The New York Mets put the Philadelphia Phillies on notice with a 13-3 drubbing on Monday night. Philly’s pitching melted down, New York’s bats stood up, and the Mets now trail the Phillies by a mere five games in the division race.
And on Tuesday, the Phillies seek to even the score in a lefty-on-lefty matchup. Monday’s loss put the Mets up 5-2 in the season series, with six games remaining. It’s just as much up for grabs as the NL East herself.
Which is exactly why the Mets can’t take their foot off of the gas.
Time: 7:10 pm ET
TV: SNY, TBS
Betting Line: Mets +1.5 (-105), O/U 8.5
Key Storyline: Can Mets break Philadelphia’s bullpen again? Last night should not have been as much of a blowout as it was, but such is the Philadelphia Phillies’ bullpen. Jordan Romano and his 8.23 ERA in particular. Philly’s relievers rank 24th in MLB with a 4.44 ERA, unideal for a first-place team with the World Series in mind.
This being said, the Mets cannot come into Tuesday’s game still riding the high of a blowout victory. Rare is the day when Luis Torrens leads the way with five RBIs on the night. Anyone can do that when the opposing team’s bullpen has nothing working on a given night. If that’s to happen again, the Mets might need to do it the old-fashioned way: With their top bats at their best.
Pitching Matchup: Jesus Luzardo (12-6, 4.10 ERA) vs Sean Manaea (1-2, 5.15 ERA). This lefty-on-lefty tilt should also cause some concern among Mets fans. Forget Manaea’s struggles as he works his way back from a shoulder injury. He owns a 5.19 ERA in six games (four starts) against the Phillies and has a horrific 7.91 ERA in August. Manaea had a 2.08 ERA through his first four starts in July.
Luzardo, on the other hand, knows the Mets will thanks to three-and-a-half years with the Marlins. He’s 5-2 with a 2.63 ERA in nine career starts against New York and has a 2.32 ERA in his last five starts of the season. The Lizard King does a good job mixing his sweeper and changeup alongside his fastball, so the Mets can’t take the field complacent.
X-Factor: Top of the lineup. As in, if the Mets want any hope of winning this game and truly earning it? The top of the lineup has to produce. Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso went a combined 2 for 14, zero RBIs, only two runs scored. Lindor himself was 0 for 6 with three strikeouts! In a 13-3 win!
Luzardo’s track record against the Mets is enough that this trio needs to be aggressive early. Don’t worry about working the count. Eliminate all risk that Luzardo might have full control of his pitches and the strike zone this particular evening. Swing early, swing often, swing for the fences.
Prediction. Even if Sean Manaea has his best stuff back tonight, don’t expect another blowout performance from the Mets. Not unless Jesus Luzardo takes the mound and nothing’s working. It is incredibly hard to score 13 runs in one game, let alone in two straight. Especially on the back of the bottom of the lineup!
Thus, if you’re on New York sports betting apps or New Jersey online casinos? Ride the Phillies and ride them high. Phillies 7, Mets 2
FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: NY Mets vs Philadelphia Phillies: Battle for NL East continues | Elite Sports NY