Game Chat: Giants vs Mets, 7:10 p.m.

Friday, May 28, 2024 • 1:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
LHP Kyle Harrison (4-1, 3.60) vs. RHP Christian Scott (0-2, 4.32)
SNY

The Mets’ day off came at the perfect time. They have been free falling for the past few weeks, reaching a season-worst seven games below .500 after Wednesday’s loss to the Cleveland Guardians. The Mets haven’t really been blown out as many of their recent games were ones in which they held the lead or were within striking distance, and yet they kept fell short.

While the Mets have stumbled, losing eight of their last ten, the San Francisco Giants have been rising. They are now just one game below .500 after winning seven of their last ten. Can the Mets slow their roll this weekend?

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor, SS
2. Pete Alonso, 1B
3. Brandon Nimmo, LF
4. J.D. Martinez, DH
5. Mark Vientos, 3B
6. Starling Marte, RF
7. Jeff McNeil, 2B
8. Harrison Bader, CF
9. Tomás Nido, C

Christian Scott will make his fourth start of the season tonight for the Mets. He was lights out in his first start, holding the Tampa Bay Rays to one run on five hits while striking out six over 6 2/3 innings. He then held a tough Atlanta Braves lineup to only three runs while striking out eight batters in his second start, which also was a quality start. Last time out though was a struggle, however, as the Miami Marlins tagged him for four runs on seven hits over four innings.

Opposing Lineup

1. Luis Matos – CF
2. LaMonte Wade Jr. – 1B
3. Thairo Estrada – 2B
4. Matt Chapman – 3B
5. Patrick Bailey – C
6. Jorge Soler – DH
7. Heliot Ramos – LF
8. Mike Yastrzemski – RF
9. Marco Luciano – SS

The Mets’ bats will get a look at former top prospect Kyle Harrison this evening. Over 10 games (55 innings) this season, Harrison owns a 3.60 ERA, 3.79 FIP, 1.273 WHIP and a 108 ERA+. His game log, however, is interesting. Harrison had a three-game stretch from the end of April through the start of May where he allowed only one run over 18 innings, lowering his ERA from 5.00 to 3.20. Since then, he has given up three runs over five innings in back-to-back outings. He’s only had one rough start this year though, so generally he’s either turning in what amounts to be slightly worse than a quality start or he’s fantastic. The only member of the Mets to see him in a major league game is J.D. Martinez, who is 1-for-4 with a home run and two strikeouts against the southpaw.

Game Notes

Another former Met infielder is joining the Braves as Joey Wendle signed a major league deal with the club on Friday. He was designated for assignment by the Mets on May 14 and subsequently released on May 20. Wendle hit .222/.243/.250 with a 45 wRC+ over 18 games and 37 plate appearances with New York this season.

Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that the team is not ready to commit to giving Adrian Houser another start when his turn in the rotation comes up while they await the arrival of David Peterson, who is set to make his final rehab start tonight for Triple-A Syracuse before becoming eligible to return from the injured list on May 27. Houser allowed six earned runs over five innings of work against Cleveland on Tuesday.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Improbable power hitters. The Mets are coming off back-to-back games where they hit three home runs. During the CBS880 broadcast on Wednesday, the booth discussed how if a team accomplishes that feat, historically they win the game over 70% of the time. So, to do that two games in a row and lose both is improbable. Here’s hoping the power continues but the losses don’t for the Mets.
2. The most improbable power hitter. A major beneficiary of the team-wide power surge, Jeff McNeil has now homered in back-to-back games. His home run on Tuesday against Cleveland was his first since April 5 against the Cincinnati Reds. Overall, he’s gone 3-for-8 with three runs scored and three total extra-base hits over his last two contests. Since May 18, he’s hit .300/.333/.650 in a stretch of five games. Is McNeil back?
3. Old Friends. I personally love watching the Giants come to Citi Field. First, there is the overall influence of the Giants on the Mets roots. Then, there are two players on their roster in Michael Conforto and Wilmer Flores who began their career in Queens and quickly became fan favorites. Conforto will likely not play this weekend as he’s on the injured list and just got cleared to take batting practice a couple of days ago. As for Flores, the Mets legend, he is having a down year and is hitting .215/.290/.289 with a 71 wRC+. If you are going this weekend, I hope you give him a warm welcome back home.

Let’s go Mets!

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