Game Preview: Mets @ Phillies

The Mets absolutely need this game today. After a couple of good games against the Nationals at the end of the week, they’ve dropped the last two against the Phillies. Matz was cruising yesterday until the 5th inning when everything fell apart but the offense wasn’t doing him any favors. The bats stayed largely quiet until Dominic Smith hit a homer for a fourth day in a row, bringing him to 6 on the season. (The record for the Mets is five days in a row by Richard Hildalgo).

So the Mets will turn to Rick Porcello who is trying to change the narrative about his season. In his first four starts he has allowed 14 runs, 12 earned, over 19.0 innings which is a 5.68 ERA, 3.18 FIP, 1.632 WHIP and 76 ERA+. Over his last two starts though, both against the Nationals, he has allowed 3 runs over 13.0 innings, a 2.08 ERA. He hasn’t walked anyone and has struck out 9. In a weird scheduling quirk this year – his first two starts were against the Braves, then he had two against the Nationals. The pattern will end today. Rick has the following numbers against the Phillies:

Rhys Hoskins 3-8, 2B, 2 HR, K
Jay Bruce 2-8, 2B, HR, 2 BB, K
Phil Gosselin 1-2
Jean Segura 4-13, HR, 3 K
Didi Gregorius 7-37, 2 2B,2 HR, 3 BB, 6 K
JT Realmuto 2-8, BB, K
Bryce Harper 1-11, HR, BB, 5 K
Scott Kingery 2-5, 2 BB, K
Andrew McCutchen 1-10, 2 BB, 4 K
Neil Walker 1-14, 5 K

The Mets will face Zack Wheeler for the first time tonight. Zack Wheeler was acquired in a deadline deal for Carlos Beltran with the Giants in 2011. Despite injuries with the Mets, he became a key part of the rotation. The Mets (for some reason) didn’t pursue him in the off-season and he got a pay day with the Phillies. Personally, I’m going to find to it rough to root against him today.

He’s also been crushing it. In three starts he has pitched 18.2 innings, allowed 19 hits but only 7 runs (6 earned). He’s has a 2.89 ERA, 3.77 FIP, 1.268 WHIP and a 159 ERA+. A few of the newer Mets have seen him before in a major league game: