9/22/21 Game Preview: New York Mets at Boston Red Sox

MLB: New York Mets at Boston Red Sox

The dim playoff hopes that the New York Mets (73-78) are holding got even dimmer last night. The Mets fell 6-3 to the Boston Red Sox (87-65) last night to reduce their postseason odds to just 0.1 percent, meaning they are far closer to mathematical elimination than making any kind of late push. The task for tonight is to try and win in order to keep hope alive and salvage a split against the Red Sox tonight. First pitch for tonight’s game is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. at Fenway Park.

Right-hander Taijuan Walker (7-10, 4.27 ERA) is set to take the mound for the Mets tonight. Walker pitched decently in his last start, allowing two runs in five innings against the Philadelphia Phillies last Friday, but was stuck with a loss thanks to a lack of run support from the Mets’ lineup. Boston will counter with its ace, lefty Chris Sale (4-0, 2.40 ERA). Sale picked up his fourth win of the season last Friday after allowing just one run in five innings of work against the Baltimore Orioles.

Local Coverage:

Television: SNY

Radio: WCBS

New York Mets Lineup:

Pre-Game Notes:

  • Walker has a 1.69 ERA in two starts against the Red Sox in his career.
  • Sale has a 2.45 ERA in two career starts against the Mets.
  • J.D. Davis will serve as the Mets’ DH tonight and bat fifth while Jonathan Villar returns to the lineup at third base and hits sixth.
  • Jose Iglesias (3 for 7, 2B), J.D. Martinez (6 for 11, 2B, HR, 2 RBI) and Kyle Schwarber (3 for 8, 3 HR, 3 RBI) have done well against Walker in the past.
  • Francisco Lindor (12 for 28, 2 2B, HR, 5 RBI) and Kevin Pillar (7 for 28, 2 2B, RBI) have had success against Sale in the past.
  • This is the final regular-season meeting between the Mets and Red Sox. Boston has won the season series by going 3-0 in the first three matchups.
  • This is the Mets’ final interleague game of the season. The Mets are 9-10 against American League teams so far this season.
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