It’s a battle of the First and Second Cities when the Chicago Cubs visit the New York Mets for the weekend.
Better yet, the series opener on Friday night has something for everyone in New Yorker. No, Yankees fans aren’t suddenly becoming Mets fans while waiting for their 10:05 pm tilt with the Athletics. No, Chicagoans haven’t flocked to New York for a Citi Field invasion.
Rather, what makes tonight a fun watch is the pitching matchup: Chicago’s Jameson Taillon and New York’s Clay Holmes are former Yankees teammates who also came up through the Pittsburgh Pirates’ farm system together.
What’s more, both teams are in first place in their respective divisions.
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
TV: SNY
Run Line: Mets -1.5, O/U 7.5
Pitching Matchup: Jameson Taillon (2-1, 3.86) vs Clay Holmes (4-1, 2.95 ERA). Holmes has, overall, done a good job transitioning from All-Star closer to New York Mets ace. He’s done this by mixing his legendary sinker with a variety of breaking pitches. Taillon’s approach is very much the same, though he leans on a traditional fastball topping out in the low 90s.
The difference, however, is Taillon is a seasoned starter with a small, but notable track record vs. the Mets. In six starts, he is 4-0 with a 1.96 ERA and 0.77 WHIP. Three of those wins and four of those starts were at Citi Field, where his ERA is a stellar 1.59.
X-Factor: Jeff McNeil. Juan Soto is starting to heat up and Pete Alonso is Polar Bear-ing away, but these two can’t carry the Mets alone. Jeff McNeil, on the other hand, is batting .150 in May, .229 on the year, and would love to get off the Schneid.
It’s also worth noting that McNeil really needs to pick up his production. General decline and injuries have hampered him for a couple of years. He’s been at or near replacement level all season. If there’s any Met who needs a big game, it’s him.
Prediction. Sorry, Mets fans. Sometimes, you eat the bear. Other times, the bear shows up to Citi Field and humbles a team who’s had a fairly light schedule. The Mets’ only tough series thus far was their sweeping the underachieving Phillies last month.
Chicago, meanwhile, has a deeper lineup (including former Mets prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong) and went 4-1 against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers this season. Betting the Cubs moneyline and for Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker to each get a hit is a good idea if you’re browsing New York sports betting apps. Cubs 7, Mets 3
FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: New York Mets vs. Chicago Cubs: Two former Yankees toe the slab | Elite Sports NY