If the past few days were any indication, the New York Mets (50-58) will be a rough watch down the stretch. The Mets were swept by the Kansas City Royals, the second-worst team in baseball, as a depleted lineup and pitching staff struggled to keep up with a tanking team. The good news for the Mets is that the lineup is a bit stronger tonight as they welcome back both Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte as they continue their six-game road trip tonight against the Baltimore Orioles (67-42). First pitch for the opener of this weekend series is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
No one had high hopes for the Orioles in 2022 as they were in the midst of a long-term rebuild but Baltimore surprised everyone by finishing above .500 with an 83-79 record. That mark was good for fourth place in the American League East as the Orioles finished 16 games back of the first-place New York Yankees. With a talented young group of players in place, Baltimore made shorter term pickups to fill holes in the offseason, signing free agents like Kyle Gibson and Mychal Givens to fill slots on the pitching staff while trading for Ryan O’Hearn and James McCann (from the Mets) to add depth to the lineup. The end result has allowed Baltimore to surge into first place in the AL East as the team’s young prospects have blossomed, creating a scary force for the rest of the division to deal with for the next several years.
Left-hander David Peterson (3-7, 5.92 ERA) is set to take the mound for the Mets tonight as he re-enters the starting rotation in place of the now-traded Max Scherzer. Peterson’s last appearance came on Sunday as he allowed one run in two innings of relief against the Washington Nationals in a game the Mets went on to win 5-2. The Orioles will counter with righty Dean Kremer (10-4, 4.66 ERA). Kremer had a tough time against the Yankees on Sunday night, giving up three runs in four innings of work, but was not a factor in the decision of a game the Orioles went on to win 9-3.
Local Coverage:
Television: SNY
Radio: WCBS
New York Mets Lineup:
Weekend in Baltimore. #LGM
🆚 Baltimore
💪 @_David_Peterson
📺 @SNYtv
📻 @wcbs880 pic.twitter.com/SicndRua96— New York Mets (@Mets) August 4, 2023
Pre-Game Notes:
The Mets went 3-1 against the Orioles when the teams last met in 2021 and split a pair during their last trip to Camden Yards in June.
Peterson is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two career appearances, including one start, against the Orioles.
Kremer has never faced the Mets before.
The Mets have claimed RHP Tyson Miller off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers and optioned him to AAA Syracuse.
The Mets have activated Starling Marte (migraines) from the 10-day injured list. 2B Jonathan Arauz was optioned to AAA Syracuse to make room for Marte, who will start in right field and bat sixth, on the active roster.
Brandon Nimmo (quad) is in the Mets’ starting lineup for the first time since Sunday. He will bat leadoff and play center field.
Francisco Alvarez is back in the Mets’ starting lineup after he got the day off yesterday. He will catch and hit second.
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