Game Preview: Mets @ Phillies

The baseball season is a marathon, and certainly worth it to remind yourself of that after last night. The Mets dropped their second straight game by blowing a lead in the 8th inning. This time the Mets had to work around a surprise injury to Taijuan Walker which knocked him out in the second inning. David Peterson did a great job in long relief but the Mets just hit a wall again late.

Tylor Megill will look to reverse that trend as the Mets take on the Phillies for game two tonight! Megill pitched beautifully on Opening Day holding the Nationals to three hits and nothing else over 5 innings of work. Megill faced the Phillies once last season, allowing four runs from five hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings. His weak point last year was the long ball and he allowed two homers in that outing. The Phillies have the following numbers on Tylor:

Odubel Herrera 2-3, 2B, HR
Jean Segura 1-3
Alec Bohm 1-2, 2B
Bryce Harper 0-2, K
J.T. Realmuto 2 K
Nick Maton 0-1

The Mets will get a look at an old friend tonight in Zack Wheeler who will be making his 2022 debut. Wheeler’s debut tonight will be unusual – it’s a true 2022 debut. Wheeler did not pitch in any spring training games this season. He felt soreness in his shoulder during the winter and that essentially put a giant pause in his off-season ramp up. He threw a bullpen session over the weekend and feels good to go, so here were are!

Wheeler had a tremendous season last year making 32 starts and pitching a league leading 213 1/3 innings with three complete games and two complete game shutouts (both league leading). He posted a 2.78 ERA, 2.59 FIP, 1.008 WHIP and a 150 ERA+ while recording 247 strikeouts. The 247 strikeouts was also league leading and over 50 strikeouts more than his previous career high. In five starts against the Mets last year he pitched 34 1/3 innings allowing 8 runs (2.10 ERA) from 27 hits and 6 walks while striking out 37 batters. The Mets have the following numbers against Wheeler: