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The MLB's current best New York Mets will host the steady Philadelphia Phillies this Sunday, May 1, at Citi Field. The game will conclude a three-game series between the National League East division rivals and will determine if the 10-10 Phillies can break above .500 or dip below it.
New York Mets superstar will face off against Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Eflin in the rubber match.
The Mets enter the weekend series as the best in the MLB. They're 14-6 with a +33 run differential. They've won three of their past four games going into this weekend and are poised to build on that momentum.
Match Details
Fixture: Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Mets
Date & Time: Sunday, May 1, 7:00 PM EDT
Venue: Citi Field, Queens, New York
Philadelphia Phillies Preview
The Philadelphia Phillies enter this weekend series against the New York Mets with a four-game winning streak behind them. They swept a four-game set with the Colorado Rockies at home and scored a total of 32 runs while doing so.
That makes for an average of eight runs per game in their last four contests. This is a phenomenal number that they probably won't be able to match against the sharp-pitching Mets.
But Philadelphia's streak will certainly give them momentum going into the series. Reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper travels to New York with 21 hits and 14 RBIs under his belt this April.
Didi Gregorious has also been enjoying a bounceback year so far. With a .311 average and .760 OPS over 45 at-bats, the 32-year-old has provided some unexpected offense for the Philadelphia Phillies this April.
Key Player: Alec Bohm
Alec Bohm's bat has come alive ever since Phillies fans mockingly cheered him when he made a successful play following three consecutive fielding errors. The game broadcast had caught Bohm saying something along the lines of "hating Philadelphia," which he owned afterwards and apologized for.
Now, he's showing Philadelphia Phillies fans that he can hit too. The 25-year-old is batting .326 with two home runs and a club-best 14 RBIs. It says a lot about the youngster that he's beating Bryce Harper for most RBIs on the team and that he has enjoyed 30 less at-bats than the superstar.
Needless to say, Phillies fans love him. One Twitter user said that Bohm's choice words, apology for them, and then subsequent improvement has been "one of [her] favourite things" about the 2022 Philadelphia Phillies. Bohm will look to keep swinging his bat against the New York Mets' stacked pitching lineup.
Philadelphia Phillies Projected Lineup
Starting pitcher: Zach Eflin (RHP)
- Jean Segura (R) 2B
- Rhys Hoskins (R) 1B
- Bryce Harper (L) DH
- Nick Castellanos (R) RF
- J.T. Realmuto (R) C
- Alec Bohm (R) 3B
- Matt Vierling (R) LF
- Didi Gregorius (L) SS
- Roman Quinn (S) CF
New York Mets Preview
The Mets waltzed back home for this weekend's series, sitting comfortably atop the National League East division with three wins.
Even without its ace, Jacob deGrom, the Mets pitching staff has played superbly. Max Scherzer carries a miniscule 1.80 ERA into Sunday's matchup while Tylor Megill and Chris Bassitt carry 2.35 and 2.35 ERAs into the weekend respectively.
Most teams hope to have one pitcher with a sub-three ERA. Including temporary starter David Peterson, the Mets have four.
The New York Mets offense has complemented their defense perfectly. Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Eduardo Escobar are all hitting above .250 this April and have combined for a total of thirty-four RBIs.
Outfielder Mark Canha is hitting .333 with 16 hits, and Starling Marte is settling into New York splendidly with 18 hits in 76 at-bats.
Key Player: Pete Alonso
Max Scherzer will hold the Philadelphia Phillies to just a few (and quite possibly to zero) runs. So, it will be up to the Mets batters to produce some offense to walk away with the win.
Who better to lead the hot Mets batting lineup than slugger Pete Alonso? He's playing with a chip on his shoulder after getting tossed around in Wednesday's brawl with the St. Louis Cardinals.
He's got more RBIs than anyone on the Phillies roster this season. Alonso will be looking to feast on some Zack Eflin fastballs on Sunday.
New York Mets Projected Lineup
Starting Pitcher: Max Scherzer (RHP)
- Brandon Nimmo (L) CF
- Starling Marte (R) RF
- Francisco Lindor (S) SS
- Pete Alonso (R) 1B
- Eduardo Escobar (S) DH
- Mark Canha (R) LF
- J.D. Davis (R) 3B
- