After another series opening win that put the Mets at 29-9 in such contests this season, the Mets will try to do some serious damage to the Phillies on Saturday with a split doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park. If you’re going to the day game, remember to allow for extra time because of traffic. If you’re going to the night game, remember that it’s “Sustainable Phillies Cap” night. They made it gray in tribute to Chase Utley’s soul.
How To Enjoy
This is one of those days where you’ll have to change the channel. The day game will be on SNY at 1:05, but the night game will be on FOX at 7:15, after which Joe Davis and John Smoltz will be expected to announce that they will no longer be calling Phillies game after realizing that Keith Hernandez was right.
On the radio side, you cna find both games on WCBS 880 and WEPN 1050 on the Mets side, or if you’re in Philly and you want to hear Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen cry about exit velocity, you can find them on WTTM 1680 and 94 WIP for both games.
The Pitchers
For the Phillies, Zach Wheeler will start the day game, while Bailey Falter will start at night. Wheeler’s last start was this past Sunday against the Mets where he gave up six runs in six innings pitched. Even after that start, Wheeler si a 4 WAR pitcher with a 2.92 ERA and a 1/055 WHIP. Bailey Falter has an 0-3 record with a 4.85 ERA, and he’s been pretty consistent as to how he’s pitched comesurate to which role he has. He started the season as a reliever and pitched to a 4.91 ERA in 7 and 1/3 innings, and didn’t get much better when thrust into a starting role, as he has a 4.83 ERA in 31 and 2/3’s innings. Falter has been worse at home, pitching to a 5.89 ERA in 18 and 1/3, while having a 3.92 ERA on the road in 20 and 2/3’s.
For the Mets, Trevor Williams will get the start in the afternoon game against Wheeler, while David Peterson draws Falter in the nightcap. Williams is 2-5 with respectable numbers of a 3.02 ERA and a WHIP of 1.157. On July 2nd, Williams gave up five runs to the Rangers in 3 and 2/3’s innings. Since then? 20 straight scoreless innings, including seven shutout innings against the Marlins in the start which immediately followed that start against the Rangers. His six appearances after that were all in relief, going three, two, one, four, one, and two innings in those outings, In those 20 innings, he has an opponents’ OPS against of .451, and hitters are hitting .174 against him.
Peterson is 6-2 with an ERA of 3.30 and a WHIP of 1.278. His last appearance was a start at Citi Field on August 6th against the Braves, going 5 and 1/3 scoreless innings in what turned out to be an 8-5 win. Peterson has an ERA of 3.17 as a starter in 71 innings this season, and an ERA of 4.50 in eight innings of relief work.
The Game One Lineups
Because while I may be Metstradamus, I can’t foretell the future long enough to conjure up the Game Two lineups (but I can tell you that Darin Ruf will probably play against the lefty Falter, and that there will probably be different catchers in the nightcap.)
Dayman. Champion of the sun. #LGM
🆚: Philadelphia
💪: @MeLlamoTrevor
📍: Philadelphia, PA
🕕: 1:05 p.m.
📺: @SNYtv
📻: @WCBS880
🔗: https://t.co/d8lguvPZpF pic.twitter.com/5pkyE7Mvjv— New York Mets (@Mets) August 20, 2022
No real surprises for the Mets.
Wheels up. #RingTheBell
📺: @NBCSPhilly
📻: @SportsRadioWIP
📱: https://t.co/HhDxScbmEV // https://t.co/vgbMhIMsON pic.twitter.com/ZkuBgrQeRt— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 20, 2022
No real surprises for the Phillies either.
Game Notes
- Believe it or not, going into Friday the Phillies were second in the N.L. in errors committed with 50. (Must be the fundies that Keith was referring to.)
- Keith is a lifetime .301 hitter vs. Philadelphia with an OPS of .852 in 902 plate appearances.
- Keith’s 17 lifetime home runs against the Phillies is tied for second against all of his opponents, second only to his 18 home runs against the Cubs.
- In 1985, Keith hit .394 in 39 plate appearances against the Phillies with 13 hits, 4 walks, and an OPS of 1.007. And that’s all without a home run so I’m sure Harry Kalas spent that entire season moaning about exit velocity.
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