Game Preview: Mets @ Yankees

For the first time since the start of the season, the Mets will play in a rubber game! Yesterday the Mets rebounded from their loss at Yankee Stadium on Friday night and launched 3 homers behind a dominant Matt Harvey as they rolled over the Yankees 8-2. Not only did Lagares have a great day in the field but he was also 4-4 at the plate with a triple. Personally, it was my first time at Yankee Stadium and I finally understood the comments about the short right field seeing it in person. It looks short on TV but live is a different story. Anyway, the Mets turn to Niese tonight to shut down the Yanks as the Yankees send out Nathan Eovaldi.

Niese is 2-0 over 3 starts this season with a 1.50 ERA over 18.0 innings of work. He’s allowed 20 hits in that stretch and 8 walks while striking out 11. That pretty much tells the story of Niese this season. He’s been catching a lot of the plate and putting the ball in play a lot (and really, its the latter that needs to be watched). However, his last start was far and away his best this season, despite allowing 4 walks. He held the Braves to 4 hit sand one run over 6.2 and struck out 5. He missed the Yankees last year but in 2014 he held them to 1 run over 7.0 innings while walking 1 and striking out 4. The Yankees have the following numbers against him:

McCann 1-12
C Young 2-11, HR
ARod 3-8, HR
Teixeira 3-8, 2B
Drew 4-8, 2B
Beltran 3-6, 2B
Headley 0-6

The Mets bats will get a look at a former NL East foe in Nathan Eovaldi who was traded to the Bronx this past winter. He is 1-0 this year over 3 starts and 17.1 innings where he has allowed 24 hits and 5 walks while striking out 14 leading to a 3.12 ERA. This is an improvement so far from 2014 where he finished 6-14 with a 4.37 ERA and led the league in hits allowed at 223. In two games against the Amazin’s last year he allowed 9 ER and 11 hits in 11.1 innings of work. The Mets have the following numbers against him: