The Mets (46-55, 13.0 GB in NL East) host the San Diego Padres (48-53, 17.5 GB in NL West) on Thursday at Citi Field at 12:10 p.m. for the rubber match of their three-game series.
Mets notes
Robinson Cano continued his strong play since the All-Star break on Thursday, adding an RBI to his totals (28). In his last 11 games, Cano has hit .320/ .333/ .714 ... Pete Alonso has played 100 games this season and has 33 home runs and 56 extra-base hits, those rank as the third-most and fifth-most for a player in the first 100 games in major league history, respectively. ... Relief pitchers Luis Avilan and Seth Lugo had led the way for the Mets' bullpen recently, Avilan hasn't allowed a run in six outings since returning from the IL on July 2 and Lugo has 11 strikeouts over his last eight games.
| Padres | Mets | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Tatis Jr., SS | Amed Rosario, SS | ||
| Manuel Margot, CF | JD Davis, LF | ||
| Manny Machado, 3B | Pete Alonso, 1B | ||
|
Wilson Ramos, C | ||
| Hunter Renfroe, LF | Robinson Cano, 2B | ||
| Franmil Reyes, RF | Todd Frazier, 3B | ||
| Francisco Mejia, C | Michael Conforto, RF | ||
| Luis Uria, 2B | Juan Lagares, CF | ||
| Luis Urias, LHP | Jacob, deGrom, RHP |
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Who is starting for the Mets?
RHP Jacob deGrom wraps up the series for the Mets. DeGrom starts after throwing seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts on July 19 vs. the San Francisco Giants in a 1-0 loss. Despite a 2-2 record and 3-8 record for the Mets in deGrom's last 11 starts, he has a 2.31 ERA in that stretch. DeGrom also has a 1.79 career ERA against the Padres, second-best among all active players.
Who is starting for the Padres?
The Mets will face the Padres' Eric Lauer. In his first start following a spell on the bereavement list, Lauer allowed five runs in 4.2 innings against the Cubs on July 19, including a home run and grand slam. Lauer has failed to record a win in his last six starts.
Upcoming schedule
The Mets open a three-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday in a pivotal start for RHP Zack Wheeler (6-6 overall, 4.69 ERA) as he makes his first start since returning from the IL.Dario Agrazal (2-0, 2.25) is the expected start for the Pirates at Citi Field.