The Mets got an amazing start from Kodai Senga last night and did nothing with it. Senga allowed only one run on a solo homer over six innings while striking out nine. The bullpen behind him self-destructed and the offense didn’t show up. Now the Mets find themselves this afternoon fighting to avoid being swept. Can they snap their four game losing streak?
Max Scherzer looks to get the Mets on the right track this afternoon as he takes on his old club. Over 16 starts, 87 2/3 innings, Scherzer has a 4.31 ERA, 4.53 FIP, 1.232 WHIP and a 96 ERA+. He’s had a rough July, allowing nine runs over 11 innings from 11 hits and five walks. While he has struck 16 batters out, he’s also allowed five homers. He’s now allowed a homer in seven consecutive starts and he’s allowed a total of 11 homers in that same stretch (5.63 ERA). The Dodgers have the following career numbers against him:
- Freddie Freeman 11-49, 4 2B, 3 HR, 7 BB, 13 K
- Miguel Rojas 9-35, 3 2B, HR, 3 BB, 5 K
- David Peralta 6-21, 2 2B, 2 BB, 5 K
- Jason Heyward 5-18, 2B, 2 BB, 3 K
- Max Muncy 4-13, HR, 4 BB, 4 K
- Chris Taylor 2-12, 2B, 3B, BB, 7 K
- J.D. Martinez 2-11, 2 HR, BB, 5 K
- Austin Barnes 1-11, 7 K
- Mookie Betts 1-5, 2B, BB
The Mets bats look to build off the four hits they’ve had in the last two games against Dodgers’ rookie Bobby Miller. Miller has pitched 44 innings over eight starts with a 4.50 ERA, 3.71 FIP, 1.227 WHIP and a 98 ERA+. In his last four starts he has allowed 20 earned runs from 27 hits and eight walks over 21 innings (8.57 ERA, 5.37 FIP). In his four starts before that he allowed only two runs over 23 innings. Which Bobby Miller will the Mets get today?
Three Things To Watch For:
- Brandon Nimmo. The Mets as a team have had four collective hits since returning from the All-Star break and Brandon Nimmo has two of then. He had the sole hit, a double, in Friday night’s game and he had the sole RBI in yesterday’s game, hitting a solo homer. He can’t do it alone and the Mets right now can do nothing without him.
- Max Scherzer. Are the Mets buyers? Are the Mets sellers? Everything depends on Max Scherzer. If the Mets are going to make a run for the Wild Card, they need Max Scherzer to be vintage Max. If things fall apart for the Mets, they need Max to be vintage Max so he can net the most possible prospects in a trade. Everything depends on Max. He was originally supposed to pitch yesterday, but a neck issue pushed him back to today.
- Can the bullpen get it together? Trevor Gott. Brooks Raley. Despite the Mets using seven different bullpen arms in their last two games, only two pitches have tossed a clean inning. Yesterday Ottavino allowed a run, Hartwig allowed three total, only two earned. Robertson is the only arm that hasn’t been used yet and probably will be today regardless of the situation. The Mets need the bullpen to step up if they are going to make any sort of a run.
Let’s Go Mets!
