Game Chat: Braves vs Mets, 7:10 p.m.

Friday, May 28, 2024 • 1:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Charlie Morton (2-0, 3.50) vs. LHP Jose Quintana (1-3, 5.20)
SNY

The Mets are having a mini break right now that might get extended by another day. On Wednesday, the Mets were primed to sweep a three-game series from the St. Louis Cardinals, and then the severe weather started. The two sides couldn’t get the final game of the series in after three hours of rain delays while the contest got punted all the way to August 5, sandwiched between road series in Anaheim and Denver.

Now, the Mets come home to soggy Queens. As of writing this, Queens has been subjected to rain for most of the day with more due tonight. Tomorrow during the day looks promising, but the inclement weather is supposed to return both Saturday night and Sunday. Is it really the weekend in the tri-state area if it doesn’t rain? There’s potential for a bit of a chaotic weekend with delays, postponements and pitchers’ schedules collapsing.

Mets Lineup

1. Brandon Nimmo – LF
2. Starling Marte – RF
3. Francisco Lindor – SS
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. J.D. Martinez – DH
6. Jeff McNeil – 2B
7. Harrison Bader – CF
8. Brett Baty – 3B
9. Tomás Nido – C

Jose Quintana has made seven starts this season totaling 36 1/3 innings with a 5.20 ERA, 4.16 FIP, 1.541 WHIP and a 76 ERA+. His last start in Tampa Bay was less than ideal – he allowed eight runs over 2 2/3 innings on 10 hits and a walk. His start before that, though, was his best of the season as he held the Cardinals to only one run over eight innings. In his one outing against Atlanta this season, it scored three runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings. The Braves have the following career numbers against him:

• Ronald Acuña Jr. 2-16, 2 BB, 4 K
• Ozzie Albies 7-13, 2 2B, 2 HR, BB, K
• Orlando Arcia 4-33, 2B, 7 BB, 6 K
• Travis d’Arnaud 1-6, BB, 2 K
• Adam Duvall 4-10, 2 HR, 5 BB, K
• Michael Harris II 3-11, 2B, 2 K
• Jarred Kelenic 1-2, K
• Matt Olson 5-21, 2B, 3B, 2 BB, 9 K
• Marcell Ozuna 11-24, 2 2B, HR, 3 BB, 3 K
• Austin Riley 2-12, 3 BB, 2 K

Opposing Lineup

1. Ronald Acuña Jr. – RF
2. Ozzie Albies – 2B
3. Austin Riley – 3B
4. Matt Olson – 1B
5. Marcell Ozuna – DH
6. Adam Duvall – LF
7. Michael Harris II – CF
8. Travis d’Arnaud – C
9. Orlando Arcia – SS

Charlie Morton has made six starts this season totaling 36 innings with a 3.50 ERA, 3.75 FIP, 1.139 WHIP and a 119 ERA+. Over his last three starts, he has allowed only four runs, 13 hits and five walks over 19 innings (1.89 ERA, 3.37 FIP). In his lone outing against the Mets this year, he gave up four runs on five hits and five walks over 5 2/3 innings. New York has the following career numbers against Morton:

• Pete Alonso 6-27, 2B, 4 BB, 7
• Harrison Bader 0-2, K
• Brett Baty 3-6, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 6-44, 3 2B, HR, 2 BB, 12 K
• Starling Marte 5-24, 2 BB, 8 K
• J.D. Martinez 13-36, 2 2B, HR, BB, 13 K
• Jeff McNeil 6-26, 3 BB, 7 K
• Omar Narváez 5-16, 2B, HR, BB, 3 K
• Tomás Nido 2-6, BB, K
• Brandon Nimmo 6-26, HR, 5 BB, 10 K
• DJ Stewart 2-7, 2 2B, 3 BB, 2 K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-4, BB, K
• Joey Wendle 6-17, 2B, BB, 5 K

Game Notes

Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Kodai Senga will throw a bullpen ahead of Friday’s game as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury he suffered during spring training. Depending on the results of the session, Senga will either throw another bullpen or set off on a rehab assignment.

Left-handed reliever Brooks Raley has been shut down after landing on the injured list in April with an elbow injury. Mendoza told reporters that Raley will be reevaluated by doctors, meaning that it’s too early to declare if he will be out for the remainder of the season.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Brandon Nimmo’s power is back! Nimmo has always been an on-base machine, but last year he added substantial power into the mix with a career-high 24 home runs. On Tuesday night, he homered for the fifth time this season, marking the second over his last two games. Both have either tied the game or given the Mets the lead. Since April 29th, in his last nine games, he has gone 10-for-32 with three doubles, three homers and eight RBIs (.313/.436/.688).
2. Vintage Jeff McNeil: The Mets have sorely missed the batting champion version of McNeil from the 2022 season. Tuesday night gave the Mets a glimpse of that version of himself, however, as he went 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored. If the Mets can get McNeil going consistently, the whole lineup will benefit.
3. The return of Zack Short. When the Mets went to Atlanta in early April, they were greeted by an old Mets hero in Luis Guillorme. On Thursday, the Braves made a couple of moves, which included sending Guillorme to the Los Angeles Angels and acquiring Zack Short from the Boston Red Sox, whom they had received via trade from New York a week prior. As a member of the Mets this year, Short went 1-for-9 over 12 plate appearances while hitting .111/.273/.111 across a total of 10 games. He appeared in two contests for the Red Sox, going 0-for-7. Does he get a revenge game against the Mets this weekend?

Let’s go Mets!

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