The New York Mets finally snapped their seven-game losing streak Saturday with a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Now the Mets have a chance to take a series against one of the hottest teams in baseball.

Sunday is a good example of the predicament the Mets’ pitching performance has put the team in. This should have been a Kodai Senga game but his recent performance has sent him to the bullpen. Can the Mets win today’s bullpen game that will probably feature Senga at some point as a bulk reliever?

Mets Lineup

1. Carson Benge – RF
2. Juan Soto – LF
3. Bo Bichette – SS
4. Eric Wagaman – 1B
5. Francisco Alvarez – DH
6. Mark Vientos – 3B
7. Tyrone Taylor – CF
8. Brett Baty – 2B
9. Luis Torrens – C

Starting Pitcher: Cionel Pérez

Cionel Pérez signed as a free agent with the Mets in early May after being released by the Nationals. In 16 innings over 16 games with the Nationals, Pérez had a 6.19 ERA, 5.67 FIP, 1.688 WHIP, and a 68 ERA+. In 10 games, 14 2/3 innings, with the Mets, Pérez has been much more effective with a 3.68 ERA, 4.06 FIP, 1.023 WHIP, and a 114 ERA+.

The Mets have used him for multiple innings of relief several times with his longest outing being 2 1/3 innings against the Cubs earlier this week. He just pitched two innings against the Phillies Friday night holding them to two hits and no runs. The Phillies have the following numbers against him:

• Alec Bohm 3-7, 2B
• Justn Crawford 0-2, K
• Bryce Harper 5-5, 2B, HR
• Derek Hill 0-1, K
• Brandon Marsh 0-2
• J.T. Realmuto 0-3, BB, K
• Gabriel Rincones Jr. 0-1. K
• Kyle Schwarber 3-6, HR, BB
• Edmundo Sosa 0-1
• Bryson Stott 1-4
• Trea Turner 1-1

Phillies Lineup

1. Trea Turner – SS
2. Kyle Schwarber – DH
3. Bryce Harper – 1B
4. Alec Bohm – 3B
5. Brandon Marsh – LF
6. J. T. Realmuto – C
7. Bryson Stott – 2B
8. Derek Hill – RF
9. Justin Crawford – CF

Starting Pitcher: Jesús Luzardo

Jesús Luzardo has made 16 starts totaling 92 1/3 innings with a 4.00 ERA, 3.12 FIP, 1.300 WHIP, and a 111 ERA+. He’s coming off of a start where he allowed five runs over 6 2/3 innings while striking out 13 batters. It was his second time in his last four starts where he has gone at least six innings but allowed five earned runs. It’s also his third consecutive start with at least eight strikeouts.

The Mets have the following career stats against Luzardo:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-6
• Brett Baty 1-3
• Bo Bichette 2-2, HR
• Francisco Lindor 7-28, 2 BB, 4 K
• Ronny Mauricio 0-4, BB, 4 K
• Juan Soto 7-20, 2B, HR, 5 BB, 3 K
• Tyrone Taylor 3-9, 2B, K
• Luis Torrens 2-8, HR, 2 K
• Mark Vientos 2-15, 2B, 2 BB, 6 K
• Eric Wagaman 4-10, 2B, HR, 2 BB, 3 K

Game Notes

On X, Mets owner Steve Cohen said he will be, “speaking soon.”

Prior to the start of Sunday’s game, New York Knicks guard/forward OG Anunoby will throw the ceremonial first pitch.

Mets relievers combined to throw 4 2/3 scoreless innings Saturday. The bullpen’s 3.35 ERA is the third-lowest in the majors and the fifth-lowest in MLB. The pen’s 363 strikeouts lead the majors.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Kodai Senga. Senga was bumped out of the rotation after his poor start earlier this week where he allowed seven earned runs over 3 2/3 innings. He has allowed nine home runs in his last five major-league outings leading to a career worst 2.9 HR/9 this season. The Mets are hoping that Senga can recover his pre-injury 2025 form out of the pen. The only bright spot right now are his strikeouts. He has 34 punch outs over 27 2/3 innings which is an 11.1 K/9 (career 10.2).
2. Lindor Triple Hitter. This is more a statistical anomaly than anything else. Lindor hit two triples early in the season then landed on the injured list a few weeks later. Saturday night, he hit his third triple of the season. He now has more triples (three) than doubles (two) and homers (two). The most he has ever hit in a season is five which he did in 2022.
3. Can the top of the lineup perform again? The top of the lineup came through for the Mets with Carson Benge and Juan Soto getting on base a combined five times. The first four Mets hitters (Benge, Soto, Bo Bichette, Lindor) combined for four RBIs and five runs scored.

The post Game Chat: Phillies vs Mets, 1:40 P.M. appeared first on Metsmerized.

David Peterson got the start and opened strong, holding the Phillies scoreless until things unraveled in the fourth. After surrendering a solo home run to Kyle Schwarber, Peterson gave up a double to Nick Castellanos and walked J.T. Realmuto. An infield single from Otto Kemp snuck past Francisco Lindor, and Edmundo Sosa followed with a three-run homer to right-center to give the Phillies a 5-0 lead. Peterson lasted four innings, allowing five runs on six hits, issuing three walks, and giving up two long balls.

