7/25/19 Game Preview: San Diego Padres at New York Mets

MLB: San Diego Padres at New York Mets

The Mets will attempt to take the rubber game of the series as they face the Padres in a Thursday afternoon “Getaway Day” game at Citi Field … wait, hold on:

/peeks around corners

/scours parking lot

/checks under Grand Central Parkway

/makes sure Justin Upton is nowhere to be found

… okay, all clear. The Mets can now safely play a Thursday afternoon game against the Padres at Citi Field. It’s a 12:10 PM start today and thankfully, no rain is in the forecast.

How To Enjoy

It’s the usual on the radio side: WCBS 880 or ESPN Deportes 1050 on the Mets side, while Ted Leitner takes you through on KWFN 97.3 on the San Diego side, and the broadcast is also on XEMO (which sounds like a skin care subscription service) 860. On television, SNY has the game here while FOX Sports San Diego has it in Southern California. If you’re anywhere else, MLB Network is providing split regional coverage so you could very well see this game there.

The Pitchers

Jacob deGrom takes his turn on Thursday against San Diego. deGrom’s 2019 season, which started out uneven, is starting to fall right in line with his career numbers in regards to his ERA (3.02/2.71), FIP (3.05/2.84) and WHIP (1.107/1.076). From May 1st on, deGrom has struck out 111 and walked 21 in 96 innings.

7/25/19 Game Preview: San Diego Padres at New York Mets
Jun 28, 2019; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Eric Lauer (46) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Eric Lauer had a good stretch from May 16th to June 8th, posting an ERA of 2.03 in 31 innings, going 4-1 in five starts. Since then, Lauer has alternated between good start and bad start: Five runs in 2 and 2/3’s in Colorado, then two runs in seven innings against the Pirates, then one run in four innings against St. Louis when he was pulled after 98 pitches, two runs in six innings against the Dodgers, and then after a stint on the bereavement list, Lauer gave up a grannie to Anthony Rizzo in his last start against the Cubs when he lasted just 4 and 2/3’s in Wrigley.

The Lineups

Both Jeff McNeil and Dominic Smith get a breather against the lefty, while Michael Conforto drops to 7th in the order against Lauer.

And for San Diego:

Okay, no Justin Upton. Just making sure.

Game Notes

  • deGrom has a 3.8 WAR on the season … going into Wednesday’s games, that’s good enough for second on the Mets (Pete Alonso: 3.9 WAR).
  • Hunter Renfroe is 3-for-6 against deGrom with two home runs in his career.
  • McNeil celebrated one calendar year in the big leagues last night. In his first 558 at-bats, he’s hitting .337, has an OPS of .886, and is a 6.1 WAR player.
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