D-backs, Mets kick off set out West
After watching their young lefty flirt with perfection over the weekend, will the Mets’ pitching prowess carry over to the desert?
New York certainly hopes Bartolo Colon can extend the scuffling Diamondbacks’ misery tonight. According to oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI, the visiting club represents a 1.5-run favorite. Conversely, Arizona enters the action as a +110 underdog. The over/under run total currently sits at 8.5.
Yesterday, the Mets’ Steven Matz took a no-hitter into the eighth inning of a 5-1 triumph vs. San Diego. Terry Collins also received homers from Neil Walker and Wilmer Flores. Even little-used third baseman T.J. Rivera joined in on the fun, slugging a key RBI double.
Chip Hale’s troops had a less enjoyable experience in Beantown. They were outscored 31-9 in the series, with ace Zack Greinke getting rocked for nine runs and 10 base knocks in the finale. Robbie Ray (5-11, 4.57 ERA) is tasked with trying to reverse the momentum this evening. In two career outings against New York, the lefty holds a 0.83 WHIP and eight strikeouts across 12 frames.
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For the National League East’s third-place squad, Colon (10-6, 3.35) draws his 24th start of the season. The 43-year-old’s on pace to log at least 185 innings for the fourth time since 2012. The Mets are merely asking for a tone-setting performance in the opener, but that won’t be easy in a park that embraces the long ball. Expect a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair at Chase Field.
MONDAY MLB FREE PICK: METS/DIAMONDBACKS OVER 8.5 RUNS