One bright moment for Peterson came earlier, when he picked off Edmundo Sosa at second base in the third inning, helping him escape a jam. The bullpen saw solid outings from recent call-ups Chris Devenski and Dedniel Nunez, who each tossed scoreless innings.

Tyler Zuber, acquired at last year’s trade deadline, made his Mets debut and was greeted quickly with back-to-back hits from Trea Turner and Schwarber. He gave up two runs, one on an Alec Bohm sac fly and another on a Castellanos RBI double. Zuber rebounded with a clean eighth inning, striking out two.

Offensively, the Mets were flat, managing only two hits through six innings, one apiece from Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo. Jesus Luzardo silenced the bats, tossing 6 2/3 shutout innings while giving up just three hits and striking out seven.

The Phillies’ bullpen, Jordan Romano, Max Lazar, and Matt Strahm, handled the rest, keeping the Mets scoreless aside from a two-out, solo home run by Lindor in the eighth. The Mets went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and stranded four. That late homer ended up being the team’s only run and also snapped their 28-game winning streak when Lindor went deep.

Player of the Game: Francisco Lindor

While the rest of the offense was quiet, Francisco Lindor was the lone bright spot in the Mets’ lineup, going 2-for-4 with a home run and a run scored.

On Deck

No rest for the weary, as the Mets head right back into action on Monday as they head back home to Citi Field to take on the Atlanta Braves. Paul Blackburn (0-1, 6.92 ERA) will get another look on the mound for the Mets while Spencer Schwellenbach (5-4, 3.26 ERA). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 pm ET and will be broadcast on WPIX 11 and Mets Radio 880 AM.

The post Mets Drop Series In Philadelphia As Peterson Struggles appeared first on Metsmerized.

How good did Saturday’s game feel? The New York Mets finally broke their seven game losing streak with a solid 11-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies thanks to an offensive revelation. New York broke out the lumber to slug seven solo home runs against the Phillies, forcing a rubber game Sunday night.

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor, SS
2. Starling Marte, DH
3. Juan Soto, RF
4. Pete Alonso, 1B
5. Brandon Nimmo, LF
6. Luis Torrens, C
7. Tyrone Taylor, CF
8. Ronny Mauricio, 3B
9. Luisangel Acuña, 2B

David Peterson has tossed 86 2/3 innings this season with a 2.60 ERA, 3.07 FIP, 1.188 WHIP, and a 147 ERA+. Over three starts in June, he has pitched 23 innings with a 2.35 ERA, 2.42 FIP. The highlight, of course, was his complete game shutout against the Washington Nationals on June 11. He’s now pitched seven innings or more in four of his last five starts, and at least six innings in six of his last eight.

Peterson had a solid start against the Phillies in April, holding them to two runs over 5 1/3 innings from eight hits and a walk. The Phillies have the following career numbers against Peterson:

• Alec Bohm 9-26, 2 2B, 2 HR, BB, 6 K
• Nick Castellanos 6-15, 2B, 4 K
• Buddy Kennedy 1-3, 2B
• Rafael Marchan 2-2
• Brandon Marsh 2-3, HR
• J.T. Realmuto 3-21, 2B, 3 BB, 4 K
• Johan Rojas 2-9, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Kyle Schwarber 2-21, 2B, 3 BB, 11 K
• Edmundo Sosa 3-5
• Bryson Stott 0-3, BB, K
• Trea Turner 4-22, 2 2B, 2 BB, 6 K

David Peterson (23) Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Phillies Lineup

1. Trea Turner, SS
2. Kyle Schwarber, DH
3. Alec Bohm, 3B
4. Nick Castellanos, RF
5. J .T. Realmuto, C
6. Otto Kemp, LF
7. Edmundo Sosa, 2B
8. Buddy Kennedy, 1B
9. Johan Rojas, CF

Jesús Luzardo has had an interesting season to say the least. Over 15 starts and 83 2/3 innings he has a 4.41 ERA, 2.88 FIP, 1.434 WHIP, and a 96 ERA+. Until the end of May, Luzardo was cruising, going deep into games, racking up strikeouts, while posting a 2.15 ERA. Then, over two starts, he allowed 20 earned runs over 5 2/3 innings. He bounced back against the Cubs on June 11, holding them one run, but struggled his last time out allowing four runs against the Marlins.

Luzardo has not faced the Mets yet this season, but last season, he held the Mets to two runs over 11 2/3 innings across two starts. The Mets have the following career stats against the former Miami Marlin:

• Pete Alonso 2-22, HR, 10 K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-5
• Brett Baty 1-3
• Francisco Lindor 4-18, 2 BB,3 K
• Starling Marte 4-11, 2 K
• Ronny Mauricio 0-2, BB, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 5-12, 2 K
• Brandon Nimmo 3-12, 2B, HR, 2 BB, 3 K
• Juan Soto 5-13, 2B, HR, 3 BB, 2 K
• Tyrone Taylor 2-6, 2B, K
• Luis Torrens 2-4, HR, K

Game Notes

Prior to Sunday’s game, the Mets sent down catcher Francisco Alvarez and recalled catcher Hayden Senger. Alvarez, despite homering Saturday, has struggled immensely this season, slashing .236/.319./.333 (.652 OPS).

