8/20/18 Game Preview: San Francisco Giants at New York Mets

The New York Mets (54-69) are back home after their longest road trip of the season. The trip was a big success for the Mets, who went 7-4 over the course of 11 games in 10 days and scored a pair of series victories over division rivals. The Mets will now kick off a seven game home stand tonight against the only National League team they have yet to face this season, the San Francisco Giants (61-64). First pitch for the opener of this four game set is scheduled for 7:10 pm at Citi Field.

The Giants come into town as a desperate team. After having the worst record in the National League last season, the Giants underwent an extensive makeover during the winter, trading for veteran stars Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria to try and put together a winner on the fly. Things haven’t gone according to plan for the Giants, who check into action today in fourth place in the NL West, trailing the first place Arizona Diamondbacks by eight games. The Giants are still in the mix for a wild card spot, but they have dropped 10 of their last 15 games to fall below .500 with only six weeks left in the season. San Francisco needs to turn things around quickly if they hope to sneak into the playoffs, and they will be looking at their seven matchups with the Mets over the next two weeks as an opportunity to do just that. This also provides the Mets with a chance to spoil the Giants’ dreams, something they have been doing lately by dealing tough losses to the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies last week.

The Mets will send former Giants’ farm hand Zack Wheeler (8-6, 3.75 ERA) to the mound today. Wheeler has ripped off six consecutive victories, including one last Wednesday, when he held the Baltimore Orioles to one run in five innings of work. The Giants will counter with veteran left hander Derek Holland (6-8, 3.83 ERA). Holland was decent in his last start, tossing 4.2 shutout innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers last Wednesday, but was chased early after tossing 93 pitches to get 14 outs. The Giants went on to lose that game 4-3.

Local Coverage:

Television: SNY

Radio: WOR

New York Mets Lineup:

1. SS Amed Rosario
2. CF Austin Jackson
3. 1B Wilmer Flores
4. 3B Todd Frazier
5. RF Jose Bautista
6. 2B Jose Reyes
7. C Devin Mesoraco
8. SP Zack Wheeler
9. LF Jack Reinheim

Pre-Game Notes:

• The Mets went 5-1 against the Giants in 2017, including winning two out of three at Citi Field in the beginning of May.
• Wheeler is 2-1 with a 4.15 ERA in four career starts against the Giants.
• Holland has faced the Mets once in his career, giving up three runs in six innings of work to take a loss as a member of the Texas Rangers back in 2011.
• The Mets have placed outfielder Brandon Nimmo on the 10 day disabled list since his finger injury has been slow to heal. Dominic Smith has been recalled from AAA Las Vegas to take Nimmo’s spot on the active roster.
• Since lefties are batting only .184 against Holland this season, both Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil will sit today. Jack Reinheimer will start in left field and bat ninth while Jose Reyes plays second base and bats sixth.
• Brandon Crawford (3 for 6, 2 RBI’s) and McCutchen (2 for 2, 2B, HR, 3 RBI’s) have had noted small sample size success against Wheeler.
• Only four Mets’ hitters have ever faced Holland: Austin Jackson (5 for 21, 2B, HR), Jose Bautista (5 for 25, 2B, HR, 5 RBI’s), Todd Frazier (2 for 4, 3 RBI’s), and Reyes (3 for 4, RBI).