Game Chat: Phillies vs Mets, 1:10 PM

Tuesday, May 28, 2024 • 1:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Aaron Nola (4-2, 3.67) vs. RHP José Buttó (1-2, 3.00)
SNY • MLBN

On May 1, the Mets lost to the Cubs 1-0. It was a game the Mets had a lot of chances but ultimately was decided by a controversial call at home plate, calling Alonso out, preventing the Mets from tying the game. The Mets responded to that game with a resounding win against the Cubs on May 2.

The Mets are going to need to channel that same energy today. Monday night, the Mets blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning. Edwin Díaz, who has struggled pitching on back-to-back days this season, had control issues. There was also an egregious missed called by an umpire that ended up being an inflection point in the inning. Just like how the Mets moved beyond the controversy at the beginning of the month, they are going to need to do the same thing this afternoon at Citi.

Mets Lineup

1. Brandon Nimmo – LF
2. Starling Marte – RF
3. Francisco Lindor – SS
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. J.D. Martinez – DH
6. Brett Baty – 3B
7. Tyrone Taylor – CF
8. Joey Wendle – 2B
9. Omar Narváez– C

José Buttó looks to get the Mets back on the winning track this afternoon as he makes his seventh start of the season.

Over his first 33 innings in 2024, he has a 3.00 ERA, 4.08 FIP, 1.152 WHIP and a 129 ERA+. The Cardinals got Buttó for three runs in his first inning of work last week but then he settled down and allowed nothing else over the next four innings. Buttó ended his 2023 campaign facing the Phillies in back-to-back starts. The Phillies got him in the first start, tagging him for four runs from four hits over four innings. In the next start Buttó held the Phillies to two runs over six.

The Phillies have the following career numbers against Buttó:

• Alec Bohm 5-8, 3 HR, K
• Nick Castellanos 2-8, HR, 2 K
• Bryce Harper 0-1, BB, K
• Brandon Marsh 0-5, K
• Cristian Pache 0-0, BB
• J.T. Realmuto 3-5, 2B, K
• Johan Rojas 0-2
• Kyle Schwarber 1-5, 2 BB
• Edmundo Sosa 0-3, 2 K
• Bryson Stott 4-7, 2 K
• Garrett Stubbs 1-1, BB

Opposing Lineup

1. Kyle Schwarber – DH
2. Nick Castellanos – RF
3. Bryce Harper – 1B
4. Alec Bohm – 3B
5. Bryson Stott – SS
6. Brandon Marsh – LF
7. Kody Clemens – 2B
8. Johan Rojas – CF
9. Garrett Stubbs – C

The Mets bats will get their first 2024 look at an old foe, Aaron Nola.

Over eight starts (49 innings), Nola has a 3.67 ERA, 4.00 FIP, 1.204 WHIP and a 110 ERA+. He’s coming off of a rough start against the Blue Jays where he allowed four runs from nine hits over 5 2/3 innings. In 2023 he only faced the Mets once, allowing four runs over six innings from four hits and three walks.

The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 16-46, 3 2B, 5 HR, 3 BB, 12 K
• Harrison Bader 0-2, 2 K
• Brett Baty 0-4, BB, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 6-26, 2 2B, BB, 6 K
• Starling Marte 9-27, 2 2B, HR, 8 K
• J.D. Martinez 3-16, 2 BB, 8 K
• Jeff McNeil 13-42, 2B, HR, 5 BB, 9 K
• Omar Narváez 0-4, 3 K
• Tomás Nido 1-11, 6 K
• Brandon Nimmo 12-46, 3B, HR, 11 BB, 18 K
• Tyrone Taylor 2-5, 2 2B, BB
• Joey Wendle 3-12, 2B, 5 K

Game Notes

In a rare Tuesday day game, the Mets will head to Philadelphia after today’s game for another two with the Phillies.

Brandon Sproat and Ryan Clifford, two of the team’s top prospects, were both promoted to Double-A Binghamton and will start to see playing time there this week.

Three Things To Watch For

1. J.D. Martinez is making his presence known. Over his last five games, J.D. has gone 7-for-20 at the plate with two doubles, a homer, and a walk hitting .350/.381/.600/.981. Three of those hits, including both of the doubles came on Monday night. Overall this season Martinez has hit .302/.351/.434/.785 and has reached base safely in 13 of 16 games played.
2. The hits are coming in bunches for Alonso. Pete Alonso went 2-for-4 at the plate Monday with a double and two runs scored. It was his fourth time in five games that he recorded at least two hits and it was his fourth double in his last five games. With Alonso and Martinez heating up at the same time, it feels like the offense should have a breakout game soon.
3. Getting hits when it counts. The Mets as a team went 3-for-16 last night with runners in scoring position. The breakout we talked about earlier can only happen if the bottom of the lineup gets hits at the same time as the top of the lineup. The six batters in the last four spots of the lineup in Monday’s game combined for a 2-for-17 night with six strikeouts.

Let’s go Mets!

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