Three Things To Watch For

1. Home runs. The Mets have hit nine home runs in this series, including seven of them Saturday night. It was enough to take the Mets from seventh in the majors back to sixth, which is where they’ve been for the last two seasons. They are also facing a pitcher tonight who has struggled in three of his last four starts.
2. Mets All-Time Home Run Leaderboard. Pete Alonso homered on Friday night, bringing him to 244 for his career, just eight behind Darryl Strawberry’s franchise leading 252. Brandon Nimmo homered twice Saturday night and Lindor homered once, bringing both of them to 125 career Mets home runs, which tied Lucas Duda for ninth on the all-time list. With Conforto at 132 career Mets home runs in eighth, the Mets’ top ten is going to look different at the end of this season.
3. Juan Soto. Sometimes Juan Soto does Juan Soto things. Saturday night, Soto went 4-for-5 at the plate with two home runs. Friday night, he went 0-for-2 with two walks. That means he’s already been on base six times this series.

The post Game Chat: Mets vs. Phillies, 7:10 P.M. appeared first on Metsmerized.

LEAGUE RANKINGS

Baseball America: 18
MLB Pipeline: 15
FanGraphs: 20

All three outlets generally agree that the Marlins have a middle-of-the-road farm system. Not great, not awful. But for a team that lost 100 games in 2024 and traded away some of its best talent in the process, a middle-of-the-road farm system doesn’t inspire much confidence that things will be getting better for the Fish soon.

Thomas White, via Marlins

TOP PLAYERS TO KNOW

Miami’s farm system is headlined by Thomas White and Noble Meyer, a pair of 6-foot-5 2023 first-round prep arms, and Starlyn Caba, a teenage infielder acquired via trade just over one month ago.

White, ranked No. 41 by Pipeline and No. 33 by Baseball America in each publication’s recently released top 100 prospects lists for 2025, is Maimi’s consensus top prospect. The No. 35 pick in 2023 who signed for well above slot value is an exciting left-handed arm who features a power fastball that sits in the mid-90s and tops out in the 97-to-98 range, a slider that Pipeline has as a 65-grade pitch, and a changeup that both Pipeline and Baseball America have as a third above-average pitch. He spent last season split between Single-A and High-A and had success at both levels, putting up a 2.81 ERA with 120 strikeouts in 21 starts and 98 innings pitched. His command is still a work in progress, but his stuff is evident. He’s 20, and won’t turn 21 until late September, so he’s likely a few years out at the earliest, but White is firmly entrenched as one of the best pitching prospects in baseball.

Meyer, picked 25 spots before White and signed for $400,000 more than his southpaw counterpart in a below-slot deal, is another 20-year-old arm with plus stuff and questionable command. His fastball, curveball, slider and changeup all have average or above-average grades on Pipeline, with the slider being his highest-graded pitch. Like White, he spent his 2024 season split between Single-A and High-A, and while he handled the lower level well he struggled a bit once he was promoted. Across both levels, Meyer finished the year with a 4.01 ERA with 85 strikeouts in 19 games and 74 innings pitched. He’s another arm who’s not in play for 2025, but he could be part of a formidable young top-of-the-rotation with White and 21-year-old Eury Pérez in a few years.

The Marlins traded future Met Starling Marte to the Oakland Athletics for Jesús Luzardo in 2021, and then traded Luzardo to the Philadelphia Phillies this offseason for a package headlined by 19-year-old infielder Starlyn Caba. A 5-foot-9 switch hitter, Caba is a premier defender, with Pipeline, writing that “some evaluators believe that Caba is the top defender in the Minors and give him top-of-the-scale 80 grades for his shortstop defense.” Pipeline doesn’t quite give him the elusive 80 grade for his defense—they give him a still elite 70—but Baseball America and FanGraphs do.

As for his bat, he’s never going to be a slugger, but his bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline are believed to be above average. He made it as high as Single-A last season, and while he struggled at the plate once he got there, he’s still young. He’ll be 19 for the 2025 season and is likely very far from the bigs, but Caba could be the future at shortstop in Miami if his bat allows it.

Those three are Miami’s best prospects, but thanks to the sell-off they conducted in 2024 they’re far from the only notable ones.

Noble Meyer, via Tim DiPace, Inside the Diamonds

Digging Into the System

In May, the Marlins traded Luis Arráez to the San Diego Padres for OF Dillon Head, RHP Woo-Suk Go, OF Jakob Marsee and 1B/OF Nathan Martorella. Head, San Diego’s first-round pick in 2023, was the headliner package sent to Miami. He has elite speed, but injured his hip shortly after the trade and missed the rest of the year. If he can play a full season in 2025, it’ll be the first opportunity to see Head on the field for an extended period of time since he was drafted.

