The Mets play the first game of their three-game series against the Braves tonight at 7:10 PM at Citi Field.
Here is tonight’s starting lineup for New York:
Curtis Granderson – RF
Juan Lagares – CF
Michael Cuddyer – 1B
Wilmer Flores – SS
John Mayberry Jr. – LF
Dilson Herrera – 2B
Eric Campbell – 3B
Anthony Recker – C
Bartolo Colon – RHP
Here is tonight’s pitching matchup:
Bartolo Colon (8-4, 4.52 ERA) will start for the Mets.
Key matchups vs Colon:
Freddie Freeman: 7-for-16, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K
Jonny Gomes: 8-for-24, 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 3 RBI, 5 K
A.J. Pierzynski: 14-for-53, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 K
Alex Wood (4-3, 3.36 ERA) will start for the Braves.
Key matchups vs Wood:
Michael Cuddyer: 3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI
Juan Lagares: 3-for-15, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 4 K
John Mayberry Jr: 3-for-14, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 K
Here is what I am looking for from the Mets tonight:
Bartolo Colon hitting his spots.
Bartolo Colon has always been a prolific strike thrower, but it’s his command within the strike zone that is the key to his game. His fastball has a ton of movement on it, so it will be important for him to hit the corners tonight, rather than have that ball leak over the middle of the plate where it can be hit. Colon is 2-0 against the Braves in two starts this season with a 4.15 ERA.
Consistency on offense.
Since being no-hit on Tuesday, the Mets offense has looked better, scoring a total of 10 runs in their last two games. It will be key for this team, without Travis d’Arnaud or Lucas Duda in the lineup tonight, to string some hits together and put some runs on the board. The key to this team’s success is their pitching, but for them to win games, they need to score runs–obvious statement of the year, I know. Mayberry Jr. had a big game in his last start over the weekend in Arizona, going 4-for-5 with a home run, so perhaps he can provide some pop in a spot start tonight.
Just Mets 