6/23/19 Game Preview: New York Mets at Chicago Cubs

After making their fans sweat through the past few weeks, the New York Mets (37-40) delivered a rare laugher yesterday. The Mets used a barrage of homers to rout the Chicago Cubs (41-35) 10-2, giving them two straight wins in the Windy City. This gives the Mets the opportunity to accomplish something they haven’t done since the first week of April with a win today: earn a victory in a road series. First pitch for the series finale is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. at Wrigley Field.

The Mets will send their ace, right hander Jacob deGrom (4-6, 3.26 ERA), to the mound this afternoon. deGrom was nearly untouchable against the Atlanta Braves last Tuesday, giving up two runs in 8.1 innings to earn his fourth win of the season. The Cubs will counter with a familiar foe to the Mets, lefty Cole Hamels (6-2, 2.85 ERA). Hamels pitched brilliantly in his last start, holding the Chicago White Sox to one run in seven innings last Tuesday, but was left without a decision for his efforts. The Cubs ended up losing that game 3-1.

Local Coverage:

Television: WPIX

Radio: WCBS

New York Mets Lineup:

Here’s how we closeout our series in Chicago. #LGM pic.twitter.com/E2FQEyVveV

— New York Mets (@Mets) June 23, 2019

Pre-Game Notes:

• deGrom is 2-2 with a 3.05 ERA in seven career starts against the Cubs.
• Hamels is 9-14 with a 3.89 ERA in 33 career starts against the Mets, but he has only faced them once since being traded away from the Philadelphia Phillies in 2015.
• After sitting out yesterday, Robinson Cano is back in the Mets’ lineup. Cano will bat fifth and play second base.
• Jeff McNeil will get the day off today. J.D. Davis will start in left field and bat third.
• Michael Conforto and Wilson Ramos are also sitting today. Carlos Gomez will play right field and bat sixth while Tomas Nido catches and bats seventh.
• Kris Bryant (4 for 11, 2 HR, 3 RBI), Anthony Rizzo (9 for 20, 2B, HR, 3 RBI) and Carlos Gonzalez (4 for 13, 2 2B, HR, RBI) have good numbers against deGrom.
• Juan Lagares (11 for 28, 4 2B, 2 RBI) and Adeiny Hechavarria (12 for 33, 2B, 2 3B, 5 RBI) have had notable success against Hamels.
• The Mets are bidding to win their first regular season series at Wrigley Field since 2013, although they did sweep two games in Chicago during the 2015 NLCS.