The full sell-off came about two months later at the trade deadline. A week before the deadline, the Marlins dealt A.J. Puk to the Arizona Diamondbacks for 1B /3B Deyvison De Los Santos and OF Andrew Pintar. De Los Santos is probably a top-10 organizational prospect and his 40 home runs (albeit with 144 strikeouts to just 34 walks) in 137 games between Double-A and Triple-A show why. Pintar could be interesting too after he tore up High-A as a 22-year-old in 2024 but struggled when moved up to Double-A.

Then came deadline day. The Marlins and Padres paired up again, this time with Miami sending Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing to San Diego for RHP Adam Mazur, 2B Jay Beshears, LHP Robby Snelling and 3B Graham Pauley. This was a monster return for Scott, who ended up being a Padre for all of two months before heading a few hours north to join the Dodgers in free agency.

Snelling was one of the breakout pitching prospects from the 2023 season when he had a sub-2 ERA in over 100 innings, but struggled in 2024 and had an ERA of 6.01 in Double-A with the Padres before the trade. He was much better after the trade, with his ERA after he got to the Marlins ending up at just under four. He even finished the year out with one start at Triple-A, going six strong innings with just one run allowed.

That wasn’t even all for Miami, also sending Jazz Chisholm Jr., who at that time was probably their face of the franchise, to the New York Yankees for C Agustín Ramírez, INFs Jared Serna and Abrahan Ramirez. The catcher Ramírez is the real prize in this deal, and he was one of the Yankees’ highest-regarded prospects at the time of the deal. His bat is legit, and while he might end up at first base instead of behind the dish, he has a chance to find himself right in the middle of Miami’s lineup. He’s hit at every level in the minor leagues and had 25 home runs and 26 doubles with a .845 OPS between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024. Serna is a good prospect in his own right, and Ramirez hit almost .350 in 49 games in rookie ball last season.

They also made a couple of small moves on deadline day, like dealing Huascar Brazobán to the Mets for INF Wilfredo Lara and dealing Bryan De La Cruz to the Pittsburgh Pirates for RHP Jun-Seok Shim and 3B Garret Forrester, but none of those three are very highly regarded prospects. They also sent Trevor Rogers to the Baltimore Orioles for OF Connor Norby and 3B Kyle Stowers, but both players have graduated from prospect status.

There are a handful of other prospects who were not acquired via trade last season who are notable, including 2024 first-round pick PJ Morlando. A high-school outfielder, Morlando has a good hit tool and solid power. 2021 first-round pick Joe Mack is a good catching prospect whose bat started to come around in 2024, and 2024 second-round pick shortstop Carter Johnson signed for a well above-average slot deal out of high school.

ANY 2025 IMPACTS?

We’ve already covered most of Miami’s farm system, but most of it is young and unlikely to make an impact in 2025. The two biggest prospects who are on the radar for this season are Snelling and Agustín Ramírez.

Snelling will likely begin the season in Triple-A, but with a shortage of talent on the MLB roster, the door will be open for him to pitch his way into the big league rotation. Sandy Alcantara will anchor the rotation, but even he is coming off Tommy John surgery so who knows how much they’ll be able to count on from him. Also, at the rate Miami’s been trading away MLB talent, Alcantara could very well not survive the trade deadline. After that, it’s Ryan Weathers, Edward Cabrera, Max Meyer and Valente Bellozo. Weathers, Cabrera and Meyer all have upside but also all have major question marks, and Bellozo is far from a lock to even win the final rotation spot out of camp, that could go to Mazur. There should be plenty of opportunities for pitchers to earn MLB opportunities, and Snelling will be at the top of the list.

Dax Fulton is another arm who could be in the mix, and he’s currently on the 40-man roster, unlike Snelling. A former high second-round pick, Fulton was a much higher-ranked prospect a few years year ago. However, missing most of 2023 and all of 2024 after undergoing his second Tommy John Surgery, he’s since tumbled down prospect lists.

As for Ramírez, there’s a chance he could make the team out of spring training. It’s probably not likely, but he played over 60 games at Triple-A last season. If he looks good in spring, there’s no reason not include him on the Opening Day roster other than service time manipulation. On FanGraphs, the projected starting catcher is Nick Fortes and the projected starting first baseman is Jonah Bride, so there’s plenty of opportunity there for Ramírez. That doesn’t even take into account the designated hitter where the current projected starter is the aforementioned De Los Santos. With 40 long balls and a near .300 batting average in 2024 he should absolutely be in the conversation for the Opening Day roster, and if he sticks he could be a sneaky pick to lead this depleted Marlins roster in home runs.

Other possible offensive contributors include Javier Sanoja, who made a big-league cameo in 2024. He is projected to make the MLB roster on the bench, and he could end up being a utility player. In just 15 games, Sanoja started games at second base, shortstop, left field and center field. Victor Mesa Jr. could also threaten for an MLB roster spot with the lack of depth the Marlins have in the outfield.

The post NL East Farm System Analysis: Miami Marlins appeared first on Metsmerized.

