Game Preview: Mets @ Diamondbacks

If you only play one game in a three game series, and you win that one game, do you get the sweep?

That was a question for the Mets to ponder last night as they flew from New York to Arizona after a rain soaked weekend postponed two games from the Braves/Mets series. The Mets won in a rout on Saturday, flipping their run differential into positive territory and thanks to the rain, the injured Mets got to rest. Now the Mets head into Arizona to face a team that is 1-9 over their last 10 games, their one win coming yesterday, a team the Mets swept earlier in the month. The Mets also expect to activate Pete Alonso tonight and Seth Lugo + Kevin Pillar throughout the week. The band is getting back together!

Jacob deGrom gets the start tonight, off of an extra day of rest. Jacob has pitched 45.0 innings over 7 starts with a 0.80 ERA, 1.17 FIP, 0.600 WHIP and a 478 ERA+. In his first start back from the IL he was limited to 63 pitches over 5.0 innings allowing only 1 run from 3 hits and no walks while striking out 9. Because his season has been so dominant, that start raised his ERA. His only other start in May was against the Diamondbacks where he allowed 1 run over 5.0 innings from 1 hit and 3 walks while striking out 6. The Diamondbacks have the following numbers against him:

Stephen Vogt 1-5, 2B, 2 K
David Peralta 1-6, BB, 2 K
Josh Rojas 1-5, 2 K
Eduardo Escobar 1-7, BB, 3 K
Nick Ahmed 1-10, 2B, 3 K
Carson Kelly 0-3, K
Christian Walker 0-7, 3 K
Ketel Marte 0-9, 4 K

Merrill Kelly has made 10 starts and pitched 57.2 innings this year with a 4.84 ERA, 4.00 FIP, 1.318 WHIP and a 85 ERA+. Every start in May (5 so far!) he’s allowed either 3 or 2 runs, so fairly consistent. His worst start though was against the Mets where he allowed 3 runs, 2 earned, over 5.2 innings from 3 hit sand 5 walks and a homer. You probably remember the homer. It was Jeff McNeil and he brought home Francisco Lindor. You know the one. Anyway, the Mets have the following numbers against Kelly: