Series Preview: Mets Begin Road Trip in Houston

After losing two out of three games against the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend, the New York Mets (33-38) are set to begin their road trip against the Houston Astros (39-33) on Monday.

In recent play, the Mets have failed to get all of their pieces to perform well at the same time. While the offense has picked it up as of late, with Tommy Pham headlining the success, the pitching staff has failed them in critical situations. As each losing series goes by, the Mets find themselves sinking fast in their division. Currently in fourth place, they need to change their ways quickly to salvage their fortunes this season.

The Astros saw similar results over the weekend, as they were swept by the Cincinnati Reds. Despite being a mainstay in the American League West over the last few years, the Astros have struggled to assert their dominance over their budding rivals. Both the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels are ahead of them in the standings. This series will be important for them as they try to make up ground in their division race.

Monday, June 19, 2023: RHP Max Scherzer (5-2, 4.45 ERA) vs. RHP Hunter Brown (6-3, 3.35 ERA)

Max Scherzer will be opening this series for the Mets, and he struggled in his last start against the Yankees. In 3 1/3 innings pitched, he allowed six earned runs while striking out only two batters. This marks the second consecutive poor start for Scherzer. It is a discouraging sign for the Mets after he was able to produce a few consecutive good starts upon his return from suspension. This game will serve as another test for Scherzer, as he needs to prove that he can still pitch at a high level against a potent lineup. In his career against the Astros, Scherzer has a 3.27 ERA in seven games started.

On the other side, the Astros will turn to Hunter Brown to begin this series. As indicated by his numbers, Brown has been a consistent performer in the Astros’ rotation. This was evident in his previous start, in which he tossed seven scoreless innings against the Nationals with four strikeouts. Brown will be making his first career appearance against the Mets on Monday.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023: RHP Justin Verlander (2-3, 4.40 ERA) vs. LHP Framber Valdez (6-5, 2.27 ERA)

Former Astros pitcher Justin Verlander will be taking the mound against his former club on Tuesday. Verlander has seen a trend where he is alternating between strong and poor performances as of late. His most recent start was a quality start, as he pitched six innings and struck out as many batters while allowing only one run against the Yankees. While he has not pitched against the Astros in a long time, Verlander has a 2.55 ERA against them in nine career starts. Tuesday would be a great time for Verlander to snap out of his inconsistent streak against his former team.

Framber Valdez will pitch for the Astros on Tuesday. Like Brown, he has been a key component of the Astros’ rotation to begin the season. In his last start, he tossed seven innings with six strikeouts while only allowing one run. Valdez has established himself as one of the best pitchers in the league. His only career start against the Mets is indicative of that, as he pitched eight shutout innings while striking out five batters in June 2022.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023: RHP Tylor Megill (6-4, 4.83 ERA) vs. RHP Cristian Javier (7-1, 2.90 ERA)

Tylor Megill will pitch in the final game of the series for the Mets. He was able to bounce back from a poor start against the Pirates when he pitched six innings while allowing one run against the Cardinals in his following outing. Despite having a rocky season, Megill has demonstrated the ability to pitch at a high level. He will need to bring his best game against the Astros, as they have a dangerous lineup that can capitalize on poor pitching.

Cristian Javier will close out the series for the Astros. Javier pitched six shutout innings in his last outing against the Nationals with two strikeouts. He will be making his first appearance against the Mets this week. Javier is another premier pitcher that the Mets will be facing, so it is important that their offense steps up to the task.

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