Luzardo, 27 years old, has one more year of team control after 2025 and is set to be a free agent in 2027. He will make an estimated $6.5 million in 2025.

In an injury-riddled season, Luzardo only was able to toss 66 2/3 innings in 2024, posting a troublesome 5.00 ERA. However, in the two prior years, Luzardo posted a 3.32 ERA and 3.58 ERA, respectively. His best season was by far 2023 when he threw a career-high 178 2/3 innings posting 208 strikeouts and a 3.58 ERA. His next highest inning total in his career was his other most successful season in 2022 (100 1/3 innings).

Paul McIntosh, 27 years old, played all of 2024 at the Double-A level. He posted a .725 OPS. He reached the Triple-A level in 2023, at 25 years old, posting a .713 OPS across 100 at-bats. He is primarily a catcher but played quite a lot of left field as well in 2024.

As for the prospects the Marlins got back, Starlyn Caba ranked third in the Phillies system according to Baseball America’s most recent update. Caba also ranks as baseball’s 54th prospect overall according to Baseball America. Boyd was not ranked in Baseball America’s most recent top-10 Phillies update. According to MLB Pipeline’s rankings, Emaarion Boyd came in at No. 23 in the Phillies’ system.

Caba, only 19 years old, is already being described as arguably the best defensive shortstop prospect in all of baseball with a true “80” glove, according to Baseball America. In 2024, Caba played mostly in the Florida Complex League, where he struggled mightily with the bat (.228 batting average and .669 OPS), but did walk more than he struck out (67 walks to 49 strikeouts).

Boyd, 21 years old, spent all of 2024 in High-A with the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. He posted a .647 OPS across 351 at-bats, stealing 27 bases (caught 12 times). In 2023, he stole 56 bases and posted a .262 batting average. He can play numerous outfield positions.

The post Report: Phillies Acquire Jesús Luzardo; Send A Top Prospect To Miami appeared first on Metsmerized.

David Peterson. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Since the game needed to be finished due to there being postseason implications for the Marlins, the two teams waited and waited and waited. After over a three-hour rain delay, MLB made the decision to suspend the game.

If Miami still needs the game for a playoff spot, it is possible that the game might have to be resumed Monday at Citi Field at 1:10 p.m ET.

Marlins will finish their game with the Mets in New York Monday at 1:10 EST if necessary.

— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) September 29, 2023

They currently hold the third Wild Card spot in the National League with a 1/2 game lead over the Cubs. They are 1 1/2 games behind the Diamondbacks for the second Wild Card.

What gets lost in all of the rain was the great pitchers duel between southpaws Jesús Luzardo and David Peterson. Peterson ended up having his best outing of the season and got a no-decision to show for it.

The Marlins rare chance against Peterson came in the fifth when they loaded the bases with two outs. The left-hander was able to get out of trouble when Jon Berti hit into a fielder’s choice. Initially, the call on the field was that Bryan De La Cruz scored before Xavier Edwards was out at second, but the call ended up being overturned.

On the night, Peterson went seven scoreless innings, allowed four hits, walked four, and struck out eight on 113 pitches (66 strikes). He was able to use his sinker to get eight groundball outs. The left-hander has struck out seven or more in five of his last six starts and turned his season around after being called back up in mid-June.

David Peterson's season…

When he got demoted to the minors in mid-May: 8.08 ERA in eight starts.

Since being called back up in late June: 3.38 ERA in 19 games (13 starts). https://t.co/DeTbjXQ15H

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) September 29, 2023

Meanwhile, the Mets could not get much going against Luzardo. The only extra-base hit against him was a Tim Locastro double in the third. The slider was fooling Mets hitters all night as the southpaw went 7 1/3 innings, allowed one run on four hits, walked a batter, and struck out ten on 96 pitches (63 strikes) in his outing.

The Mets were finally able to crack the code in the bottom of the eighth. Brett Baty led off the inning with a single and Locastro advanced him to second with a sacrifice bunt. Miami would go to Andrew Nardi to face Rafael Ortega, who was in the game due to Brandon Nimmo exiting after the fourth inning.

Ortega ended up delivering an RBI single to give the Mets a 1-0 lead, his eighth RBI of the year. It looked like that run was going to hold up, but the bullpen could not get the job done.

As for Nimmo, it sounds like his season will be over after his injury.

Brandon Nimmo has an AC joint issue in his right shoulder. He'll have an MRI tomorrow to determine if there is "any rotator damage," per Buck Showalter.

Sounds like Nimmo is likely done for the season.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 29, 2023

Grant Hartwig threw a acoreless eighth inning and was sent back out for the ninth. After a single by De La Cruz and a Garrett Hampson strikeout, Buck Showalter called on Anthony Kay to get the final two outs. However, a wild pitch, an RBI double by Jazz Chisholm Jr., and an RBI single by Yuli Gurriel gave the Marlins a 2-1 lead.

