Mets at Cardinals
The up-and-down New York Mets already guaranteed themselves a losing road trip and a record at least six games under .500 at the All-Star break. The Mets will at least try to take some good feelings into the break with a win when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals for the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday.
New York (39-46) won seven of eight to flirt with the .500 mark before dropping four of the last five, including a 4-1 setback on Saturday that marked the third time in the last five games that the offense failed to generate more than two runs. The Mets went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left six on base in Saturday's setback after going 3-for-11 while pulling out a 6-5 victory in Friday's series opener. The Cardinals (41-45) bashed four home runs in Friday's loss and added another on Saturday as Paul DeJong highlighted the first four-hit game of his career with a solo blast. Attempting to keep St. Louis in the park on Sunday will be Mets left-hander Steven Matz, who goes up against Cardinals righty Lance Lynn.
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Steven Matz (2-1, 2.12 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (6-6, 3.87)
Matz is coming off consecutive scoreless outings in which he totaled 10 hits allowed in 14 innings at Miami and Washington. The 26-year-old surrendered a total of five home runs in his two previous starts but kept the ball in the park while posting eight strikeouts in the last two. Matz is making his first start against the Cardinals and is 9-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 18 career road outings.
Lynn can't seem to find the dominance that he showed in the first two months of the season but was marginally better in his last two starts, allowing a total of five earned runs in 11 1/3 innings against Arizona and Miami. The Ole Miss product was ripped for 14 runs over 10 1/3 innings in his two previous turns. Lynn is 2-3 with a 2.97 ERA in seven career games - five starts - against New York.
WALK-OFFS
1. Mets OF Brandon Nimmo was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Saturday with a partially collapsed lung.
2. St. Louis LHP Brett Cecil ran his streak of scoreless appearances to 14 with a perfect inning on Saturday.
3. New York 3B T.J. Rivera is 13-for-29 during an eight-game hitting streak.