Home Cooking For Mets
Struggling to score runs and possibly without their closer, the New York Mets hope a return to Shea Stadium and a matchup against the last-place San Diego Padres can help them snap a four-game slide Tuesday night.
The Mets (58-53) have totaled 12 runs while hitting .229 (8-for-35) with runners in scoring position during the skid. They stranded 11 runners and went 1-for-10 with men in scoring position during Sunday’s 4-0 loss at Houston.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global have made New York -165 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has been set at 8 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 94% of bets for this game have been placed on New York -165 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
New York mustered only seven runs in getting swept by the Astros in three games after leading the majors with a .304 batting average while scoring 5.9 runs a contest in July.
"We just need to get home, get ourselves together," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "I’m hoping it’s a bump, not a hill. But, I feel real confident that we’ll turn this around and swing the bats the way we’re capable of."
New York could be without closer Billy Wagner, who has 27 saves, as he undergoes an MRI on his stiff left forearm. The club could use rookie Eddie Kunz in that role.
The 22-year-old right-hander allowed one hit in the seventh inning Sunday, just hours after his contract was purchased from Double-A Binghamton, where he had 27 saves and a 2.79 ERA in 44 games.
The Mets now begin a seven-game homestand and they’ve won 11 of their last 13 at Shea, hitting .312 with 22 homers and outscoring opponents 73-30.
They’ll try to continue that success as they look to avoid losing a season high-tying fifth consecutive game. New York dropped five in a row from May 20-23 and from June 5-10, which included getting swept in a four-game set at San Diego (43-69). In that series, the Mets hit .224 and scored nine runs with the majority coming in an 8-6 loss in the series finale.
New York will give the ball to Mike Pelfrey (9-7, 3.91 ERA) as he looks to rebound from a subpar performance. The right-hander was reached for five runs and eight hits in four innings of a 7-5 loss at Florida on Wednesday.
That came after the Mets had won 10 of his previous 11 starts in which he went 7-0 with a 2.57 ERA. Their only loss in that stretch came against the Padres on June 5, when Pelfrey yielded one run and eight hits in six innings of New York’s 2-1 defeat.
The Padres, coming off a 4-1 win over San Francisco on Sunday to halt a four-game skid, give Chris Young (4-4, 4.12) his second start since returning from a broken nose and fractured skull.
The right-hander was outstanding last Tuesday, allowing two hits with eight strikeouts in five innings while not factoring in the decision of a 3-0 loss to Arizona. It was his first game since being hit in the face by a line drive off the bat of St. Louis’ Albert Pujols on May 21.
"I was so excited to be back out there pitching," Young said. "I didn’t take it for granted. I tried to enjoy it more and appreciated it more than I did before I got hurt."
Young is 0-1 with a 7.07 ERA in three starts against New York.
Brian Giles is looking to build on a strong three games against the Giants, going 5-for-11 (.455) with one RBI. The right fielder went 6-for-13 (.462) against the Mets in June.
Did you like this article? Subscribe to our Baseball news feed for the fastest updates delivered right to you – Click here to Subscribe