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

Friday, September 20, 2024 • 7:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
LHP Cristopher Sánchez (10-9, 3.24) vs. LHP David Peterson (9-2, 2.85)
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The Mets opened their four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies with thunder on Thursday night! They scored 10 runs for a third-consecutive game, the first time they’ve done so in franchise history, on 11 hits and four home runs. The Phillies also showed why they are one of the best teams in baseball, taking what should have been a rout and making it close late in the contest. This is going to be a hard-fought battle all weekend, as the Mets can’t slip up in the Wild Card race while the Phillies need to win one more game to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

Mets Lineup

1. Jose Iglesias – 2B
2. Starling Marte – RF
3. Mark Vientos – 3B
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. Brandon Nimmo – LF
6. J.D. Martinez – DH
7. Luis Torrens – C
8. Harrison Bader – CF
9. Luisangel Acuña – SS

David Peterson has pitched 110 1/3 innings over 19 starts this season with a 2.85 ERA, 3.86 FIP, 1.305 WHIP and a 139 ERA+. He is only one inning away from a new career-high. The southpaw is coming off of a phenomenal start against the Phillies, holding them to just one run over 7 2/3 innings on four hits. Since the start of August, Peterson has been on a tear with a 2.22 ERA and 2.96 FIP over 56 2/3 innings.

His challenge tonight will be dealing with the Phillies’ adjustments, who saw him last weekend as mentioned before. They have the following career numbers against the 29-year-old:

• Alec Bohm 5-19, 2 2B, 2 HR, BB, 6 K
• Nick Castellanos 3-8, 3 K
• Bryce Harper 7-17, 2B, HR, 3 BB, 4 K
• Brandon Marsh 1-1, HR
• J.T. Realmuto 3-15, 2B, 3 BB, 4 K
• Johan Rojas 0-4, 2 K
• Kyle Schwarber 1-13, 2B, 2 BB, 8 K
• Edmundo Sosa 0-1
• Bryson Stott 0-2, K
• Trea Turner 3-14, 2 2B, 2 BB, 5 K
• Weston Wilson 1-3, 2B, K

Opposing Lineup

1. Kyle Schwarber – DH
2. Trea Turner – SS
3. Bryce Harper – 1B
4. Alec Bohm – 3B
5. Nick Castellanos – RF
6. J.T. Realmuto – C
7. Edmundo Sosa – 2B
8. Weston Wilson – LF
9. Johan Rojas – CF

Cristopher Sánchez has pitched 172 innings this season to a 3.24 ERA, 2.86 FIP, 1.233 WHIP and a 126 ERA+. If this feels like déjà vu, it’s because Sánchez faced Peterson last weekend. He allowed one run against the Mets over seven innings in that game. In September, he has allowed only three runs over 20 innings.

This will be his third outing against the Mets this year. They have the following numbers against Sánchez:

• Luisangel Acuña 0-2
• Pete Alonso 4-15, 2B, HR, 5 K
• Eddy Alvarez 0-1
• Francisco Alvarez 0-4, 2 K
• Harrison Bader 2-5, BB, K
• Jose Iglesias 1-3
• Francisco Lindor 3-9, 2 BB
• Starling Marte 3-9, 2B, HR, K
• J.D. Martinez 2-6, 2 2B, BB, 2 K
• Brandon Nimmo 4-11, BB, 2 K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-5, HR, K
• Luis Torrens 0-2, BB
• Mark Vientos 0-6, 5 K
• Jesse Winker 0-6, 2 K

Game Notes

Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Kodai Senga will throw 1 to 2 innings and a maximum of 30-35 pitches for Triple-A Syracuse tomorrow. The Mets plan on spacing out his outings over five-day increments according to The Athletic’s Tim Britton, so he could potentially return to the team next weekend against the Milwaukee Brewers if all goes well.

Mendoza also stated that Lindor would go through baseball activities today with hopes of returning to the starting lineup on Saturday. He took pregame batting practice and was out throwing as well, so there’s reason to believe his absence won’t persist for much longer.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Brandon Nimmo. After defeating the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night, Nimmo asked Mets fans to pack the stadium during their final home series of the year this weekend. They responded by doing just that on Thursday night. Nimmo answered with a 2-for-5 night at the plate that featured an RBI double, a two-run home run and two runs scored. He was a huge part of the Mets’ June run and was playing at a high level through the All-Star break. Could he be the X-factor this weekend against the Phillies?
2. Francisco Alvarez. Alvarez homered on Aug. 19 and then didn’t again until Sept. 11. Since then, he has gone 6-for-24 at the plate, with four of his six hits being home runs. He also has 10 RBIs over that stretch. For context, he only has 10 home runs and 41 RBIs for the season, so he’s found his power stroke at the right time.
3. Scoreboard Watching. There are only nine games left in the season! The San Diego Padres have a two-game lead for the first Wild Card spot while the Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks are tied for the second spot, though New York owns the tiebreaker over both clubs. The Atlanta Braves are, of course, two games out with a three-game set against the Mets next week. The ageless Charlie Morton takes on Miami Marlins rookie Valente Bellozo (123 ERA+) and Zac Gallen looks to lead the D-backs over Colin Rea and the Milwaukee Brewers while the Padres start a series against the lowly White Sox, who would tie the 1962 Mets record for most losses in a modern season if they get swept.

Let’s go Mets!

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