Two teams with disappointing starts to their season start a home and home, four-game series. The New York Mets travel to Boston to face the Red Sox as both teams come in at 1-2. Each team lost their opening series to the Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles, respectively, and are dealing with starting rotation issues.
Probable Pitching Matchups
7/27 @ 7:35 p.m. ET: Michael Wacha (Season Debut) vs. Josh Osich (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
7/28 @ 7:30 p.m. ET: TBD vs. Matt Hall (Season Debut)
As the Mets prepare for their first road trip, Michael Conforto says guys are packing their Playstations and Xboxes since they can't go out to big group meals, etc.
"There's a lot of Call of Duty players on this team," Conforto said.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 26, 2020
The first 17 innings of the Mets season looked very promising. Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz dominated the Braves offense, and the offense provided just enough support to give them a lead. All it took was one Edwin Diaz fastball to turn things around for the Braves. Starting with a Marcell Ozuna home run, the Braves outscored the Mets 18-2 in the final 11 innings of the series.
Wacha Debut
Rick Porcello struggled in his Mets debut, and Wacha hopes to answer the questions surrounding their starting rotation. He once was a promising young pitcher with the Cardinals, but the veteran is trying to revive his career with the Mets. Wacha pitched exceptionally well during summer camp and is hoping to ride the momentum through the rest of the 60-game season.
Wacha’s outing will have a lot on determining Tuesday’s starting pitcher. Since Corey Oswalt pitched in Sunday’s loss, signs indicated a bullpen game for Tuesday if Wacha gives the Mets 5-6 good innings. David Peterson remains an option for the Mets, but they have to remove someone from the 40-man roster to make room for him.
Struggling Offense
The Mets only scored five runs over the first three games. Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo are the only players who looked game ready at the plate. The rest of the Mets are still getting their timing and swings back into mid-season form. The Red Sox allowed seven runs in back to back losses and have a pitching staff in worse shape than the Mets. This would be a great opportunity for the Mets to kick start their offense.
One thing to look out for is what happens if the Mets have a lead late in the game. Edwin Diaz already has a blown save on the season, and the leash is extremely short, especially with the Mets starting slow. Another thing to look out for is the bat of Robinson Cano. The veteran is a career .335 hitter at Fenway Park. His 15 home runs are tied for second-most at any road ballpark for Cano.