Marlins at Mets
The season may be less than two weeks old, but the New York Mets have to like what their fast start means for their postseason hopes if recent history is any indication. The Mets attempt to match their longest winning streak since taking seven in a row from May 4-10, 2009, on Saturday when they host the third of four games against the Miami Marlins.
New York didn’t get a hit until the fifth inning in Friday’s 4-1
triumph, but still improved to 5-0 at Citi Field when Michael Cuddyer’s
go-ahead infield RBI single in the sixth proved to be enough for Bartolo
Colon. Furthermore, the victory was the team’s eighth over its first 11
games – the Mets’ best start since opening 9-2 in 2006 when they lost
in seven games in the National League Championship Series in their last
visit to the playoffs. One night after setting the Miami’s career home
run record, Giancarlo Stanton remained a thorn in New York’s side by
going deep for the fifth game in a row against the Mets, but the Marlins
could muster no more offense. As a result, Miami lost in New York for
the 20th time in its last 29 tries.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), WPIX (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Mat Latos (0-2, 17.36 ERA) vs. Mets RH Jacob deGrom (1-1, 1.46)
Battling
through two rain delays in Atlanta on Monday, Latos was handed his
second loss in as many turns with Miami, which acquired him in a
three-player trade with Cincinnati in December. The Virginia native
permitted three runs (two earned) over four-plus innings – a vast
improvement over his season debut at home on April 7 when he was pounded
for seven runs in two-thirds of an inning versus the Braves. Cuddyer (2-for-9) and Lucas Duda (3-for-14) have each struggled versus
Latos, who is 2-3 with a 2.54 ERA in eight all-time starts against the
Mets.
The 26-year-old deGrom rebounded from a hard-luck loss on
April 8 by scattering seven hits in 6 1/3 frames to get the win in
Monday’s 2-0 victory over Philadelphia. The reigning NL Rookie of the
Year, who gave up two runs in the first inning of his season debut, has
not allowed a runner to cross since and brings a scoreless streak of 11
1/3 innings into this outing. The Stetson product went 2-0 with a 1.67 ERA
in four starts versus the Marlins last season, opening his last start
against them on Sept. 15 with a record-tying eight strikeouts.
WALK-OFFS
1.
Stanton’s club-record tying five-game homer streak against New York
matches Hank Aaron and Ryan Howard for the longest such run by a Mets’
opponent.
2. Marlins CF Marcell Ozuna is expected to return to
the lineup Saturday after manager Mike Redmond held him out Friday. The
24-year-old is off to a 6-for-31 start this season.
3. Mets
manager Terry Collins stated that closer Jeurys Familia would likely be
unavailable Saturday after recording saves five of the last six days.