Game Chat: Mets @ Cardinals, 5:15 PM

Monday, August 5, 2024 • 5:15 PM
Busch Stadium • St. Louis, MO
LHP Sean Manaea (7-4, 3.50) vs. RHP Andre Pallante (4-5, 4.04)
SNY • MLBN

The Mets head to St. Louis today for one afternoon only! After dropping a series to the Angels, the Mets find themselves 1.5 games out of the Wild Card race but only 2.0 games out of the top Wild Card spot. The Cardinals, who lost a Sunday night game in Chicago, are 1.5 games behind the Mets. It’s a tight race!

The Mets and Cardinals are making up a game from May 8. The Mets won the first two games of the series, so if New York wins today, they sweep the Cardinals. The Mets were 18-18 after their game on May 7, about to enter a terrible spiral. The Cardinals stood last in the NL Central at 15-21. A couple of months has made a huge difference for both clubs.

Mets Lineup

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

Sean Manaea has tossed 113 innings over 21 starts with a 3.50 ERA, 3.95 FIP, 1.204 WHIP and 111 ERA+. Manaea comes off a phenomenal start against the Twins, where he held them scoreless over seven innings while striking out 11 batters (season-best). Manaea altered his pitch mix in this start, using his changeup less in favor of his sinker, sweeper, and four-seamer. This move made sense for Manaea, as his changeup has a .317 opposing batting average and .500 opposing slugging percentage this year. Manaea is the latest Mets pitcher to alter his pitch mix to let his superior pitches shine.

As a result of the May 8 game being postponed, Manaea will pitch in this series for the second time. On May 6, he allowed three runs over six innings on six hits and a walk in a game the Mets won 4-3. The Cardinals have the following career numbers against him:

• Nolan Arenado 3-9, HR, 3 K
• Alec Burleson 0-1
• Matt Carpenter 0-0, BB
• Willson Contreras 4-8, 2 2B, 3 K
• Brandon Crawford 5-16, 2 2B, BB, 3 K
• Brendan Donovan 1-3, 2B, K
• Paul Goldschmidt 1-5, 3B, BB
• Lars Nootbaar 0-3
• Tommy Pham 6-12, 2 2B, 2 HR, 2 K
• Masyn Winn 1-2, 2B

Opposing Lineup

1. Masyn Winn, SS
2. Tommy Pham, LF
3. Willson Contreras, DH
4. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
5. Nolan Arenado, 3B
6. Alec Burleson, RF
7. Brendan Donovan, 2B
8. Pedro Pagés, C
9. Victor Scott II, CF

Andre Pallante has pitched in 19 games for the Cardinals in 2024, throwing 62 1/3 innings with a 4.04 ERA, 3.84 FIP, 1.364 WHIP and a 104 ERA+. As a starter, he has pitched 52 1/3 innings with a 3.61 FIP, 1.261 WHIP. He offers a four-pitch mix including a four-seamer, sinker, slider, and knuckle curve. His best pitch has been his knuckle curve, which has a 34.5 percent whiff rate and a .125 opposing batting average. He is adept at limiting barrels, with his 93rd percentile 4.2 percent opposing barrel rate. Furthermore, he excels at generating ground balls, with his 98th percentile 61.3 percent ground ball rate.

Two of his last three starts haven’t been great, allowing seven runs over 11 1/3 innings. His other start was great, holding the Pirates to only one run over six innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against Pallante:

• Pete Alonso 1-2, BB
• José Iglesias 0-2
• Francisco Lindor 2-6, BB, K
• J.D. Martinez 0-3, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 0-5, BB
• Brandon Nimmo 1-7, 2B, K
• Tyrone Taylor 2-5, K
• Jesse Winker 1-3

Game Notes

• RHP Brandon Sproat was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week after his dominant outing that saw him striking out 11 consecutive batters. He was later promoted to Triple-A Syracuse after the performance.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Willson Contreras. The last time the Mets and Cardinals faced on May 7, Willson Contreras fractured his arm during a catcher’s interference play while J.D. Martinez was batting. Contreras got through rehab quickly and returned at the minimum initial estimated rehab time (6-8 weeks). Since June 24, he has hit .242/.363/.424 with seven homers.
2. Old Friend Tommy Pham. Tommy Pham was traded at the deadline for the second consecutive season. This time, he went from the White Sox to the St. Louis Cardinals, his original club. Since joining the Cardinals, he has hit .381/.409/.714 over six games with a 208 OPS+, including a grand slam in his first at-bat back with the organization.
3. Hitting with runners in scoring position. The Mets are struggling to hit with runners in scoring position. In Sunday’s game, they went 2-for-10. Since last Wednesday, the team has gone 6-for-38, encapsulating the overall frustration the Mets have experienced recently. Hopefully, the offense clicks again tonight!

Let’s go Mets!

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