Series Preview: Struggling Mets Searching for Answers vs. Cubs

Could it get any worse? I sure hope not. The New York Mets (7-12) are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak. After being swept by the Athletics at home, the Mets were outmatched by the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this week. Their lineup scored a total of three runs over the three games, which looks very thin without Juan Soto. Through 19 games, the Mets are averaging 3.42 runs per game, tied for the fourth-worst mark in baseball.

They will try to snap out of this bad run against the Chicago Cubs (9-9), who haven’t had a great start to the season either. They are currently last in the competitive National League Central and are only 4-5 at Wrigley Field.

Let’s take a look at some notes ahead of the three pitching matchups.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

• Friday: Kodai Senga (0-2, 7.07 ERA) vs. Edward Cabrera (1-0, 1.62 ERA): After two impressive performances to begin his season, Senga got roughed up against the Athletics last Saturday. He went 2 1/3 innings with seven runs allowed on eight hits, including two home runs. It was bad from start to finish. The Mets desperately need him to bounce back. Senga is 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA in two career starts against the Cubs. Cabrera is a name the Mets are very familiar with, as he spent the last five years with the Miami Marlins. In 16 2/3 innings this season, he has only allowed three runs, all of which came in his last start against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Cabrera has faced the Mets 10 times in career, pitching to a 5.09 ERA across 40 2/3 innings.
• Saturday: Freddy Peralta (1-1, 3.86 ERA) vs. Jameson Taillon (0-1. 4.86 ERA): Peralta has been good, but not great, to begin his Mets tenure. He completed six innings for the first time last Sunday against the A’s. Being efficient and getting quicker outs is certainly an area that would give him a huge lift. As a former Milwaukee Brewer, Peralta has faced the Cubs a lot. Last season, he went 3-1 against them with a 3.43 ERA in four starts. Taillon is now in his fourth season with the Cubs, providing a veteran presence in the backend of their rotation. He is coming off a strange start against the Pirates, an outing in which he struck out 10 but allowed six runs in six innings. The home run ball has hurt him early on, giving up five in 16 2/3 innings.
• Sunday: David Peterson (0-3, 6.41 ERA) vs. Javier Assad (1-1, 8.10 ERA): Like Senga, Peterson is in desperate need of a bounce-back performance. After throwing 5 1/3 shutout innings against the Pirates on March 28, everything has gone south for him. Over his last three starts, Peterson is 0-3 with a 8.79 ERA. During that stretch, he has struggled to locate pitches. That has allowed teams to either draw walks or do damage against mistake pitches in the middle of the zone. That’s a bad combination. With Cade Horton out for the season and Justin Steele on his way back from a long-term injury, Assad has started the season in the Cubs’ rotation. He is coming off a brutal outing, surrendering nine runs on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.

WHAT’S THE STORY?

Can the story be anything but the lineup’s early-season struggles? This past offseason, it was clear a focus was being put on doing more with runners in scoring position. The Mets specifically targeted hitters who have had good career numbers in those situations. But through three-plus weeks, the entire lineup has disappointed in those spots. With runners in scoring position, the Mets are slashing .224/.319/.309 over 183 plate appearances. For a team that doesn’t have many pure home run hitters, that won’t be enough. If the Mets want to turn things around, that area needs to be a clear strength, not a glaring weakness.

PREDICTION

The Mets have lost eight straight, and the Cubs just took two of three from the Phillies on the road. One team has no momentum, and the other is gaining confidence and is playing at home. Until proven otherwise, the Mets are going to have their hands full this weekend. I think they win a game, but nothing more.

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