Mets at Reds
The losses are piling up for the skidding New York Mets - both on and off the field. With another injury to a key player to cap off a wretched homestand that dropped the team into third place in the National League East, the Mets hit the road for a six-game road trip beginning with the first of three against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.
Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes left Sunday's 3-2 loss to Colorado due to soreness in his right quadriceps and told reporters he was unsure of his availability for the series opener in Cincinnati. Jacob deGrom was expected to start Monday for New York but was placed on the 10-day disabled list to allowed more time to rest his hyperextended elbow. The Mets were outscored 34-11 during a disastrous 0-6 homestand and have dropped 14 of their last 20 after a blistering 11-1 start to the season. Joey Votto homered among four hits and drove in four runs in Sunday's 8-5 loss to Miami, which kept Cincinnati tied with Baltimore for the worst record in the majors at 8-26.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FS Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH P.J. Conlon (NR) vs. Reds RH Homer Bailey (0-4, 4.81 ERA)
Conlon was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to make his major league debut and he'll also go into the history books, becoming the first Irish-born player to reach the bigs since 1945. With deGrom expected to start Sunday at Philadelphia, it figures to be a one-game audition for Conlon, who is 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in five starts this season. He has allowed only one homer but opponents are batting .310 against him.
Bailey endured some hard-luck losses at the outset of the season after registering three quality starts in his first four outings, but he has regressed over the past two weeks. After a pair of no-decisions, he was tagged for five runs on six hits over five innings in a loss to Milwaukee on Tuesday. Bailey, who has surrendered six homers over his last three starts, is 1-4 with a 6.49 ERA lifetime versus New York.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York was held to two runs or fewer five times on the winless homestand, including three shutouts.
2. Votto was 7-for-13 with a homer and three doubles in the three-game series versus Miami.
3. Mets SS Asdrubal Cabrera has hit safely in four straight games and eight of nine.