Game Chat: Mets vs Brewers, 8:10 p.m.

Friday, September 27, 2024 • 8:10 PM
American Family Field • Milwaukee, WI
LHP Sean Manaea (12-5, 3.29) vs. RHP Frankie Montas (7-11, 4.85)
SNY

The Mets are gearing up for a wild weekend of baseball. They enter play today tied for the second Wild Card spot with the Arizona Diamondbacks while holding the tiebreaker and two games in hand. The Atlanta Braves are one game behind both of those clubs. Both the Mets and Braves are trying to clinch playoff spots this weekend in order to avoid their doubleheader on Monday. Every game is vital right now!

Mets Lineup

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

Sean Manaea has a 3.29 ERA, 3.75 FIP, 1.056 WHIP and a 120 ERA+ over 178 innings this year. Since the end of July, he’s posted a 2.63 ERA, 3.13 FIP over 72 innings with 82 strikeouts. Manaea has thrown at least 6 2/3 innings in eight-consecutive starts.

Since dropping down his arm angle, Manaea has established himself as an ace, and the Mets need him to lead the team tonight more than ever.

The Brewers have the following career numbers against him:

• Willy Adames 1-8, BB, 3 K
• William Contreras 1-5, 2B, BB, 3 K
• Eric Haase 2-4, 2B, HR, K
• Rhys Hoskins 1-4, HR, K
• Gary Sánchez 3-6, 2 2B, BB, K

Opposing Lineup

1. Brice Turang – 2B
2. Sal Frelick – RF
3. Jackson Chourio – LF
4. William Contreras – C
5. Willy Adames – SS
6. Rhys Hoskins – 1B
7. Joey Ortiz – 3B
8. Gary Sánchez – DH
9. Blake Perkins – CF

The Brewers send out Frankie Montas tonight, who has pitched 146 2/3 innings between the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers this season with a 4.85 ERA, 4.66 FIP, 1.370 WHIP and an 89 ERA+. He’s performed better as a Brewer since arriving at the trade deadline, pitching to a 4.56 ERA, 4.20 FIP, 1.256 WHIP and a 93 ERA+ over 53 1/3 innings.

Montas is trying to pick up positive momentum going into the postseason. In his last outing, he allowed seven earned runs over 2 2/3 innings against the D-backs. Montas has struck out 10 batters in two of his last four starts.

The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 1-3, K
• Jose Iglesias 1-7, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 4-11, 2 2B, 3 BB, 3 K
• Starling Marte 5-8, K
• J.D. Martinez 2-9, 2B, BB, K
• Brandon Nimmo 0-3, K
• Luis Torrens 2-8, HR, 2 K
• Jesse Winker 2-7, 3 BB, 2 K

Game Notes

During his press conference on Friday afternoon, president of baseball operations David Stearns explained that MLB doesn’t allow for extra players in September doubleheaders, potentially placing the Mets in a compromising position come Monday’s doubleheader if they clinch a spot in the postseason. Furthermore, he stated that any player optioned to the minor leagues would have to remain there for 10-15 days unless there’s an injury on the active roster.

The Brewers are 18-3 in their last 21 home games against the Mets. New York, however, punched their ticket to the playoffs in Milwaukee in 2022, so the team has some semblance of recent success at American Family Field.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Francisco Lindor. Lindor was slated to return on Wednesday before the game got postponed. He injured his back on Sept. 13 in Philadelphia, returned for a brief moment later in that series on Sept. 15th and has been out since. He was ready to take a pinch hit at-bat on Tuesday night, so hopefully these extra few days of rest have helped Lindor. He has been having an MVP-caliber season for the Mets, slashing .271/.342/.494 with a 136 OPS+ and amazing defense.
2. The Vibes. The 2024 Mets are the vibes team. They pose for pictures with the OMG sign after home runs, the starting pitchers have their own celebration when they have a good outing and overall the team just seems to be enjoying themselves. They’ve faced a lot of adversity this year and handled it with smiles and jokes. Hopefully, the Mets come out tonight as that team, and aren’t tight from the pressure of what this series means for additional games in a different city on Monday. The tone for this weekend is set tonight.
3. Scoreboard Watching. The San Diego Padres and Diamondbacks start an important series tonight. Yu Darvish faces Merrill Kelly in a game Arizona feels like it has to win. The Braves also begin a three-game set with the Kansas City Royals as Max Fried and Brady Singer toe the bump on Friday night. Check out our article on all of the Mets’ possible playoff scenarios!

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