Phillies at Mets
The New York Mets look to continue their dominance in the series when they host the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday in the opener of a two-game set, shortened by Monday’s postponement due to snow. The Mets have won the last six season series with the Phillies after taking 12 of 19 contests last year and they beat the St. Louis Cardinals in two of three at home to open 2018.
New York scored 15 times to win the first two games before losing 5-1 on Sunday and center fielder Juan Lagares has led the way with five hits in nine at-bats, while Yoenis Cespedes hit safely in all three games with four RBIs. Matt Harvey hopes for a healthy season as he takes the mound for the Mets on Tuesday against Ben Lively in a battle of right-handers who were both scheduled to pitch Monday. The Phillies dropped two of three at Atlanta to open the season and gave up 27 runs total to the Braves, including a 15-2 loss on Saturday before taking a much-needed day off after using 22 pitchers in their first series. Last year’s rookie sensation Rhys Hoskins has picked up where he left off with five hits, including two doubles and a homer, in 10 at-bats over the first three contests.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SNY (New York), NBCS Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Ben Lively (2017: 4-7, 4.26 ERA) vs. Mets RH Matt Harvey (2017: 5-7, 6.70)
Lively posted quality starts in five of his first six outings in the major leagues after being recalled last June, including 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball in a tough loss at New York on June 30. The 26-year-old Florida native allowed five runs in 19 1/3 frames spread over three solid matchups with the Mets on the season. Jose Reyes has a triple and a homer against Lively, who posted a 3.13 ERA in six Grapefruit League appearances to earn a spot in the rotation.
A broken bone in his shoulder limited Harvey - who missed all of 2014 and much of 2016 because of injury - to 19 games (18 starts) last year, as he sat out all of July and August. The one-time All-Star returned to go 1-4 with an 11.28 ERA in six appearances in September, ending the season with a loss at Philadelphia in which he was tagged for four runs in four frames. Maikel Franco is 3-for-8 with two homers against Harvey, who is 7-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 11 career starts versus the Phillies.
WALK-OFFS
1. Philadelphia’s rookie INF/OF Scott Kingery has registered two hits in each of his first two major-league games, including a pair of doubles.
2. New York 2B Asdrubal Cabrera is 4-for-9 over the last two games and batted .406 with four homers and 13 RBIs against the Phillies in 2017.
3. Monday’s game was rescheduled for July 9 as part of a single-admission doubleheader that opens a four-game series.