Mets at Phillies
Jay Bruce struggled after being acquired last summer, but as his New York Mets visit the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, the right fielder is off to a good start in 2017. Bruce slugged his third homer in seven games during Monday’s 4-3 victory in the series opener, finishing 2-for-3 to raise his average to .304 while scoring three runs and driving in three others.
That is a far cry from the .219 average Bruce produced in 50 games after Cincinnati dealt him to the Mets at last year’s trade deadline. The Phillies, who pounded out 27 runs in three games against Washington over the weekend, were held scoreless after the first inning on Monday until rookie Brock Stassi belted a solo homer in the ninth for his first major-league hit. Odubel Herrera finished 1-for-4 after reaching base in 13 of his first 27 plate appearances and is hitting .346 entering Tuesday’s contest. Philadelphia’s bullpen allowed two earned runs in two innings Monday, raising its ERA to 5.24 through seven games.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), CSN Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Matt Harvey (1-0, 2.70 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Clay Buchholz (0-0, 7.20)
Harvey’s first start since last July went according to plan as he recorded a victory over Atlanta on Friday after allowing two runs and three hits in 6 2/3 innings. While Harvey’s velocity coming off thoracic outlet syndrome surgery was concerning in spring training, he hit the mid-90s with his fastball in the opener and effectively mixed it with a slider and change-up. Harvey is 6-2 with a 2.65 ERA in nine career starts against the Phillies.
Buchholz did not receive a decision in his debut for Philadelphia on Thursday after allowing four runs and eight hits in five innings of a loss at Cincinnati. The 32-year-old went 8-10 with a 4.78 ERA in 37 games (21 starts) for Boston last season, a disappointment considering he posted a 3.26 ERA in 18 starts in 2015. Buchholz uses a number of different pitches but threw the cutter nearly 25 percent of the time on Thursday.
WALK-OFFS
1. Philadelphia committed its first two errors of the season on Monday.
2. New York closer Addison Reed, filling in for the suspended Jeurys Familia, gave up a run and two hits in the ninth inning of the series opener but still notched his second save.
3. The Mets have recorded just 15 hits in their last three games but have won two of those contests.