Orioles at Mets
The New York Mets have seen their bats go quiet since the start of May, as they've scored two runs or fewer on 15 occasions in that span. After mustering a total of six runs over 41 innings during a four-game sweep by the Chicago Cubs, the Mets look to ignite their sputtering offense on Tuesday in the opener of an abbreviated two-game interleague series versus the visiting Baltimore Orioles.
The Mets collected just three hits during Sunday's 2-0 setback to the Cubs, wasting yet another strong performance from a starting pitching rotation that has recorded a 2.48 ERA in its last 16 games - albeit with the club posting a 5-11 mark in that stretch. New York's offense could receive a boost with the potential return of Todd Frazier (five homers, 21 RBIs), who is expected to be activated from the 10-day disabled list following a hamstring injury. The Orioles, who are in the midst of a seven-game skid, also struggled with their offense to the tune of scoring three runs or fewer in 12 of their last 14 games. "I'm professionally frustrated, I guess. All that time and effort, all the stuff we put into offseasons and spring training and stuff like that, right now it's not working," said outfielder Adam Jones, who has five multi-hit performances in his last eight games.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Alex Cobb (1-7, 6.80 ERA) at Mets LH Jason Vargas (2-3, 8.53)
Cobb's disastrous season continued on May 28 after he allowed a three-run homer to spoil an otherwise solid seven-inning effort in a 6-0 setback versus Washington. The 30-year-old has been taken deep five times in his last four outings and nine times in as many starts this season after permitting 22 in 29 trips to the mound in 2017. Cobb was blitzed for six runs in 6 2/3 innings in his lone career start versus New York in 2012, although the current crop of Mets collectively is batting 12-for-64 with 20 strikeouts against the hurler.
Vargas has shown signs of turning his season around by sandwiching five scoreless innings of two-hit ball around a five-run effort over three frames in a loss at Milwaukee on May 26. The 35-year-old earned another start after scattering two hits against Atlanta on short rest four days later. Jones (.172), Chris Davis (.188) and Manny Machado (.200) have struggled versus Vargas, who owns just a 2-4 mark in nine career starts against the Orioles despite posting a 2.23 ERA and 1.06 WHIP while limiting the club to a .223 batting average.
WALK-OFFS
1. Machado has highlighted his seven-game hitting streak with three homers in his last four contests.
2. New York SS Asdrubal Cabrera is mired in a 1-for-19 stretch in his last five games.
3. Baltimore LF Trey Mancini is 2-for-27 in his last eight contests.