Player Of The Game

David Peterson was the obvious choice here as he was able to complete seven innings for the second time this year (August 27 against the Angels). The 113 pitches thrown is a season-high and the second time he has thrown 110+ pitches in an outing (June 27 against the Brewers). The key for Peterson was his sinker, which got 18 called strikes+whiffs according to Baseball Savant.

On Deck

The Mets will begin their final series of the regular season on Friday night when they take on the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. You can watch the game on SNY at 7:10 p.m ET. RHP Tylor Megill (8-8, 4.92 ERA) will take the ball for the Mets against RHP Taijuan Walker (15-5, 4.35) for the Phillies. It is a rematch of last Friday night’s matchup in Philadelphia where both starters had quality start in no-decisions.

The post Mother Nature Wreaks Havoc At Citi Field As Marlins-Mets Suspended appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor made history yesterday, becoming the fourth player in Mets history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season. Lindor entered Wednesday’s doubleheader with 27 home runs and 30 stolen bases on the season, needing just three more balls to leave the yard to hit the esteemed 30-30 mark.

Francisco got to work early as he sent a Braxton Garrett 2-2 fastball over the left field wall in the first game of the day to give the Mets a 4-0 lead. Lindor’s massive day did not end after the first matchup; Francisco went right back to work in the nightcap as he tagged Marlins starter Johnny Cueto for two bombs, one in the second and one in the fourth inning. The former gold glover’s impressive season made him the third to reach the 30-30 mark in MLB this season and the sixth single season 30-30 in Mets history, with Howard Johnson reaching the threshold three times with the club. 

The Mets split their doubleheader against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, winning Game 1 11-2 and falling short in the second game by a score of 4-2. Joey Lucchesi and Kodai Senga both had impressive performances, going six and five innings, respectively, and only giving up two earned runs a piece. Lindor carried most of the offensive load for the Mets as he went 4-for-7 between the two games with three home runs and 7 RBIs.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

While the Mets won in blowout fashion in the first game, a Brett Baty error in the top of the ninth ended up costing them a sweep of the doubleheader. The Marlins’ win and the Cubs’ loss leave Miami in a virtual tie for the final wild card spot while owning the tiebreaker. 

The Mets will finish up their season series against the Marlins on Thursday as it will be a lefty vs. lefty matchup with David Peterson (3-8, 5.37 ERA) on the mound for the Mets, who will be going against Jesús Luzardo (10-9, 3.73 ERA). 

Mets News

Buck Showalter announced to the media before the first of Wednesday’s two games that Starling Marte would be shut down for the season. The Mets will be cautious with Starling as he had surgery on his groin last November; Showalter expressed confidence that the veteran outfielder will be healthy for the 2024 season. 

Between games of the doubleheader, Joey Lucchesi told reporters that he and his family had been in a car accident the night prior as they were preparing to head back to their hotel from Citi Field following the postponement of that night’s game. Lucchesi said that his Uber was one of four cars that was hit in a police chase; the perpetrator was then arrested on sight following the collision. The lefty assured reporters that everyone was fine as their car had not left yet and that he just had minor back soreness as he, thankfully, was sitting on the opposite side of the car. Luckily, Tylor Megill was around to give Joey and his family a ride to the hotel ahead of his start day, where he dazzled in his last appearance of the 2023 season. 

Along with Francisco Lindor, Kodai Senga also reached an impressive benchmark as he tallied his 200th strikeout of the season. Senga used his vaunted “ghost fork” as he struck out Jake Burger to end the third inning en route to another impressive start. Kodai finishes his outstanding rookie season with a 2.98 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and his eight strikeouts on Wednesday brought him to a total of 202 on the season. 

The Mets are holding free screenings for prostate cancer in the Piazza 31 Club at Citi Field today from 5:30-8:00 P.M. All ticketholders will have the chance to learn about their risk level for prostate cancer and how to maintain their own health from a “quick and easy” PSA (simple blood draw) test. 

MLB News

The Cleveland Guardians honored Terry Francona last night as he managed his final home game as the Guardians manager. The beloved Guardians skipper, who brought them to the 2016 World Series, was given a video tribute and was showered with applause both before and after the game from the Cleveland faithful. In a heartwarming moment, Guardians players, including José Ramírez, blocked the dugout steps as they forced the reluctant Francona to feel the love from the Cleveland crowd. 

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer threw a light bullpen session yesterday as he tries to make a comeback from his strained teres major injury, per Evan Grant of Dallas Morning News. The former Met was placed on the IL two weeks ago and was ruled out for the rest of the regular season, and Rangers’ GM Chris Young made it sound like a return for the playoffs was unlikely, too. While the veteran is progressing well in his rehab, when asked about timelines, Max said, “If you target dates, you get emotional & then you compete with the injury and that’s the worst thing you can do.”

Ronald Acuña Jr. keeps blowing through milestones in a record-breaking season, which could end in his first MVP award. The Braves All-Star reached the 40/70 mark on Wednesday. Acuña’s two stolen bases came in a Braves win against the Cubs last night, putting him at 70 on the season while already going into the game with 41 home runs. 

