Mets at Marlins
The New York Mets begin an unconventional 10-day, 11-game, five-city road trip on Friday when they play the opener of a three-game series against the Miami Marlins (47-69). The Mets (47-65) will play sets against last-place teams Miami and Baltimore, a one-game makeup tilt versus the New York Yankees as well as a five-game series at National League East-leading Philadelphia.
Brandon Nimmo improved to 5-for-8 in his last two contests after matching a team record with three doubles while driving in three runs in Wednesday's 8-0 romp over Cincinnati. The energetic 25-year-old hasn't been as fortunate when facing Miami this season, going a dismal 3-for-24 with seven strikeouts. While the Mets have shown a bit of optimism by winning three of their last five, the Marlins have lost eight of nine to find themselves occupying the cellar in the division. Miguel Rojas had an RBI single for one of his team's three hits in Wednesday's 7-1 setback to St. Louis to improve to 4-for-17 this month.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FS Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Zack Wheeler (6-6, 3.89 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Jose Urena (3-11, 4.66)
Wheeler won his career-high fourth straight start on Saturday after recording his second consecutive scoreless outing. The 28-year-old scattered three hits and struck out a season high-tying nine batters in a 3-0 victory versus Atlanta to run his scoreless innings streak to 17. Wheeler, who has kept the ball in the park in each of his last three trips to the mound (20 innings), has yielded just four runs on nine hits with 16 strikeouts en route to splitting a pair of encounters with the Marlins.
Urena yielded three homers and six runs total over five innings in an 8-3 setback at Philadelphia in his last outing. The 26-year-old Dominican has allowed at least five runs in three of his last four starts, with 12 walks in that span driving up his pitch count. Urena kept the ball in the park and only issued one free pass in his lone encounter with the Mets this season, although it ended up in a loss after he permitted three runs on five hits in as many innings of a 4-2 setback on April 9.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York CF Austin Jackson is 9-for-16 with three extra-base hits (two doubles, homer) and six RBIs in his last five games.
2. Marlins 1B Justin Bour is 5-for-33 with 12 strikeouts against the Mets this season.
3. The Marlins haven't helped themselves when playing within the division, going 15-29.