The Mets look for their second consecutive sweep and seventh consecutive win this afternoon in Los Angeles!
The Mets won their sixth game in a row Saturday afternoon, clinching a series victory against the Dodgers. It was the second time in the last two weeks that the Mets had won a series against a World Series contending team. Saturday’s game featured the Mets doing one thing they haven’t done a lot of this year – stealing bases. The Mets stole three bases in the game (Nimmo, Wendle and Marte). Further there were four Mets who each collected two hits in the game (Marte, Lindor, McNeil and Wendle). We love to see it.
Adrian Houser is on the bump this afternoon for the Mets. Over three starts (15 1/3) innings this season, Houser has a 4.70 ERA, 4.40 FIP, 1.500 WHIP and an 88 ERA+. Most of the damage to his season stats was done in Atlanta in his second start where he allowed five runs from eight hits over five innings of work. He bounced back nicely in his last start allowing only two runs from two hits (and five walks) over 5 1/3 innings of work. Houser faced the Dodgers once last season and allowed four runs, three earned, over 5 1/3 innings with no walks and six strikeouts. The Dodgers have the following career numbers against Houser:
- Austin Barnes 0-2
- Mookie Betts 1-4, 2 BB, K
- Freddie Freeman 2-9, HR, 3 BB
- Teoscar Hernández 1-3, K
- Max Muncy 1-5, 3 K
- James Outman 0-2, 2 K
- Miguel Rojas 2-9, HR, 3 K
- Will Smith 0-3
- Chris Taylor 2-3, 2B
The Mets will not get out of town without facing the ace of the Dodgers staff – Tyler Glasnow. Glasnow has made five starts (29 innings) this season with a 3.72 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 0.966 WHIP and a 114 ERA+. He is coming off of his worst start of the season against the Nationals where he allowed six runs from eight hits and two walks over five innings of work. Before that start Glasnow had 2.25 ERA, 2.77 FIP over his first four starts including a start against the Twins where he struck out 14 batters over seven innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:
- Pete Alonso 0-6, 6 K
- Harrison Bader 1-7, K
- Francisco Lindor 1-10, 4 K
- Starling Marte 1-5, HR, 3 K
- Jeff McNeil 2-7, 2B, BB, K
- Brandon Nimmo 0-2, 3 BB
- DJ Stewart 0-3, 2 K
- Joey Wendle 0-1, BB, K
Three Things To Watch For:
- Can the Mets limit walks today? The Mets pitchers allowed an absurd 10 walks in Saturday’s game with Buttó allowing five as a starter. You cannot give a team like the Dodgers a chance with free passes to first base. Further, it taxes the entire pitching staff. Houser is coming off of a start where he allowed five walks and already has nine total on the season.
- Keep the strikeouts coming. The ten walks yesterday did not crush the Mets because the Mets batters got the Dodgers to strike out 14 times. The big three at the top of the lineup went 4-for-7, with two doubles, three RBI’s and one strikeout. That means the rest of the lineup had 13 K’s including Outman, Pages and Hernández who struck out three times each. This is a winning recipe.
- Starling Marte! Marte has been a savior for the Mets lineup this season. Since April 6th, Marte has made 13 starts and has hit .322/.365/.509 (through April 5th, before this streak he was hitting .192/.250/.346). In his last five games he has gone 7-for-24 at the plate with two doubles and two homers, which are four of his overall six extra-base hits this season. He has now stolen bases in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
