Series Preview: Mets Look to Sustain Success Against Cardinals

For the first time this season, the New York Mets (21-11) head on the road following a series loss at home. After winning the opening game on Tuesday, the Arizona Diamondbacks took the next two games in front of the Citi Field crowd. Some good did come out of that though, with Juan Soto hitting two home runs in Thursday’s loss.

The Mets will look to get back to their winning ways against the St. Louis Cardinals (14-18), whom they faced last month and swept in a four-game set. Let’s take a look at some notes for the three upcoming pitching matchups.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

• Friday: Clay Holmes (3-1, 2.64 ERA) vs. Sonny Gray (3-0, 3.60 ERA): Holmes had his last start shortened due to a rain delay. The right-hander still got the win against the Washington Nationals, despite throwing just 70 pitches in five innings. He has pitched to a 1.13 ERA over his last 16 innings, continuing his seamless transition into a new role. Gray may be a trade piece for the Cardinals this summer, but for now he is the clear ace of their rotation. He has three consecutive quality starts, including one against the Mets in a loss on April 20.
• Saturday: Tylor Megill (3-2, 1.74 ERA) vs. Erick Fedde (1-3, 4.68 ERA): Megill would have received his fourth win of the season had the Mets bullpen not had a poor showing this past Sunday against the Nationals. He threw a season-high 6 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on three hits while striking out nine. Megill continues to be a major bright spot in the Mets’ impressive rotation. Fedde did not face the Mets when the Cardinals were in New York last month, but they are familiar with him dating back to his time with Washington. He is coming off a brutal start against the Milwaukee Brewers, allowing a season-worst seven runs in 5 2/3 innings on Tuesday.
• Sunday: Blade Tidwell (1-2, 5.00 ERA in Triple-A) vs. Andre Pallante (2-2, 4.13 ERA): Tidwell is set to make his big league debut for the Mets. He has made a total of 23 starts for Triple-A Syracuse since the start of 2024, including six this season. His 2025 stats are a bit misleading, with his 3.17 FIP and 3.79 xFIP showing that he is throwing the ball better than his 5.00 ERA would suggest. Keep an eye on Tidwell’s slider and sweeper in this one. Pallante took the loss against the Mets on April 17, allowing four runs in six innings. In his two starts since, he is 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA. Pallante has won each of his two starts at home, which includes throwing seven scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 11.

WHAT’S THE STORY?

The Mets’ offense has had a few outbursts in recent days, which is expected of their lineup, but one of their weak points through one month of the season has been executing with runners in scoring position. In Wednesday’s loss to the Diamondbacks, the Mets were a staggering 0-for-10 with RISP. In the series finale, they were 0-for-2 with RISP. Last season, the Mets were one of the league’s best in those situations. So far, that same level of success has yet to come to fruition. It’s certainly something they hope to improve on moving forward.

PREDICTION 

The Cardinals’ record can be a bit misleading. At home, they are 10-5. On the road, they are 4-13. Luckily for them, they face the Mets at Busch Stadium this weekend. I think it will be a tight series, but recent numbers favor the road team. Since 2022, the Mets own a 8-2 record in St. Louis. I think they bounce back after a few disappointing games at home, taking two of three from the Cardinals.

The post Series Preview: Mets Look to Sustain Success Against Cardinals appeared first on Metsmerized Online.