The New York Mets just had a day off to pick up the rest they had to have. After a challenging 10-game road trip and 13 games in 12 days, the Mets got needed time yesterday. It should help rejuvenate them as they must keep winning.
With three consecutive series at Citi Field, they need to get back on track. The Mets are 79-46 with just a 1.5-game lead on the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.
Tonight, the Mets have their ace Jacob deGrom set to start. It is perfect as they are going up against a 54-71 Colorado Rockies team. The Mets should take care of business after dropping their last two.
For the Rockies, Ryan Feltner will be getting the start. The 25-year-old has a 2-4 record with a 5.88 ERA.
This game should be the beginning of a big winning stretch. The Mets have a favorable schedule ahead, leading to no excuses when it comes to taking this division.
- Mets could sign veteran catcher to help spell for the injured Francisco Alvarez
- The Mets are expecting a six-time all-star to join the team on Friday
- The Mets’ young catcher is set to be out for two months
Mets’ batting order:
Ideally, the day off yesterday gave the lineup, which has had some players with recent struggles, a chance to evaluate things and benefit from rest. The Mets will need all of their hitters to be at their best from here on out. Jeff McNeil and Mark Canha have certainly done their part and led the batting order lately.
Starting tonight, more is going to be needed from Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo. With Nimmo, getting back to routinely working counts and finding his way on base will be crucial. Alonso is the power bat of this lineup. He has to propel this lineup with more long balls down the stretch and provide immediate runs on the board.
Trade deadline additions Daniel Vogelbach, Tyler Naquin, and Darin Ruf have got to provide consistent pop from this point on to aid Alonso. Naquin and Ruf, in particular, have got to pick things up. Tonight, with Feltner being a right-hander, Vogelbach is likely to bat fifth in the lineup. With Canha’s recent success, it will be interesting to see if Naquin is in the lineup.
Finally, being at home should help Brett Baty. After being called up with the team at the beginning of a long road trip, he hit a tough skid. He has a natural bat the Mets need to finish on top in the NL East.
Francisco Lindor and Starling Marte have had wonderful years. Still, their best contributions yet will be needed down the home stretch this final month.
Mets’ pitching:
deGrom, who was slated to pitch Tuesday, got two extra days rest. With the busy schedule the last two weeks, on top of the rotation injuries, the starting pitching and bullpen were worn down. The day off yesterday should give the help needed.
The Mets’ top strength is their terrific starting pitching. It will have to be at its best from this point to the end of the 2022 regular season.
Starting with this four-game set with the Rockies, the Mets have got to get back to winning most series.