The Mets can clinch a series split with the Braves tonight!
Yesterday the Braves got an early 4-0 lead due to a massive third inning, but the Mets last night had fight in them. They came back to tie the game at 4-4 thanks to a three-run homer from Brandon Nimmo. The Braves were then able to take the lead thanks to some questionable umpiring that led to a run being scored but the again Brandon Nimmo saved the day, knotting the game back up to five. The Mets then scored three more and were able to hold off the Braves and sneak out with a win while resting the key pitchers in the bullpen. All around, great day! Now the Mets have won four of their last five games and the momentum is starting to build.
Adrian Houser makes his second Mets start tonight. In his season debut last week he allowed on run from three hits over five innings. He faced the Braves in back to back starts last July and just like Julio yesterday, the two games had very different outcomes. In the first game he allowed three runs over six innings while striking out 10 batters (the only time Houser had double digit strikeouts in 2023). Then in his next start, in Atlanta, he allowed six runs from eight hits over four innings. The Braves have the following numbers against Houser:
- Ronald Acuña Jr. 7-12, 2B, BB, 2 K
- Ozzie Albies 4-14, 2B, 2 BB, K
- Orlando Arcia 1-5, 2 K
- Travis d’Arnaud 1-2, K
- Adam Duvall 2-8, 3 K
- Luis Guillorme 1-5
- Michael Harris II 2-4, K
- Matt Olson 1-7, 2B, 3 BB, 4 K
- Marcell Ozuna 3-15, HR, 5 BB, 5 K
- Austin Riley 6-16, HR, 3 K
The Mets bats will get their first look at Reynaldo López tonight. López was signed by the Nationals back in 2016 and was traded in the Lucas Giolito trade for Adam Eaton before the 2017 season. Last year López was traded from the White Sox (with Giolito again!) to the Angels. When the Angles shed payroll at the end of August he was picked up by the Guardians and then in the off-season he signed with the Braves.
In López’s first start of the season he allowed one run from four hits over six innings. Last season, across three organizations, López pitched in 68 games totaling 66 innings with a 3.27 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 1.273 WHIP and a 137 ERA+. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:
- Pete Alonso 1-3, BB, K
- Francisco Alvarez 0-1, K
- Francisco Lindor 2-18, HR, 3 BB, K
- Starling Marte 3-8, 2B, BB, 2 K
- Jeff McNeil 0-3, BB, K
- Omar Narváez 2-3
- Brandon Nimmo 0-2, K
- Zack Short 0-1, BB
- DJ Stewart 1-4
- Tyrone Taylor 0-1, K
- Joey Wendle 2-6, 2 2B
Three Things To Watch For:
- Brandon Nimmo is here. In Nimmo’s first four games of the season he went 1-for-16 at the plate with only one walk and five strikeouts. Since then, over five games, he has gone 6-for-17 at the plate with a double, two home runs and seven walks while striking out only three times. Now four of those six hits came last night, but his .560 OBP has been building for the better part of a week now. It’s not a coincidence that the Mets have now won four of their last five.
- Pete’s streaky season. Between the second and sixth game of the season Pete went 7-for-21 at the plate with two homers, essentially one of only two hitters on the Mets collecting hits and moving the offense. Since then Pete has gone 0-for-18 with a walk and seven strikeouts. Can Pete break out of the funk tonight?
- Adam Ottavino. The Mets are almost definitely going to use Ottavino tonight as pretty much every reliever is being used every other day right now. His first outing of the year was rough, allowing three hits leading to a run in a game the Mets eventually lost 7-6. He allowed a solo shot in his second outing. His last two outings have been clean. He’s also getting a lot of strikeouts, in three of his four outings he has at least two strikeouts. This gives Ottavino a small-sample size 15.8 K/9, which is considerably higher than his career mark at 10.4.
Let’s Go Mets!
