Mets at Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Mets are both sitting in second place in their respective National League divisions and looking to move up, though neither of them appears to be at the top of their game. The Pirates will be looking to win for only the second time in seven contests when they host the Mets in the opener of a three-game series on Monday.
Pittsburgh was on the verge of a series win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday before squandering a three-run lead and absorbing a 5-4 loss. The Mets are coming off their own one-run defeat – 1-0 at Miami – and are losers of five of their past eight to fall two games behind the Washington Nationals in the NL East. New York is averaging just 2.6 runs in the past eight games while scoring just eight times in the five losses over that span. The Pirates aren’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard but did show some signs of breaking out with a total of 12 runs on Saturday and Sunday, and Jung Ho Kang is 6-for-16 with two home runs, three doubles and four RBIs in four games this month to lead the Pittsburgh attack.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), ROOT (Pittsburgh)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Steven Matz (7-1, 2.60 ERA) vs. Pirates LH Jonathon Niese (5-2, 4.36)
Matz had a streak of seven straight winning starts come to an end when he was reached for three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings without factoring in the decision against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. The 25-year-old walked two batters in that start, matching his total from the previous four outings. Matz is enjoying a 1.51 ERA over his last eight starts and will be making his first career appearance against Pittsburgh.
Niese was drafted by New York in 2005 and stayed with the organization until being shipped to the Pirates over the winter in the deal that landed second baseman Neil Walker with the Mets. Niese got off to a rough start but is settling in nicely with his new team and allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last four outings. The 29-year-old was held out of the decision at Miami on Wednesday, when he was charged with two runs on six hits and three walks in five innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Walker is batting .279 with 13 home runs for the Mets and is operating out of the cleanup spot in the order with Lucas Duda and David Wright on the disabled list.
2. Pirates LF Starling Marte is 7-for-12 with three runs scored, a homer and two RBIs in the last three games.
3. New York OF Yoenis Cespedes (hip) was limited to pinch-hitting duty on Sunday and is day-to-day.