Game Preview: Mets @ Atlanta (Game 1)

Here we go! Double Header day in Atlanta due to rain earlier in April and it’s supposed to rain today! The Mets are planning to use a bullpen game in the 2nd game and deGrom in the opener. Do both games get played today? Who knows! Both game previews will be published back to back so if pitchers get flipped around on either side, read both and you’ll be covered!

The Mets are trying pull themselves together after a tough series in Milwaukee. After winning Thursday’s game, they lost Friday in extras, got routed on Sunday, and then fell apart late on Sunday. Now they have to go from the first place Brewers to the first place Braves.

Jacob deGrom is 4-0 over 10 games and 58.1 innings with a 1.54 ERA, 1.89 FIP, 0.994 WHIP and 246 ERA+. In his last 6 starts he has tossed 33.1 innings with 47 K’s posting a 0.27 ERA. Opponents are hitting .179 against him in that stretch and slugging only .205. This streak started against Atlanta where he held them scoreless over 7.0 innings allowing 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10. It continued against Atlanta where he struck out 6 in 4.0 innings before leaving the game early due to injury. The Braves have the following numbers against deGrom:

Freeman 9-33, 2 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB, ( K
Markakis 8-27, HR, BB
Inciarte 5-22, 2B, 2 BB
Flowers 3-9
Swanson 2-7
Albies 0-7, BB, 4 K
Acuna 0-2

The Mets bats will get a look at Max Fried who is 0-2 over 4 games this year, making his first start of the season today. So far he has pitched 6.0 innings allowing 5 hits and 3 walks leading to 4 runs. One of these innings was against the Mets where he allowed a hit and a walk with no runs while striking out the side. He made a full start against the Mets last season on a doubleheader day pitching 5.1 innings, 7 hits leading to 2 runs, 1 earned. If for some reason one of the games doesn’t happen, my gut says Fried gets bumped out of the start today and McCarthy will go ahead. The Mets have the following numbers against Fried: