Game Preview: Mets @ Phillies

The Phillies are in free-fall going into tonight’s series opener with the Mets. Zach Eflin, starting for the Phils tonight, is their only reliable starter in the rotation right now while basically their entire bullpen is injured. The Mets however are in full, “hold my beer” form when it comes to a falling apart competition. Mickey Callaway put out a “B” team type lineup yesterday for a deGrom start and the team managed to hold onto the lead until the end of the game. It was clear that Seth Lugo didn’t have his best stuff but Callaway kept him in there and ultimately Lugo allowed a 3-run homer that gave the Cubs the win.

Then all hell broke lose in the clubhouse after the game. I won’t go into too much detail here (partially due to how much it’s being reported on and partially due to the bulk of this preview being reviewed in the morning and if any consequences are handed out between now and game time this paragraph will become out of date) but essentially the reporters were pressing Callaway on his bullpen management, things got tense, Tim Healey (Newsday) said “See You Tomorrow” which Callaway took as snide remark. Callaway and Vargas both started cursing, Vargas had to be held back and the rest of us questioned why the Mets continue to do things only the Mets could do.

But there’s a game tonight! Steven Matz is 5-5 over 14 starts and 73.2 innings with a 4.28 ERA, 5.00 FIP, 1.371 WHIP and a 95 ERA+. June has been rough for Matz allowing 17 runs, 15 earned over 4 games and 23.0 innings, a 5.87 ERA. He faced the Phils in back to back starts earlier this season with very different results. The first one was his worst start ever, allowing 8 runs, 6 earned, without recording an out. The next week he held the Phillies to 1 run over 6.0 innings. The Phillies have the following numbers against Matz:

Bryce Harper 4-19, 2 2B, 3 BB, 5 K
Rhys Hoskins 2-13, 2 HR, 2 BB, K
Cesar Hernandez 5-11, 2B, 5 BB, 2 K
J.T. Realmuto 4-13, 2B, BB, 3 K
Maikel Franco 3-8, HR, BB
Andrew McCutchen 2-8, BB, 4 K
Jean Segura 2-4, 2B, K

Zach Eflin has been holding the Phillies pitching staff together. He is 6-7 over 14 games and 86.0 innings including 2 complete games posting a 2.83 ERA, 4.02 FIP, 1.163 WHIP and a 159 ERA+. In the month of June he has pitched 20.1 innings allowing 7 runs, 5 earned posting a 2.21 ERA. One of his worst starts this season was against the Mets when he allowed 4 runs from 4 hits and and a walk in 4.0 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Eflin: