Can the Mets make it four in a row tonight?
The Mets won their third straight game last night thanks to a walk-off infield hit by Patrick Mazeika in the 10th inning. It was an eventful game including a visit from a rat or a racoon or a possum in the Mets tunnel that Lindor and McNeil were very excited about. The Mets also roared back from being down 4-0, in large part thanks to a 2-run homer by Francisco Lindor, who has now reached base 6 times in the last 2 games.
The Mets are going to hope to get some length out of Joey Lucchesi tonight who was in the game in St. Louis last week a bit too long. The question last time was should the Mets use an opener and then go to Lucchesi or start him and take him out before the heart of the Cardinals lineup (with great numbers against him) got to see him a second time. The Mets decided to just let him start and see them a second time and things fell apart. On the season he has pitched in 4 games and 10.2 innings allowing 12 runs from 14 hits and 3 walks while striking out 12.
The Mets bats will get a look at Merrill Kelly tonight. In 6 starts and 32.2 innings he has a 5.79 ERA, 4.52 FIP, 1.469 WHIP and a 72 ERA+. This line is a bit misleading. In his last two starts he has allowed 3 runs over 11.2 innings from 11 hits and 4 walks while striking out 11. He’s dropped his ERA from a season high of 8.44. Kelly had a good, but short, year last year with a 2.59 ERA, 3.99 FIP, 0.989 WHIP and a 179 ERA+ over 31.1 innings. Kelly did well against the Mets back in his rookie season in 2019 holding the Mets to 4 runs over 13.2 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Kelly:
- Pete Alonso 2-6, 2 HR
- Michael Conforto 1-5, BB, 2 K
- Kevin Pillar 1-10, HR, 2 K
- Jonathan Villar 0-2, K
- Jeff McNeil 0-3, K
Let’s Go Mets!
