Without captain David Wright, the New York Mets will head into South Beach for three games with the Miami Marlins.
The New York Mets finished off a sub-par homestand, going 2-4 after losing two out of three to both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox.Now the Mets will embark on a long 10-game road trip, starting this weekend with the division rival Miami Marlins.
During the Mets disappointing homestand, the bullpen struggled and the offense struggled mightily in the last game against the White Sox when they lost 2-1 in 13 innings. In that game the Mets were only the second team in recorded history to draw 13 walks but score one or fewer runs.
The Mets did receive a big boost out of Matt Harvey when he finally pitched like the Dark Knight on Memorial Day, shutting the White Sox out through seven innings and giving up only two hits while striking out six. It was the first time that Harvey pitched into the seventh inning this year.
Overall, though, it was a bad homestand for the Mets. They’ll look to get things going again in Miami.
Pitching Matchups
Game 1: Noah Syndergaard, RHP vs Tom Koehler, RHP
All eyes once again will be on the 6’6” power throwing Syndergaard.
Syndergaard’s last appearance came from the bullpen in the seventh inning of Tuesday’s matinee vs. the White Sox. He was nothing short of brilliant reaching at least 100 mph numerous times and striking out two.
With the Mets going through a little slump, Thor is the right guy to come in and quench it and after getting ejected in his last start on Saturday for throwing behind Dodgers infielder Chase Utley, Syndergaard will be motivated.
He will go up against Tom Koehler who is 3-5 with a 4.50 ERA.
Game 2: Bartolo Colon, RHP vs Justin Nicolino, LHP
Bartolo Colon fared pretty well in his last start, going against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw on Sunday night. Colon went six innings and gave up two runs and avoided a loss when the Mets tied things up in the eighth inning. This is after throwing a gem in his previous start vs. the Washington Nationals, one day shy of his 43rd birthday. So Colon has been on a roll recently and he will look to continue that.
On the other side for Miami will be 24 year old southpaw Justin Nicolino. He is 2-3 with a 4.50 ERA. He hasn’t gone past the sixth inning in his last three starts.
Game 3: Matt Harvey, RHP vs Jose Fernandez, RHP
The matchup of this series, especially with Harvey finally pitching a gem in his last start, is this one. The Marlins have given him some trouble in the past but Matt will look to keep it going after his best start of 2016.
It won’t be easy because he will be going against the Marlins ace in Jose Fernandez, who is 8-2 with a 2.53 ERA, including 7-0 with a 1.60 ERA in his last seven starts. Just like Harvey, Fernandez also had Tommy John surgery and missed most of the 2014 and 2015 season. But Fernandez is back in his groove now and he’s still only 23 years old.
Keys To A Series Win
Mets need to start hitting long balls again
Yes, you want to see the Mets manufacture runs in ways other than home runs, but it’s easy to understand that’s who the Mets are.
The Mets lineup is mainly a home run hitting team. When they win it’s usually because they hit long balls, and when they don’t, it’s mainly cause they don’t go deep. Whether some fans like it or not, the Mets need to hit home runs in order to get their offense going.
Don’t let Giancarlo Stanton beat you
Stanton is still the Marlins biggest threat as a hitter, particularly power wise. After missing a week due to injury, the Marlins slugger returned on Wednesday. Stanton is off to a slow start average wise, hitting .210 but has 12 home runs and just as the Mets have known in the past, one swing from this guy can instantly change a game, so NY must still be careful with him.
Players To Watch
Marcell Ozuna
Other than Stanton, this is another premier bat in the Marlins lineup. Ozuna is having a great 2016 season so far, hitting .328 with 10 home runs to begin the year. He is also a good defensive outfielder with an arm too and he’s only 25 years old.
Noah Syndergaard
Can’t help it, but I know others can’t too. Whenever this guy pitches, it’s a must see from everyone even non Mets fans. Syndergaard has been just brilliant all season, taking a step up from his brilliant rookie year last season. A lot of things are worth watching from this guy. How many Ks he has and how hard he throws based on the radar.
Matt Harvey
After finally having an ace like performance, the question is, can he continue one. Harvey, who was dreadful all season before his brilliant Memorial Day outing, must keep it up. If he struggles on Sunday, then it could be all for naught. Harvey’s mechanics looked much better against the Sox and his fastball was regularly hitting in the mid to upper 90s. If his fastball can still go in that range and his mechanics are what we saw this past Monday, Harvey should continue to cruise along.
Game Times
- Game 1: Friday, 7:10 PM ET, SNY
- Game 2: Saturday, 4:10 PM ET, SNY
- Game 3: Sunday, 1:10 PM PM ET, SNY
Predictions
The Marlins have always been a pain in the rear for the Mets but after a sluggish homestand, I expect the Mets to play better this weekend after a day off.
The Mets might be missing David Wright, Lucas Duda and Travis d’Arnaud in their lineup, but they still have other guys who can step up. Neil Walker has been the Mets best hitter lately so he gotta still continue on. Granderson has had some big hits in the homestand. Michael Conforto and Yoenis Cespedes have both been slumping though. The Mets definitely need the two C’s to have a much better showing in order to get the bats going.
We all know what Syndergaard will bring. Colon, as we expected, has been up and down but he has been good lately and Harvey is coming off his most satisfying start of the season.
The Mets bullpen may be slumping now but they have been great for most of the season so I expect them to bounce back overall.
The Amazins will take two out of three.