Series Preview: Mets Return Home to Face Giants

The stretch run is here. With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, teams have a pretty good idea of what they’re going to look like the rest of the way. The New York Mets (62-47) will begin play Friday with a half-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. Team debuts for Tyler Rogers, Ryan Helsley and Cedric Mullins could happen as soon as Friday night. It’s certainly an exciting time for Mets fans.

The same cannot be said for the slumping San Francisco Giants (54-55). After being swept by the Mets last weekend, the Pittsburgh Pirates came to town and accomplished the same feat. That forced Buster Posey’s hand, as he dealt Mike Yastrzemski, Camilo Doval and Rogers.

Let’s take a look at some notes ahead of the three pitching matchups.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

• Friday: Robbie Ray (9-5, 2.93 ERA) vs. David Peterson (7-4, 2.83 ERA): Peterson got the upper hand when these two faced off last Saturday. Both pitched well, but the Mets were able to secure a 2-1 win. Ray was an out away from six scoreless innings until Mark Vientos stepped to the plate. His two-run double last weekend was the only blemish on Ray’s ledger. He is 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA in two outings since the All-Star break. Peterson has been spectacular for the Mets this season. His ability to consistently go deep into the games cannot be understated. Peterson was fantastic in July, going 2-0 with a 1.05 ERA across 25 2/3 innings. He has been unbeatable at Citi Field this season with a 5-0 record and 1.91 ERA in 61 1/3 innings across 10 starts.
• Saturday: TBD vs. Kodai Senga (7-3, 2.00 ERA): As they did in their previous matchup, it seems as if the Giants will deploy a bullpen game this weekend. Spencer Bivens threw three innings against the Mets last Sunday. We could see one of the Giants’ relievers doing something similar in this series. Since returning from the All-Star break, Senga has not pitched like himself. After throwing a season-low three innings against the Los Angeles Angels on July 21, he followed that up with another underwhelming outing against the Giants. Senga allowed three runs in five innings, but all of those came on two home runs from Matt Chapman. He also gave up a season-high five walks. Senga’s last quality start came all the way back on June 6 against the Colorado Rockies.
• Sunday: Carson Whisenhunt (0-0, 7.20 ERA) vs. Frankie Montas (3-1, 5.46 ERA): Whisenhunt made his big league debut on Monday and threw five innings while giving up four runs on five hits and striking out three batters. Whisenhunt has a three-pitch mix that includes a sinker, changeup and slider. Four of the five hits he allowed came on the changeup. It should be interesting to see how his first start on the road goes. Montas has had some good moments with the Mets, but he’s also had some difficult starts. One of those was certainly on Monday against the San Diego Padres. He was handed a 5-1 lead going into the bottom of the fifth inning. He failed to shut the door, however, as the Padres answered with five runs. Not good. Montas is 1-0 with a 2.38 ERA in four career starts against the Giants.

WHAT’S THE STORY?

The one area the Mets did not address ahead of the trade deadline was starting pitching. With Clay Holmes throwing more innings than he ever has and Montas working through some ups and downs, there was a thought that another arm was going to be brought in. That did not happen. Now, the question is when will one of Nolan McLean or Brandon Sproat get their shot at the big league level? Both are performing very well at Triple-A Syracuse, and the Mets could use a spark in the backend of the rotation. I think McLean gets called up sooner versus later, given what David Stearns said in his most recent press conference.

PREDICTION

Despite being sellers at the deadline, the Giants have a good enough lineup on paper to threaten the Mets. Will they show that this weekend? We shall see. With the Giants six games out of the third Wild Card spot in the National League, there is still time to turn things around. Opposing teams have had trouble finding success at Citi Field in 2025. I think that trend will continue, as the Mets take two of three from the Giants.

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