Game Chat: Braves vs Mets, 7:10 PM

Thursday, July 25, 2024 • 7:10 PM Citi Field • Flushing, NY LHP Chris Sale (13-3, 2.70) vs. RHP Luis Severino (7-3, 3.58) SNY • MLBN The Mets are flying high after the season sweep of the Yankees. Since the All-Star break, the Mets are 4-2 and are the only team in baseball winning more […]

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Thursday, July 25, 2024 • 7:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
LHP Chris Sale (13-3, 2.70) vs. RHP Luis Severino (7-3, 3.58)
SNY • MLBN

The Mets are flying high after the season sweep of the Yankees. Since the All-Star break, the Mets are 4-2 and are the only team in baseball winning more than 60% of their games since the start of June. This weekend, they have a huge four-game series against the Braves, during which the Mets could capture the top wild card spot.

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Jose Iglesias – 2B
3. J.D. Martinez – DH
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. Mark Vientos – 3B
6. Jeff McNeil – LF
7. Francisco Alvarez – C
8. Tyrone Taylor – CF
9. DJ Stewart – RF

Luis Severino has pitched 115 2/3 innings, making 19 starts with a 3.58 ERA, 4.24 FIP, 1.176 WHIP, and 109 ERA+. Severino is coming off of a great start where he held the Marlins scoreless and to only one hit over six innings. In his last two starts combined, he has allowed only two runs over 12 1/3 innings while striking out 11 batters. He last faced the Braves in May, holding them to two runs over five innings. The Braves have the following career numbers against him:

• Brian Anderson 0-2, 2 K
• Orlando Arcia 0-7, K
• Travis d’Arnaud 1-3
• Adam Duvall 0-3, K
• Jarred Kelenic 1-2, HR
• Ramon Laureano 1-3, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Whit Merrifield 4-12, 2B, BB, 3 K
• Sean Murphy 0-1
• Matt Olson 2-7, 2B, 4 BB, 4 K
• Eddie Rosario 3-11, 2B, HR, BB, 2 K
• Zack Short 0-0, BB

Opposing Lineup

1. Jarred Kelenic – CF
2. Austin Riley – 3B
3. Marcell Ozuna – DH
4. Matt Olson – 1B
5. Travis d’Arnaud – C
6. Eddie Rosario – LF
7. Nacho Alvarez Jr. – 2B
8. Ramon Laureano – RF
9. Orlando Arcia – SS

The Mets bats will fight a resurgent Chris Sale to start the series. For the Red Sox in 2023, Sale had a 4.30 ERA, 3.80 FIP, 1.130 WHIP and a 106 ERA+ (102 2/3 innings). This season, over 18 starts, he has pitched 110 innings with a 2.70 ERA, 2.21 FIP (league-leading), 0.955 WHIP, and 153 ERA+. In his last five starts, he has a 1.91 ERA and 1.87 FIP over 28 1/3 innings while striking out 41 batters. The Mets have the following career numbers against Sale:

• Pete Alonso 0-3, 2 K
• Ben Gamel 1-3, K
• José Iglesias 11-33, 2 2B, HR, BB, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 13-31, 2 2B, HR, BB, 6 K
• J.D. Martinez 9-38, 2 2B, 3 HR, 3 BB, 16 K
• Jeff McNeil 2-3, 2B
• Brandon Nimmo 1-4, K

Game Notes

Harrison Bader is out of the lineup for the second straight night after tweaking his ankle. According to manager Carlos Mendoza, Brandon Nimmo is getting a scheduled off day.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that the Mets and young catcher Francisco Alvarez had been having preliminary extension talks before his agency (Rimas) got into trouble with MLB.

The Mets have signed 18 of their 20 draft picks from 2024, with first-rounder Carson Benge and fifth-rounder Trey Snyder becoming official.

Tylor Megill will start for the Mets on Saturday.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Hitting vs Pitching. Part of what has made Chris Sale successful this season is his ability to keep the ball in the park. In his last five games, he has allowed only one home run. His HR/9 is at 0.6, down from 1.3 a season ago (below his career mark of 1.0). The Mets are second in the National League and tied for fourth in Major League Baseball for home runs, sitting at 132. We’ve seen the Mets take ace pitches, like Cole on Wednesday night, and light them up.
2. Francisco Lindor. Over his last three games, Lindor has gone 6-for-14 with a double and four home runs. Four! He also has eight RBIs. Wednesday night he reached the 20-20 plateau as he looks to put up consecutive 30-30 seasons. Francisco Lindor is the only baseball player to go 50-50 since the start of last season. He has gone from snubbed at the All-Star game to forcing himself into the MVP conversation.
3. J.D. Martinez is starting to come around again. From July 12th to the 21st, Martinez went 2-for-14 at the plate with ten strikeouts. In two of these three games since then, he has recorded multiple hits, including Wednesday night, where he had a double. J.D. coming out of his mini-slump this weekend could be the x-factor the Mets need.

Let’s go Mets!

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