The New York Mets (42-47) are on the road to face the San Diego Padres (42-47) at Petco Park on Sunday with the three-game series even at 1-1.
The Padres evened the series 1-1 after winning 3-1 on Saturday, their second head-to-head victory in five games this season. Blake Snell threw six scoreless innings – striking out 11 – to get the win, and Josh Hader earned his 21st save with a scoreless ninth.
Matthew Batten went 1 for 2 with a home run and two RBIs in the win. Francisco Alvarez was 1 for 4 with a solo home run for the Mets.
ON THE MOUND
Max Scherzer (8-2, 4.03 ERA) is in line to start for New York. The right-hander allowed four runs over six innings in his last start, an 8-5 home win over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
He was credited with the win, yielding five hits while striking out nine and walking two. Scherzer has made one previous start against the Padres this season, a 5-0 home victory on April 10.
He allowed one hit over five scoreless innings, striking out six and walking three. RHP Joe Musgrove (7-2, 3.56 ERA) takes the mound for San Diego.
It’s his first appearance of the season against the Mets. Musgrove made one start against the Mets in 2022, throwing 5.1 innings in an 8-5 road defeat on July 24.
He gave up five hits and walked two while striking out four in the loss. In his last start on Tuesday, Musgrove got the win at home against the Angels. He threw seven innings and gave up one run on three hits, striking out 11 and walking one in the 8-5 victory.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, New York has averaged 5.4 runs a game, a small gain compared to their season average of 4.5. Against righties like Musgrove this season, the Mets have a .733 OPS.
Brandon Nimmo is the team’s best hitter against right-handers with a .823 OPS in 230 at-bats. San Diego is averaging 6.2 runs per game in the last five, up from 4.4 for the season, with a better slash line (.256/.361/.433).
The Padres have a .711 OPS against right-handers in 2023. With a .990 OPS over 207 at-bats, Juan Soto has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
New York is 22-28 away from home in 2023, scoring 4.8 runs per game while allowing 4.8 runs. San Diego has gone 24-23 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 4.4 runs per game while surrendering 3.7. In the last 10 games at Petco Park between the teams, San Diego is 6-4 with an average scoreline of 4.4-3.6.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Mets are fourth in the NL East, 18 games behind the division-leading Braves. The Padres are fourth in the NL West, nine games behind the Diamondbacks.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
SD Padres (-125)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
