Nolan Arenado will be looking to extend his 16-game on-base streak as the St. Louis Cardinals (27-42) face off against the New York Mets (32-36) at Citi Field on Friday to open a three-game series.
The Cardinals are kicking off a six-game road trip after closing out a tough six-game homestand (1-5). They were just swept in three games against the Giants, dropping the finale 8-5 on Wednesday at Busch Stadium for their fifth straight loss.
Tommy Edman was 1 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs. The Mets split their last series against the Yankees, taking the finale 4-3 on Wednesday at Citi Field. Brandon Nimmo went 2 for 4 with a double and two RBIs.
The teams are meeting for the first time this season. Last season, the Mets won five of the seven games between the teams, including three out of four in their most recent meeting at Citi Field in May.
ON THE MOUND
Miles Mikolas (4-3, 4.02 ERA) is slated to start for St. Louis. The right-hander allowed five runs over six innings in his last start, an 8-4 road defeat against the Reds on Saturday. He was charged with the loss, giving up seven hits while striking out two and walking two.
Over two starts against the Mets in 2022, Mikolas was 0-1 with a 1.38 ERA over 13 innings. He had 10 strikeouts and two walks. For New York, right-hander Tylor Megill (5-4, 5.14 ERA) gets the ball.
In his last start on June 9, Megill took the loss on the road against the Pirates. He threw 3.2 innings and gave up nine runs (7 ER) on eight hits, striking out one and walking three in the 14-7 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
The St. Louis offense is averaging 4.6 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .249/.324/.421. Paul Goldschmidt leads the team in OPS at .871.
The first baseman is slashing .288/.382/.488 with 11 home runs, 31 RBIs, and 44 runs over 67 games. Against righties like Megill this season, the Cards have a .749 OPS.
Goldschmidt also is the team’s most productive hitter against right-handers with a .908 OPS in 194 at-bats. New York is slashing .240/.319/.394 for the season and averaging 4.4 runs per game. Pete Alonso leads the team with a .872 OPS.
The first baseman has 22 home runs, 49 RBIs, and 41 runs scored with a slash line of .231/.326/.546. The Mets have a .710 OPS against right-handers in 2023. With a .865 OPS over 161 at-bats, Alonso also has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
St. Louis is 14-21 in away games in 2023, scoring 3.9 runs per game while allowing 4.3 runs. New York has gone 16-13 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 4.1 runs per game while surrendering 4.3. In the last 10 games at Citi Field between the teams, St. Louis is 6-4 with an average scoreline of 6.0-5.0.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Cardinals are fifth in the NL Central, eight games behind the division-leading Pirates. The Mets are fourth in the NL East, 10 games behind the Braves.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
NY Mets (-105)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
