Game Chat: Mets vs Cubs, 2:20 PM

Saturday, June 22, 2024 • 2:20 PM
Wrigley Field • Chicago, IL
RHP Tylor Megill (2-3, 3.52) vs. RHP Jameson Taillon (3-3, 3.08)
SNY

The Mets look to secure another series victory this afternoon as they take on the Cubs for game two of their series. The Mets trounced the Cubs on Friday afternoon 11-1 powered by home runs from J.D. Martinez, Francisco Alvarez, and Brandon Nimmo. This lopsided Mets win has shifted their run differential on the season to +3, making them one of four teams chasing the last two wild card spots with a positive run differential (out of nine teams total).

With the Padres, Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Nationals, Mets, and Reds all winning yesterday, the Mets remain one game out of both the second and third Wild Card spots. The Cubs now fall to two games out. There’s a lot of competition in a very tight field. Right now teams are evaluating whether they are buyers or sellers – should be a fun couple of weeks!

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Brandon Nimmo – LF
3. J.D. Martinez – DH
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. DJ Stewart – LF
6. Starling Marte – RF
7. Francisco Alvarez – C
8. Jeff McNeil – 2B
9. Jose Iglesias – 3B

Tylor Megill has tossed 30 2/3 innings over six starts this season with a 3.52 ERA, 2.62 FIP, 1.304 WHIP, and a 110 ERA+. He’s coming off of a good start against the Padres where he held them to two runs over five innings from five hits and two walks. Despite the low FIP, his xERA is a bit higher than his actual ERA, sitting at 4.12. The Cubs have the following career numbers against him:

• Cody Bellinger 1-2, K
• Ian Happ 0-2, K
• Nico Hoerner 1-3
• Christopher Morel 0-1, BB
• Seiya Suzuki 1-1, HR, BB
• Dansby Swanson 2-10, BB, 5 K
• Patrick Wisdom 0-2, 2 K

Opposing Lineup

1. Nico Hoerner – 2B
2. Michael Busch – 1B
3. Cody Bellinger – RF
4. Seiya Suzuki – DH
5. Ian Happ – LF
6. Christopher Morel – 3B
7. Dansby Swanson – SS
8. Pete Crow-Armstrong – CF
9. Tomás Nido – C

Jameson Taillon has made 11 starts (61 1/3 innings) in 2024 with a 3.08 ERA, 4.01 FIP, 1.321 WHIP, and 135 ERA+. He had a more average stretch of games from mid-May to early-June where he posted a 5.91 ERA over 21 1/2 innings. Since then he has allowed two runs over 12 innings while striking out eight. Against the Mets in April, he held the Mets to one run from four hits over 7 1/3 innings in a game the Cubs won 3-1. The Mets have the following career numbers against Jameson:

• Pete Alonso 1-6, HR
• Harrison Bader 2-15, BB, 3 K
• Jose Iglesias 6-8, 2 2B, HR
• Francisco Lindor 2-10, 2 K
• Starling Marte 0-2, K
• J.D. Martinez 5-21, 2B, HR, BB, 6 K
• Jeff McNeil 2-6, K
• Brandon Nimmo 1-5, HR, BB
• DJ Stewart 0-2, BB, K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-8, 2B, 2 K
• Mark Vientos 0-5, K

Game Notes

• The Mets are 8-1 over their last nine games. The Mets are batting .304/.376/.528 with 20 doubles, 17 home runs, 33 walks, and a 904 OPS in that span. New York has posted a 2.81 ERA (25 ER/80.0 IP) in that period with 25 walks and 78 strikeouts. The Mets have outscored their opponents 66-28 over the last nine games.
• Francisco Alvarez is on a four-game hitting streak, batting .500 (8-16) with two runs, one double, one home run, five RBI, and two walks with a .556 OBP and a .750 SLG. He is batting .271/.319/.400 with 10 runs, five doubles, two home runs, 15 RBI, six walks, and a .719 OPS in 23 games this year. The Mets are 19-7 when Alvarez plays. This includes an 8-2 record since he returned from the IL.
• The Mets entered June with a -35 run differential. After scoring 108 runs this month, the Mets now have a +3 run differential.

Three Things To Watch For

1. OMG, Jose Iglesias. Iglesias went 4-for-5 at the plate yesterday recording six RBI’s. He hasn’t recorded an RBI since June 5th where he had three in his first five games as a Met. He’s been cruising as a Met hitting a smooth .438/.486/.500 over 12 games with a 190 OPS+. Against Taillon he is 6-for-8 lifetime, is he going to do something else today that makes the Mets players sing Oh My God?
2. The bullpen is rested. Between the off-day and a couple of good starting pitching performances, the Mets bullpen is fairly rested. Adam Ottavino tossed 44 pitches Friday working into and out of trouble and Drew Smith worked for a second straight game to get positive momentum after his performance on Wednesday. The result is that Jake Diekman, Edwin Díaz, and Reed Garrett haven’t pitched in the last three calendar days. Adrian Houser and Sean Reid-Foley tossed 13 and 18 pitches respectively on Wednesday.
3. Does the top of the Mets lineup deliver again? Success for the Mets yesterday came early with Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, and J.D. Martinez setting the table. Together they went 7-for-13 with seven runs scored, six RBIs a walk, a double, and two home runs. Video game numbers really.

Let’s go Mets!

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