9/13/21 Game Preview: St. Louis Cardinals at New York Mets

Sunday night’s game was dramatic but it allowed Francisco Lindor to start building his legacy in Flushing. Lindor slugged three home runs to help the New York Mets (72-72) top the New York Yankees 7-6 to pick up a critical series victory at this juncture of the season. The odds for the Mets to reach the postseason remain low but they can bolster them this week by winning critical games against wild card contenders like the St. Louis Cardinals (73-69), who are in town for a massive three-game series. First pitch for tonight’s opener is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. at Citi Field.

Left-hander Rich Hill (6-6, 3.82 ERA) is set to take the mound for the Mets tonight. Hill pitched very well against the Miami Marlins in his last start, allowing just one run in six innings of work last Wednesday, but was not a factor in the decision as the Mets lost 2-1 in 10 innings. The Cardinals will counter with righty Adam Wainwright (15-7, 2.98 ERA) to complete a pitching matchup of savvy veterans. Wainwright pitched into the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers last Wednesday, allowing four runs in 8.1 innings to pick up his 15th win of the season.

Local Coverage:

Television: WPIX

Radio: WCBS

New York Mets Lineup:

Lineup time. #LGM pic.twitter.com/b10AEDvKsZ

— New York Mets (@Mets) September 13, 2021

Pre-Game Notes:

• The Mets and Cardinals split a four-game series in St. Louis back in May.
• This is the Cardinals’ first trip to Citi Field since June of 2019 when they won three out of four against the Mets.
• Hill is 4-1 with a 4.38 ERA in nine career appearances, including eight starts, against the Cardinals.
• Wainwright struggled against the Mets earlier this season, giving up five runs in 5.2 innings of work in St. Louis on May 3, but still picked up his first win of the year thanks to six runs of support from the Cardinals.
• The Mets have activated catcher Tomas Nido (thumb) from the injured list. Patrick Mazeika was optioned to AAA Syracuse to make room for Nido on the active roster.
• Paul Goldschmidt (9 for 19, HR, 3 RBI) and Nolan Arenado (3 for 8, HR, 2 RBI) have good numbers against Hill.
• Kevin Pillar (3 for 10, HR, 3 RBI) and Pete Alonso (3 for 5, 2 2B) have done well against Wainwright in the past.