Free MLB Picks Today: New York Mets vs San Francisco Giants 6/30/23

The San Francisco Giants (45-36) are on the road to face the New York Mets (36-45) at Citi Field on Friday for the first of a three-game series.

The Giants are in the midst of a six-game road trip. They won only one out of three in their last series against the Blue Jays, dropping the finale 2-1 on Thursday at Rogers Centre. Patrick Bailey was 2 for 4 with a double and one run.

The Mets are in the midst of a seven-game homestand. They lost three of four against the Brewers in their last series, dropping the finale 3-2 on Thursday at Citi Field. Brandon Nimmo went 1 for 2 with a solo home run and two walks. Brett Baty added a solo home run.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The teams have split their games this season 2-2, as the Giants evened the season series with a 5-4 victory in their most recent meeting on April 23 at Oracle Park.

Reliever Scott Alexander threw one scoreless inning to get the win, and Camilo Doval picked up his second save with a scoreless ninth.

ON THE MOUND

Alex Cobb (5-2, 3.09 ERA) is slated for the start for San Francisco. The RHP allowed two runs over four innings in his last start, an 11-3 road win over the Cardinals on June 13. He scattered five hits while striking out five and walking two in the no-decision.

Cobb is making his first appearance against the Mets this season. Over two starts against the Mets in 2022, Cobb was 0-1 with a 7.84 ERA over 10.1 innings. He had 11 strikeouts and no walks. For New York, right-hander Carlos Carrasco (2-3, 6.19 ERA) will toe the rubber.

It’s his first appearance of the season against the Giants. Carrasco made one start against the Giants in 2022, throwing 7.2 innings in a 6-2 home win on April 21.

He gave up four hits while striking out seven in the win. In his last start on Sunday, Carrasco took a no-decision on the road against the Phillies. He threw four innings and gave up two runs on five hits, striking out five and walking two in the 7-6 defeat.

AT THE PLATE

The San Francisco offense is averaging 4.8 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .251/.326/.412. LaMonte Wade Jr. leads the team in OPS at .873. The left fielder is slashing .284/.416/.458 with nine home runs, 27 RBIs, and 40 runs over 73 games.

Over the last five games, however, San Francisco has averaged only 2.8 runs a game while slashing worse across the board (.205/.264/.298). Against righties like Carrasco this season, the Giants have a .751 OPS.

Wade Jr. also is the team’s most productive hitter against right-handers with a .900 OPS in 194 at-bats. New York is slashing .240/.317/.398 for the season and averaging 4.4 runs per game.

Nimmo leads the team with a .835 OPS. The left fielder has 11 home runs, 39 RBIs, and 45 runs scored with a slash line of .283/.375/.459.

The Mets have a .715 OPS against right-handers in 2023. With a .841 OPS over 208 at-bats, Nimmo also has been their best hitter against right-handers.

HOME AND AWAY

San Francisco is 22-17 in away games in 2023, scoring 5.4 runs per game while allowing 4.2 runs. New York has gone 18-18 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 4.1 runs per game while surrendering 4.2. The teams have split their last 10 meetings at Citi Field, though San Francisco has the scoring advantage with an average final margin of 3.8-3.7.

STANDINGS UPDATE

The Giants are third in the NL West, two games behind the division-leading Diamondbacks. The Mets are fourth in the NL East, 17 games behind the Braves.