Just Mets

The Mets will go for a four-game sweep of the Rockies this afternoon at Citi Field at 12:10 PM.

Here is today’s starting lineup for New York:

Curtis Granderson — RF
Yoenis Cespedes — CF
Daniel Murphy — 1B
Juan Uribe — 3B
Kelly Johnson — 2B
Travis d’Arnaud — C
Michael Conforto — LF
Wilmer Flores — SS
Noah Syndergaard — RHP

Here is today’s pitching matchup:

Noah Syndergaard (6-6, 3.01 ERA) will start for the Mets.

Eddie Butler (3-9, 5.50 ERA) will start for the Rockies.

Here’s what I’m looking for from the Mets today:

Go for the jugular.

On paper, today’s game seems like a total mismatch. But this team is clearly taking nothing for granted at this point in time as they look to seize upon their weak schedule while Washington continues to play out west against some more difficult opponents in the Dodgers and the Giants this weekend.

It would be nice to see the Mets get on the board early and coast to a quick and definitive four-game sweep against the Rockies, a team they absolutely needed to beat (after they beat Washington last weekend), and they have done just that to this point in the series.

Home cooking for Noah Syndergaard.

Syndergaard has been mostly dominant at Citi Field this season, going 6-1 with a 1.57 ERA in eight starts at home. That performance has helped him ascend to the top of the Rookie of the Year race in the National League, but also has helped the club remain dominant at home, as they’re off to the best start at home in franchise history.

He was ineffective in his last start against Tampa Bay, which was on the road. He had no command of anything early and coughed up an early 3-0 lead his offense handed him immediately. So, this is a bounce back opportunity for the big right-hander this afternoon, and all of the ingredients are there for him to do just that against Colorado.

Play relentless baseball.

Again, this team does not appear to be taking anything for granted, but they should not be satisfied merely with a series win over the Rockies. They’re facing a long road trip beginning next week, so it’s important they put the pedal to the metal and win as many games as they can in a building they have been dominant in all year long. Getting one today ahead of a showdown with the Pirates this weekend would help them mitigate any trouble they run into in Baltimore, Denver and Philadelphia over the next two weeks.