Series Preview: Mets vs. Orioles
The New York Mets have returned from the west coast after going 4-3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres.
They are now in Baltimore for the final two games of their nine-game road trip to face the Orioles, who hold the second worst record in baseball at 21-38.
The Amazins' are tied for the second-best record in MLB over the last 10 games, going 7-3 during this span. And they currently sit in first place in the NL East at 29-23.
The last time these two teams met, the Mets swept the Orioles at Citi Field last month.
Inside the Mets is here to preview the matchups for this upcoming series!
Pitching Probables
Game 1: David Peterson vs. Bruce Zimmermann
Mets pitcher David Peterson is coming off a start he'd like to forget, where he was pulled after recording just one out, while allowing five runs.
In Peterson's defense, he was given nine days rest between his last two starts, which could have messed with his routine. However, he has given up 16 runs in 20 innings across his last five outings.
Overall, the lefty has shown flashes of brilliance at times, but he must find more consistency as he has produced some ugly starts. As a result, he is 1-4 with a 5.89 ERA.
Tuesday will be Peterson's second career start against the Orioles. Last September, he tossed four shutout innings, and gave up two hits to pickup the win in a seven inning doubleheader.
As for Bruce Zimmermann, he will face the Mets for the first time in his career. His last time out, he tossed 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on six hits, while striking out seven to help the Orioles snap their 14-game losing streak.
In nine starts this season, the left-hander has gone 3-3 with a 4.96 ERA.
Game 2: Taijuan Walker vs. Matt Harvey
Taijuan Walker will face the Orioles for the second time this season. His last outing against them came on May 12, where he stifled the Baltimore offense through seven innings, allowing one run on four hits.
Tuesday night will mark Walker's third start back since returning from the IL. He has yet to go deeper than five innings in his last two outings, and struggled with his control against the San Diego Padres in his previous start, issuing four walks.
On the other side, the Orioles will send old friend Matt Harvey to the mound to face his former team for the second time this season. Although Harvey got off to a solid start to his 2021 campaign, the Mets touched him up for seven runs, and he hasn't been right since.
In his last four starts, Harvey has lasted just 12.1 innings, posting a 12.41 ERA. The one they call the Dark Knight has also allowed 23 hits and five home runs during this span.
Outlook
The heart of the Mets' batting order began to heat up on the west coast.
Francisco Lindor had an eight-game hitting streak until he went 0-for-4 on Sunday. But he is still slashing .359/.375/.641 with two home runs, three doubles and a triple in his last 40 plate appearances.
Catcher James McCann is 10 for his last 28 (.357) and has five home runs in his last 11 games.
Left fielder Dom Smith is starting to come around as well, with two home runs, four RBIs and a .400 batting average (8-for-20) over the past week.
As for Pete Alonso, he has hit the ground running since returning from the IL on Memorial Day. In 26 at-bats, Alonso has eight hits with a home run and six RBIs.
Third baseman Jonathan Villar is also back in the lineup on Tuesday after dealing with hamstring tightness last week.
The Mets' pitching staff has the second-best ERA in MLB at 3.05, which trails only the San Diego Padres' 2.87 ERA.
The Orioles on the other hand, have the fourth-worst staff ERA in baseball at 4.84. They also put their ace John Means on the IL with a shoulder strain on Sunday.
Former top prospect Ryan Mountcastle is a player to keep an eye on for the Orioles, as he has been on fire, slashing .407/.429/.963 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in his last seven games. Believe it or not, center fielder Cedric Mullins has one-upped him with 15 hits in his last 28 at-bats to go along with three home runs and four RBIs.
