New York will play the first game of a doubleheader at Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon. The Mets are hoping to bounce back this weekend after losing three out of four at Atlanta, while Philadelphia is coming off a series win over Cincinnati. This story was published prior to Friday night’s series opener between these teams.
New York lost its first two games after the All-Star break, but it bounced back by winning 15 of its next 17 games. The Mets appeared to be on their way to running away with the National League East before losing three out of four at Atlanta earlier this week. They erased a 2-0 deficit and tied Thursday’s game at 2-2, but the Braves scored a late run to pick up the victory. New York is amid a brutal 10-game road trip that will conclude with a pair of games against the Yankees next week. The Mets are still in first place in the NL East, but their lead has been trimmed to 3.5 games heading into Friday’s slate.
Outta da pak for Mark!@outtadapakmark | #LGM pic.twitter.com/i1QwU8OMUw
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 19, 2022
They have been a strong offensive team, ranked fifth in the majors in batting average (.258). Shortstop Francisco Lindor leads the way with 123 hits, including 21 home runs. First baseman Pete Alonso has blasted a team-high 29 homers and has driven in 99 runs. They are facing a Philadelphia pitching staff that ranks eighth in the majors with an ERA of 3.70. New York has not officially announced its starting pitcher for this game, but right-handed reliever Trevor Williams is a likely candidate. He has pitched 65.2 innings this season, posting a 3.02 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. His most recent outing came against Philadelphia last week, throwing two scoreless innings in relief.