took three of four from the Marlins, including a shutout 6-0 victory in the series finale on Monday. But after two mostly non-competitive losses to the Astros down in Houston and a potential injury to Carlos Carrasco, the Mets find themselves in a bit of a rut. New York is now just four games ahead of the surging Braves in the NL East standings, down from a lead that was as much as 10.5 games earlier this season.
While the Marlins looked flat against the Mets, they looked like a brand new ballclub against the Rockies – who, granted, are a much easier opponent than the Mets. Nonetheless, Miami swept a three-game set from Colorado, and are now just six games out of a Wild Card spot in the NL standings.
Make no mistake, though. Despite the two teams playing this past week, there is no denying the Mets are a far, far superior team to these Marlins. The one significant advantage that Miami does have in this series is that their ace in possible NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara will take the ball on Friday night. As the Mets already saw last week, any game with Alcantara on the mound is a tough one for the opposition.
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Friday, June 24, 2022: RHP Taijuan Walker (5-2, 2.88 ERA) vs. RHP Sandy Alcantara (7-2, 1.72 ERA)
Taijuan Walker will be making his second consecutive start against the Marlins and looks to continue his hot month of June. In four starts this month, Walker has a 2.96 ERA with 25 strikeouts of 24 1/3 innings pitched. Last week against Miami, Walker struck out nine batters, his second most strikeouts in a game all year. He also allowed just two hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings of work. With a continued strong rest of June, Walker is making a serious case to make his second consecutive NL All-Star roster.
Outside of one lackluster start in which he allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings against the Mariners on May 1, Sandy Alcantara is putting together one of the best first halves to a season by a pitcher in Marlins franchise history. In June alone, Alcantara has a 1.14 ERA in four starts with 27 strikeouts. This includes seven shutout innings against the Giants and a complete-game shutout against the Nationals. Last week, Alcantara pitched eight innings in Queens, allowing six hits, two runs, and a walk, while striking out eight batters. Alcantara has not allowed an earned run at home since May 16, when he allowed a mere one earned run in eight innings against the Nats.
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Saturday, June 25, 2022: RHP Chris Bassitt (5-5, 4.03 ERA) vs. Trevor Rogers (3-6, 5.83 ERA)
Chris Bassitt‘s month of June has been super perplexing. Less than two weeks ago, Bassitt tossed eight shutout frames against the Brewers, allowing just three hits while striking out seven batters. However the previous start before that, he allowed eight hits and seven runs in just 3 1/3 innings of work. In Bassitt’s most recent start, last week against the Marlins, he allowed five hits and three runs in 6 1/3 innings pitched – while striking out a season-high nine batters as well.
As Trevor Rogers‘ 5.83 season ERA shows, he hasn’t exactly had a great first half to this season. Just this month, Rogers has an even 7.27 ERA in four June starts. He’s struck out just 16 batters in that span, although he did strike out seven Met batters last week, his second-most strikeouts in a game this year. In that start against the Mets, Rogers allowed five hits and four runs (three earned), walking two batters in five innings.
Sunday, June 26, 2022: No starters have been announced.