Latest on MMO

Chris Bello highlighted Jeff Passan naming the Mets as a ‘scary possibility’ to trade for Juan Soto. 

Jorge Eckardt reviewed the news of Christian Scott and Luisangel Acuña being named Double-A All-Stars. 

On This Date in Mets History

2022: It was Eduardo Escobar night at Citi Field as the veteran infielder single-handedly carried the Mets to a 5-4 win over the Marlins. In the middle of a battle for the NL East crown, the Mets were trailing the Miami Marlins 4-0 in the 7th inning when Escobar got the Mets on the board with a 2-run home run. Eduardo would then strike again as he plated two with a single to the right side of the infield to tie the game at 4 a piece in the 8th inning. The night of Eduardo would finally end as he poked a ball through a vacant shortstop hole in the 10th inning, sending Francisco Lindor home from second base to win the game. 

2019: Pete Alonso sets the major league record for most home runs in a season by a rookie as he hits his 53rd home run of the season in the bottom of the third inning off Braves pitcher Mike Foltynewicz. Alonso broke the record of 52, which was set by Aaron Judge of the Yankees just a couple of seasons prior in 2017. 

2018: David Wright took his first at-bat in a major league game in over two years as he grounded out in his fifth inning at-bat against Marlins pitcher José Ureña. Wright would get his well-earned send-off a night later as he played his last career game.

2011: José Reyes tallies a bunt single in his first at-bat of the game against the Reds. The Mets would then pinch run for him to solidify his place as the 2011 National League batting champion, becoming the first Met to do so. 

2008: The New York Mets played their final game at Shea Stadium as they took on the Marlins in a game where a win would force a game 163 against the Milwaukee Brewers for the final wild card spot. The Mets would go on to lose that game 4-2, but that did not stop the festivities, as former Mets from 1962 and on assembled along the foul lines as Tom Seaver threw the final pitch at Shea Stadium to Mike Piazza. Piazza and Seaver poignantly walked through the outfield wall and “closed the gates” on beloved Shea Stadium. 

Birthdays: Danny Mendick (30), Mike DeJean (53), Ronn Reynolds (65)

The post Morning Briefing: Francisco Lindor Becomes Fourth Met to Reach 30-30 Mark appeared first on Metsmerized.

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The Marlins are trying to move from some of their young starters.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Marlins were shopping four of their starting pitchers; Pablo Lopez, Edward Cabrera, Trevor Rogers, and Jesus Luzardo.

The Marlins window to compete isn’t immediate and they already have 2022 Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara locked up through 2027. Along with him they have Braxton Garrett, Sixto Sanchez, Eury Perez, and Max Meyer waiting in the wings.

The Marlins have been shopping a few of these players for a while, most notably Lopez who was a potential Mets target at last years deadline. Lopez was also rumored to be involved in a potential trade to the Yankees. Cabrera’s name was tossed around in a trade with the Rockies.

The profiles of all four of these pitchers is intriguing.

Cabrera is 24 with six years of control remaining. He had a 3.01 ERA in 72 1/3 innings last season.

Luzardo is hitting arbitration for the first time, the once-future ace of the A’s was moved to Miami where he’s been up and down. Still he managed to put forth a 3.32 ERA in 100 1/3 innings in 2023. He’s a lefty with four more years of control.

Rogers was a 2021 All-Star but fell off majorly in 2022. His numbers leaped upwards and not in a good way. His ERA went up almost three runs from 2.63 to 5.47 and he only managed 107 innings pitched.

Lopez has been the vet of the staff. He doesn’t have the upside the others do but he’s remained consistent for a few seasons. He still has two years of team control and would easily slot in as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter on most teams.

The Mets have already made major additions to their rotation this offseason with Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, and Jose Quintana. The one thing they could stand is getting younger. Senga is in the final month of his 20’s and every other projected starter in their rotation right now is 34 or older. Needless to say they could use some affordable young pitching.

New York is likely out on Lopez but the other three, especially Rodgers as a reclamation project, could be intriguing for the Mets.

The two teams were linked in discussion on an Eduardo Escobar trade but that appears gone now with the fish signing Jean Segura.

The Mets should poke around. They’ve already seen profiles from Marlins pitchers they liked enough to trade for them, grabbing relief arms Elieser Hernandez and Jeff Brigham in November.

The post Marlins Shopping Four Starting Pitchers appeared first on Metsmerized.

Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

After Atlanta’s bats were silenced in Seattle on Saturday, then stunned by a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth on Sunday, the Mets grabbed a 1½ game lead in the NL East with a command performance over the Marlins.

NY landed on base in the first via Brandon Nimmo’s ground rule double and free pass to Mark Canha, who was clunked by Miami lefty Jesus Luzardo’s 85mph curve – but got on the scoreboard in the second when Nimmo jacked one into the right center seats with Jeff McNeil and Thomas Nido in tow.

Walks were as good as hits all afternoon as the Peruvian pitcher put Francisco Lindor on first to start the third by another beaned ball. McNeil smacked his second single, this time for an RBI, giving his righty, Taijuan Walker, a four run cushion.

