Game Thread: Mets vs Pirates, 7:05 PM

Friday, August 2, 2019 • 7:05 p.m. ET
PNC Park • Pittsburgh, PA
LHP Steven Matz (6-6, 4.32) vs. RHP Trevor Williams (3-4, 4.77)
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • ESPN 1050 AM

The Mets roll into Pittsburgh tonight on a 7 game win streak coming off back to back sweeps including a sweep of the Pirates last weekend. Yesterday the Mets had a dominate start from Zack Wheeler, bullpen that that kept the clean sheet and an offense that did just enough to push the Mets into the win column. The Pirates on the other hand come into the weekend with multiple players suspended (appeals pending) including their manager hanging over their heads. One team is unified by winning, the other by fighting, what’s going to happen next?

Mets Lineup

1. Jeff McNeil – RF
2. Michael Conforto – CF
3. Pete Alonso – 1B
4. Robinson Cano – 2B
5. Wilson Ramos – C
6. J.D. Davis – LF
7. Todd Frazier – 3B
8. Amed Rosario – SS
9. Steven Matz – LHP

Pirates Lineup

1. Kevin Newman – SS
2. Bryan Reynolds – LF
3. Starling Marte – CF
4. Josh Bell – 1B
5. Jose Osuna – 3B
6. Melky Cabrera – RF
7. Adam Frazier – 2B
8. Elias Diaz – C
9. Trevor Williams – RHP

Steven Matz is 6-6 over 21 games and 19 starts with 100.0 innings of work with a 4.32 ERA, 4.88 FIP, 1.380 WHIP with a 95 ERA+ (same mark as last year). Matz is coming off of his best start of his career – a complete game shutout against the Pirates, allowing only 5 hits and no walks over the corse of the game while striking out 7. In the month of July he has lowered his ERA from 4.95 down to 4.32, with an ERA of 1.80 in 20.0 innings. In that stretch batters are getting on base at a .266 clip with a .629 OPS. The Pirates have the following numbers against Matz:

• Starling Marte 0-10, 3 K
• Josh Bell 0-8, 2 K
• Gregory Polanco 2-7, HR, BB, 2 K
• Melky Cabrera 3-7, 2B
• Jung Ho Kang 2-6
• Jose Osuna 1-6, K
• Trevor Williams 0-2, 2 K

The Mets will get another look at Trevor Williams tonight. He is 3-4 over 15 starts and 88.2 innings with a 4.87 ERA, 4.58 FIP, 1.320 WHIP and a 90 ERA+. He had an average outing his last time out against the Mets, allowing 3 runs from 2 homers over 7.0 innings from 4 hits and 2 walks. And now in his last two starts he has allowed 5 runs, 4 earned over 12.0 innings. That being said, in his last 6 starts he has allowed 29 runs, 28 earned, over 34.2 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Trevor:

• Michael Conforto 4-8, 2B, HR, BB, K
• Jeff McNeil 1-5, BB, 2 K
• Wilson Ramos 0-5
• Amed Rosario 0-4, 2 BB, 3 K
• Pete Alonso 0-3, K
• Aaron Altherr 0-3
• Robinson Cano 0-3
• J.D. Davis 2-3, 2B, HR
• Todd Frazier 1-3

Game Notes

Michael Conforto is hitting .306/.375/.542 with two doubles, five homers, 13 RBI and 10 runs scored since the All-Star break.

Jacob deGrom has a Major League best 0.69 ERA in the second half for starters.

Per Elias, Mets starting pitchers have allowed three or fewer earned runs in 17 straight games, the longest such streak since they went 17 games from June 25-July 17, 2015. Franchise record is 19 consecutive games from April 19-May 11, 1968.

Let’s Go Mets!