The Mets look to split the series this afternoon after a disappointing, controversial loss Wednesday night. On Wednesday the Mets and Cubs were locked in a pitcher’s duel. In the bottom of the ninth the Mets were down 1-0 with runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Pete Alonso tried to score at the end of the game and was called out on a play where it appears that the Cubs the catcher was standing on the plate before the ball got to him – which would violate the blocking rule. Overall it was frustrating. Carlos Mendoza was frustrated for his players at the end of the game. Pete Alonso was diplomatic about it. Now the Mets need to do the difficult thing of channeling those emotions into positive outcomes for this afternoon’s game.
Adrian Houser is looking to get his season back on the right track this afternoon at Citi Field. Over five starts he has allowed 22 runs from 29 hits and 16 walks over 23 2/3 innings (8.37 ERA, 4.78 FIP, 1.901 WHIP, 47 ERA+). Houser has had two solid starts for the Mets this season. In his first start he allowed one run over five innings. In his third start he allowed two runs over 5 1/3. Both of his starts against the Cubs last season were great. He held the Cubs to one run over 10 innings. The Cubs have the following career numbers against Houser:
- Miguel Amaya 0-2
- Alexander Canario 0-2, 2 K
- Pete Crow-Armstrong 0-2, BB, K
- Yan Gomes 0-2, BB, K
- Ian Happ 4-11, 2 2B, 5 BB
- Nico Hoerner 0-5, 3 K
- Christopher Morel 2-5
- Dansby Swanson 3-13, BB, 3 K
- Mike Tauchman 0-2, 2 BB, K
- Patrick Wisdom 3-6, K
The Mets bats will look to string together a few hits and score a couple of runs this afternoon against rookie Ben Brown. Brown has pitched in seven games this season including three starts totaling 23 innings with a 4.30 ERA, 3.14 FIP, 1.174 WHIP and a 100 ERA+. Brown made back to back starts between April 9th and 15th, allowing one run over 10 2/3 innings while striking out nine batters. His last start though was forgettable, he allowed three runs from seven hits over 3 2/3 innings. No one on the Mets roster has seen Ben Brown in a major league game.
Three Things To Watch For:
- Emotions from Wednesday. The way the Mets lost the game on Wednesday is deflating. The Mets didn’t blow the game and it can feel like the game was taken from them. This becomes and important test for Carlos Mendoza to publicly back up his players (which he did after the game on Wednesday) and to keep the game in perspective. Ultimately, it’s one game out of 162.
- Surprise unavailability. Lindor left Wednesday’s game early due to flu-like symptoms. Hopefully he feels better soon and comes back when he’s 100%. We know that Lindor plays through just about everything so this is definitely ailing him. (There is also a larger conversation about working while sick we could get into, and how we could all do a better job of prioritizing our health.) Anyway, the bug is going around the clubhouse, hopefully no one else catches it.
- Who, if anyone, rebounds after a bad start? Adrian Houser allowed six runs in his last start and 14 runs over his last two starts. Ben Brown allowed three runs from seven hits over 3 2/3 innings. Then the game just got away from the Cubs and they ended up losing to the Red Sox 17-0. Who returns towards their average performance this afternoon?
Let’s Go Mets!