In the top of the fourth, Nido slapped a single to left center, Nimmo was gifted a base by you know who, Lindor laced a base hit to left and Luzardo was sent to the dugout after 99 pitches. Marlins reliever Huascar Brazoban took the mound and got Pete Alonso to ground into a fielder’s choice that brought Nido home from third for the Mets fifth run.

Walker gave up a lead off home run on a 92 MPH Four-seam fastball to Brian Anderson in the bottom frame, but smooth sailed through to the bottom of the sixth allowing one run on five hits to go along with his 10 strikeouts.

Both teams reached on singles in the seventh and Anderson got the Fish another run in the eighth with his second dinger – this one off of a 95 mph sinker from Seth Lugo.

In the top of the ninth, Mets manager Buck Showalter’s boys sealed their offensive deal with solo shots by Eduardo Escobar and Nido off of right handed reliever, Thomas Nance.

Unfortunately, on a day when the Mets celebrated fattening up their lean lead over the Braves, Florida native Mark Vientos, got a bitter taste of the bigs in his MLB debut, going 0-5 in front of a bevvy of family and friends. Hopefully he’ll stay long enough to prove why he’s their No. 7 prospect.

The post Mets Pummel Marlins 9-3 Taking Two out of Three appeared first on Metsmerized.

Saturday, September 11, 2022 • 1:40 P.M.
loanDepot Park • Miami, FL
RHP Taijuan Walker (10-4, 3.60 ERA) vs. LHP Jesus Luzardo
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • ESPN 1050

The Mets are back in first place. The Mets’ offense exploded last night with an eight-run inning leading to an 11-3 win over the Marlins Saturday night. A few hours later, the Mariners beat the Braves and now the Mets are in control of their own destiny again.

Until the Mets get a little more separation in the division, every game is a must-win. Before yesterday’s game, the Mets announced they were finally placing Starling Marte on the injured list and calling up another top prospect, Mark Vientos. Vientos is a top prospect in the Mets’ system, can play the corners in the infield and most importantly, can hit. Vientos was slashing .280/.358/.519 over 427 plate appearances for Syracuse before his call up, a league where he was 4.3 years younger than the average player.

Mets Lineup

Series finale. #LGM

🆚: Miami
💪: @tai_walker
📍: Miami, FL
🕕: 1:40 p.m.
📺: @SNYtv
📻: @wcbs880
🔗: https://t.co/CyivG3chRc pic.twitter.com/QTYuvxLjEl

— New York Mets (@Mets) September 11, 2022

The Mets’ bats take on Jesus Luzardo this afternoon. Luzardo has pitched 13 games tossing 72 1/3 innings with a 3.36 ERA, 3.04 FIP, 1.023 WHIP and a 121 ERA+. Luzardo is coming off of a strong start against the Phillies where he allowed two runs, four hits, over seven innings of work.

He’s missed the Mets completely this season so far but faced New York twice last season. Over two games he allowed five runs via six hits and seven walks over 10 2/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso, 2-for-6, HR, 2 K
• Eduardo Escobar, 1-for-5
• Darin Ruf, 0-for-4, BB
• James McCann, 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor, 0-for-3, K
• Jeff McNeil, 0-for-3, K
• Tyler Naquin, 0-for-2, K

Marlins Lineup

Brunch plans

👀: @BallySportsFL
📲: @BallyMarlins
👂: @FoxSports940, @radiomambi710
⌚️: 1:40 PM ET#MakeItMiami pic.twitter.com/eEvZRBPV8M

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) September 11, 2022

Taijuan Walker gets the start today. Over 24 starts, 127 2/3 innings this season, Walker has a 3.60 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 1.230 WHIP and a 109 ERA+. His last time out wasn’t great, he allowed four runs via six hits and walked two over five innings against the Pirates.

Hopefully, Walker can move all of that behind him as he takes on the Marlins for the fifth time this season. Over those first four games, he allowed seven runs from 20 hits and six walks over 25 1/3 innings (2.49 ERA). The Marlins have the following career numbers against Walker:

• Miguel Rojas, 3-for-20, 2B, BB, 4 K
• Bryan De La Cruz, 5-for-14, 2B, BB, 3 K
• Avisail Garcia, 2-for-15, 2B, 7 K
• Jesus Sanchez, 1-for-13, 2 BB, 4 K
• Brian Anderson, 3-for-13, 5 K
• Garrett Cooper, 1-for-8, BB, 3 K
• Joey Wendle, 1-for-8, 2B, K
• Jacob Stallings, 2-for-7, K

Games Notes

This is Mark Vientos’ first major league appearance/start.

The Mets are wearing New York first responder hats today for Sept. 11.

According to Mike Puma, Max Scherzer plans to throw a bullpen this morning. Per Tim Healey, the session was normal/went well as per Jeremy Hefner.

Mets’ top prospect Francisco Álvarez is returning to the Triple-A Syracuse lineup today. He’s been out since August 23 with an ankle injury.

The post MMO Game Thread: Mets vs. Marlins, 1:40 P.M. appeared first on Metsmerized.