Two of the NL's most disappointing 2023 teams will battle four times, with the New York Mets (55-66) taking on the St. Louis Cardinals (54-66; before Wednesday's game) this weekend. These teams played three times in June, with the Cardinals taking two in Queens. This time, the series is in Busch Stadium, as part of St. Louis' home stand. Thursday at 7:15 p.m. EDT, the Mets and Cardinals will duke it out on a national stage. Here's a look at what lies ahead.
After a modest 5-5 homestand, the Mets will begin a seven-game road swing with this contest. Their away record is an ugly 24-38, thanks to a collective staff ERA just under 5.00 as the visiting team. Jose Quintana, a 2022 Cardinal who has been injured for most of this year, will try to provide better results. Unfortunately, his first five starts with the Mets have ended with losses, four of which were handed to him by decision. However, the lefty hasn't pitched poorly at all, allowing only 11 runs (10 earned) over those 29.2 innings. Quintana has given manager Buck Showalter at least 5.0 innings and held each opponent to three or fewer runs so far. It's on the rest of the team, such as a reliever group with a negative WAR, to give him some support.
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— New York Mets (@Mets) August 16, 2023
It'll be on the offense to score some runs too, although that hasn't been an issue since getting shut out on Saturday night. In the four games since then, the Mets have crossed the plate 26 times (6.5 per game) and tallied at least four runs in each game. It's a nice run for a team that's 19th in runs per game this season. Ranking top 10 in strikeout rate, walk rate, and home runs, the Mets have mastered the three true outcomes. However, without getting hits often, it's difficult to score consistently. Considering that the team is 25th in batting average, their struggles make sense.
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