Tuesday, August 13, 2024 • 7:10 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Joe Boyle (2-5, 7.16) vs. RHP Paul Blackburn (5-2, 3.86)
SNY

The Mets will look to end their three-game losing streak when they host the Oakland Athletics tonight at Citi Field. The Mets are coming off an intense road trip that has seen them play Anaheim, St. Louis, Denver and Seattle without a break. They took a much-needed physical and mental break on Monday and are fresh heading into this series.

The Mets are a full game behind the Braves and hold the final wild card spot. The Diamondbacks and Padres are each five games ahead of the Mets. For the Mets, these are two important weeks with a home game followed by a west coast trip to San Diego and Arizona.

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Mets lineup

1. Francisco Lindor, SS
2. Brandon Nimmo, LF
3. Jesse Winker, RF
4. Pete Alonso, 1B
5. JD Martinez, DH
6. Jeff McNeil, 2B
7. Jose Iglesias, 3B
8. Francisco Alvarez, C
9. Harrison Bader, CF

Paul Blackburn has been solid for the Mets since coming over from Oakland. In his first two starts, he allowed three runs, two earned, and struck out 11 hits in 12 innings while posting 12 strikeouts (small sample: 1.50 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 1.250 WHIP, and 271 ERA+). Overall, he has a 3.86 ERA, 4.40 FIP, 1.175 WHIP, and 105 ERA+ for 2024. Blackburn made his major league debut with the Athletics and played only for the Athletics until the Mets signed him, so this is his first game against his original team. Abraham Toro is the only member of the Athletics roster to face him in a major league game (3-for-7, 3B, K).

Opponent formation

1. Lawrence Butler, RF
2. Brent Rooker, DH
3. JJ Bleday, CF
4. Miguel Andujar, LF
5. Shea Langeliers, C
6. Seth Brown, 1B
7. Zack Gelof, 2B
8. Darell Hernaiz, 3B
9. Max Schümann, SS

Joe Boyle will start for the Athletics tonight. In seven starts, he has thrown 27 2/3 innings with a 7.16 ERA, 5.09 FIP, 1.735 WHIP and 57 ERA+. He hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since May 5, when he allowed four runs on one hit and three walks in one inning. In Las Vegas, he has a 5.63 ERA in 38 1/3 innings (12 games, 11 starts) this season.

Game Notes

• Starling Marte continues to make progress in his rehab assignment and is moving to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets. The RF has been out since late June with a right bone injury and could be ready to play sometime during this home game.
• Manager Carlos Mendoza noted that Mark Vientos, who is struggling with ankle pain, will be available as a substitute today and should be in the squad on Wednesday.

Three things to look out for

1. Runner in goal position. The Mets are hitting with RISP, which is the key factor in seeing if the team can get out of its collective slump. On Sunday night, they went 0-for-8 overall with RISP, an improvement from Saturday when they didn’t even put a runner in scoring position. All it takes is one good bounce back and the albatross will vanish into thin air.
2. Francisco Lindor. Lindor is the club’s leadoff hitter right now. On Sunday, he had his second straight two-hit game, hitting his 29th double of the season. Since August 3, he has hit 13 of 39 at-bats with two doubles, posting a batting average of .333/.366/.385. He has hit just four times, a sign of the club’s current lack of offense.
3. I’m Pete Alonso. Alonso started the Mets tour pretty well, hitting 8 for 25 with three home runs and five walks (.320/.452/.680). The only red flag was 11 strikeouts. Alonso had a series to forget in Seattle, hitting 0 for 11 with one walk and six strikeouts. Let’s hope the old Pete comes back to Citi Field!

Let’s go, Mets!