Game Chat: Giants vs Mets, 1:40 PM

Saturday, May 25, 2024 • 1:40 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Jordan Hicks (4-1, 2.38) vs. RHP Luis Severino (2-2, 3.48)
WPIX

If you turned Friday night’s game off after the seventh inning, you were in for a rude awakening this morning. The Mets were looking good early last night. They got a solid start from Christian Scott, the offense scored six runs off of three homers, and Edwin Díaz had a solid inning of relief.

Then the wheels came off. The Giants scored five runs in the 8th inning to the take lead. The Mets loaded the bases in the ninth, and scored one, but couldn’t score the tying run thanks to a great defensive play by the Giants. The Mets could have easily won most if not all of the games they’ve played in the last week. They haven’t, and now they are a season-worst eight games under .500. Can the Mets turn things around today?

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Pete Alonso – 1B
3. Brandon Nimmo – LF
4. J.D. Martinez – DH
5. DJ Stewart – LF
6. Starling Marte – RF
7. Jeff McNeil – 2B
8. Brett Baty – 3B
9. Omar Narváez– C

Luis Severino has made nine starts totaling 51 2/3 innings this year with a 3.48 ERA, 3.94 FIP, 1.219 WHIP, and a 110 ERA+. He’s coming off of a rough start in Miami where he allowed five runs from six hits and three walks over 6 2/3 innings. Only one of his starts in May has been good and overall he has a 5.94 ERA, 5.47 FIP this month over 16 2/3 innings. The Giants have the following career numbers against him:

• Patrick Bailey 0-3
• Matt Chapman 2-16, 2 BB, 4 K
• Thairo Estrada 1-2
• Wilmer Flores 0-4, 3 K
• Ryan McKenna 0-2, K
• Jorge Soler 1-6, 3 K
• LaMonte Wade Jr.L0-2, K
• Mike Yastrzemski 1-2, K

Opposing Lineup

1. Luis Matos – CF
2. Thairo Estrada – 2B
3. Patrick Bailey – DH
4. Matt Chapman – 3B
5. Wilmer Flores – 1B
6. Mike Yastrzemski – RF
7. Heliot Ramos – LF
8. Curt Casali – C
9. Brett Wisely – SS

The Mets bats will try to keep their home streak alive against Jordan Hicks. Hicks signed with the Giants in the off-season who transitioned him from flamethrowing reliever into a starter and what a move it has turned out to be. Over 10 starts and 53 innings, this season, Hicks has a 2.38 ERA, 3.49 FIP, 1.113 WHIP, and a 162 ERA+. He’s coming off a start where he allowed only one earned run over five innings. That being said he’s been a bit more hit-able this month allowing 10 runs, eight earned, over four starts from 21 hits.

The Mets faced Hicks in relief in back-to-back games in 2023. Hicks held the Mets to one hit over two innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against Hicks:

• Pete Alonso 1-3
• Harrison Bader 0-1
• Francisco Lindor 0-3, BB, 3 K
• Starling Marte 2-10, K
• J.D. Martinez 0-1, K
• Jeff McNeil 2-4, 2B
• Omar Narváez 0-1, K
• Brandon Nimmo 2-6, 2 BB, 2 K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-1

Game Notes

• The Mets have recorded three home runs in three straight games. The Mets have accomplished this feat eight times in franchise history. The last time the Mets recorded three or more home runs in three consecutive games was from September 2-5, 2023. The franchise record is four straight games with three or more home runs, accomplished from July 1-4, 2004. New York hit 13 home runs in that span.
• LHP David Peterson made a rehab start for the Syracuse Mets yesterday. The southpaw allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts over 4.0 innings of work. He threw 89 pitches in the outing. Over six rehab appearances, Peterson posted a 1.14 ERA (3 ER/23.2 IP) with three walks and 35 strikeouts. He is currently on the 60-day IL recovering from left hip surgery.
• Francisco Lindor has recorded multiple hits in three straight games and four of his last five contests. He is batting .348 (8-23) with three runs, three doubles, two home runs with a .375 OBP, and a .478 SLG in that span.

Three Things To Watch For

1. The Mets did it again! Friday night was the third straight game the Mets have hit three homers. They have lost all three games. Teams that hit three homers in a game have an over 70% chance of winning (according to the WCBS880 booth on Wednesday). What the Mets have done is improbable and also just speaks to the frustration overall surrounding the team right now. Here’s hoping the power surge continues for a fourth straight game but with a different final result for the Mets.
2. Will the Mets Click? Friday night the bullpen allowed six runs. Wednesday the bullpen allowed three runs. The Mets lost both of those games. Tuesday the bullpen allowed only one run, but Houser allowed six. The Mets lost by a run. On Monday the bullpen and starting pitching together allowed only three runs, but the Mets scored only one run. The Mets need a game where all three (starting pitching, hitting, relieving) click at the same time.
3. Lindor is quietly starting to hit. Lost in the homer-happy lineup has been Francisco Lindor’s last three games. He has gone 6-for-15 at the plate, collecting two hits in each game, including three doubles. The problem is he has scored only once, which speaks to the Mets hitting with RISP problems as a whole. He also has four multi-hit games in his last five played.

Let’s go Mets!

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