Game Chat: Astros vs Mets, 4:10 PM

Saturday, June 29, 2024 • 4:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
LHP Framber Valdez (6-5, 3.68) vs. RHP Tylor Megill (2-4, 4.81)
WPIX

The vibes are off the chart right now! The Mets beat the Astros in the series opener Friday night and finally have a winning record for the first time in a long time. Jose Iglesias sang his song on the diamond after the game and the rest of the team joined in. It’s a lot of fun to be a Mets player and a Mets fan right now! The Mets look to secure the series victory against the Astros this afternoon!

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Brandon Nimmo – LF
3. J.D. Martinez – DH
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. Francisco Alvarez – C
6. Tyrone Taylor – RF
7. Mark Vientos – 3B
8. Jose Iglesias – 2B
9. Harrison Bader – CF

Over seven starts, and 33 2/3 innings, Tylor Megill has a 4.81 ERA, 2.97 FIP, 1.426 WHIP, and an 80 ERA+. He’s coming off of a rough start against the Cubs where he allowed six runs on five hits and three walks over three innings, ballooning his ERA from 3.52 to 4.81. Megill is looking to bounce back from his start against the Astros in 2023 where he allowed five runs, four earned over 2 1/3 innings from four hits and four walks. The Astros have the following career numbers against him:

• Jose Altuve 0-1, BB
• Alex Bregman 2-2
• Yainer Diaz 0-2, K
• Mauricio Dubón 1-2, 2B
• Chas McCormick 0-0, BB
• Jeremy Peña 0-0, BB

Opposing Lineup

1. Jose Altuve – 2B
2. Alex Bregman – 3B
3. Yordan Alvarez – LF
4. Yainer Diaz – DH
5. Jake Meyers – CF
6. Jeremy Peña – SS
7. Jon Singleton – 1B
8. Mauricio Dubón – RF
9. César Salazar – C

The Mets bats look to keep the good vibes going against Framber Valdez. Valdez has pitched 80 2/3 innings over 13 games with a 3.68 ERA, 3.87 FIP, 1.202 WHIP and a 108 ERA+. He’s coming off of two good starts where he allowed three runs over 13 innings from eight hits and seven walks while striking out 12. Overall in June he has allowed two runs or less in four of five starts and has played a huge role in the Astros’ resurgence this month. He had a strong start against the Mets last season where he held the Mets to only two runs over eight innings from four hits and a walk while striking out nine. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 1-6, 2 K
• Francisco Alvarez 1-3, 2B, 2 K
• Harrison Bader 1-3, K
• Ben Gamel 0-1, BB
• Francisco Lindor 0-5, 2 BB
• J.D. Martinez 2-8, 2 BB, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 1-6, 2 K
• Brandon Nimmo 1-7, 3 K
• Luis Torrens 2-12, 3 K

Game Notes

• The Mets defeated the Astros 7-2 on Friday to extend their winning streak to four games. Previously this month, the Mets took two of three games against the Rangers and swept a two-game series from the Yankees. They are 5-1 in their last six interleague games, a stark difference from their 3-9 start against the American League.
• Francisco Alvarez went 1-for-2 with a double, walk, and run scored on Friday night. This past week (five games), Alvarez is slashing .563/.680/1.375/2.055 with four doubles and three homers in 16 at-bats. Since Alvarez returned to the lineup on June 11, the Mets are averaging 6.8 runs per game.
• Framber Valdez takes the mound against the Mets on Saturday. Valdez has made two career starts against the Mets and is 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA. In the month of June, Valdez is 3-2 with a 2.73 ERA and a .193 batting average against. The Mets enter Saturday slashing .263/.322/.442/.774 against left-handers this season.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Can the Mets get a long outing from Tylor Megill? Jose Quintana had a short outing Friday night for the Mets, so the bullpen had to put a lot of work in. Megill pitched seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers on May 28th. That was the only outing he lasted longer than five innings. His xERA is 4.46, so his outcomes have been a bit worse than his overall mechanics suggest. He also has the highest BABIP in his career this season (.345 vs a career .316).
2. Jeff McNeil. Jeff had a huge night on Friday going 3-for-4 at the plate with a three-run home run that broke the game open for the Mets. Whether McNeil leans more as a starter or more as a bench player, the Mets are way better when he looks more like vintage Jeff McNeil. I’m curious to see how Mendoza uses him after a night like Friday night.
3. Containing the Astros top of the lineup. Altuve, Alvarez, and Diaz combined to go 8-for-14 last night with three doubles and a homer. The Mets were able to contain all of that production into only two runs. Part of that was keeping Alex Bregman hitless over five at-bats and the Astros overall to 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. The Mets afternoon will be a lot less stressful if they can keep Altuve and crew off the base paths.

Let’s go Mets!

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