Will Mets fend off hard-charging Brewers?
The Mets suddenly have no shortage of concerns about their alleged staff ace. Those must temporarily be placed on the back page though, as the team prepares to host a series against one of the hottest teams in baseball.
Milwaukee visits the Big Apple tonight, with a 7:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Citi Field. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv like Terry Collins’ club to hold serve here. The Brewers, on the other hand, enter as +200 underdogs. As for the over/under, that figure rests at 7.5 runs.
Matt Harvey got throttled for eight hits and nine runs in yesterday’s 9-1 loss to NL East-leading Washington, continuing a troubling downward spiral for the righty. Yet the Mets’ offense isn’t immune from criticism, either. New York 22-18) holds a .203 batting average during a 2-7 stretch. Beyond Yoenis Cespedes (13 homers and 33 RBIs), the middle of the order looks positively feeble at the moment.
Perhaps Steven Matz (5-1, 2.86 ERA) can give everybody an infusion of energy this evening. The young lefty boasts victories in a career-best five consecutive starts. He gave up two runs on six base knocks across six innings of a 4-2 triumph vs. the Dodgers on May 9 before missing his next turn because of elbow tightness. A subsequent MRI revealed nothing out of the ordinary, however, and Matz tossed an uneventful bullpen session earlier in the week.
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The 24-year-old should face a surprisingly stern test from Craig Counsell’s group. Milwaukee (18-23) just took two of three from the Cubs, looking authoritative in the process. Since May 11, the Brew Crew’s rotation owns a 2.65 ERA. Will Wily Peralta (2-4, 7.30), who’s yet to go beyond six frames in 2016, keep up the pace?
The former 17-game winner enjoys encountering the Mets, going 3-1 with a 2.88 ERA in four career assignments. Still, we’re skeptical of him marching into Gotham and suddenly rediscovering that 2014 form. If ever there were a chance for Curtis Granderson (.143 in May), Lucas Duda (.184) and the rest of the gang to rebound, it’s right now.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: METS -1.5
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