Game Preview: Padres vs Mets

The Mets will kick-off the second half of the season hosting the Padres in Queens!

The Mets are 23 games above .500 and are in first place ahead of the Atlanta Braves who are starting their second half after a scorching hot month of June. The Phillies have also made a turn recently and they find themselves in the wild card race too. It’s going to be a fun couple of months!

The Padres are currently 10 games over .500 and are holding a wild card spot. They are 4-6 over their last 10 games. They took two of three from the Mets back when the two teams matched up in June.

Max Scherzer will kick things off for the Mets today. Over 11 starts and 69 innings this season, Scherzer has a 2.22 ERA, 2.37 FIP, 0.884 WHIP and a 181 ERA+. Since returning from the injured list, Scherzer has made three starts totaling 19 1/3 innings with a 1.40 ERA and 0.89 FIP. He’s allowed three runs from 13 hits and a walk while striking out 31 batters. The Padres have the following numbers against him:

Eric Hosmer 15-52, 4 2B, 2 HR, 3 BB, 15 K
Manny Machado 8-47, 2 2B, 2 HR, 19 K
Wil Myers 7-25, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, BB, 14 K
Jorge Alfaro 4-23, HR, 12 K
Trent Grisham 2-14, 2B, BB, 4 K
Jake Cronenworth 0-10, BB, 3 K

Yu Darvish made 17 starts and tossed 108 1/3 innings during the first half of the season. He posted a 3.41 ERA, 3.45 FIP, 0.988 WHIP, and a 112 ERA+. In his last four games he has pitched 26 innings allowing 12 runs (3.69 ERA) from 23 hits and five walks while striking out 34. He has been more susceptible to the home run ball recently – allowing five homers in his last three starts compared to six homers in previous 14 starts.

Darvish had a terrific start against the Mets on June 7th where he held the Mets to only two hits and no runs over seven innings. The Mets have the following numbers against him: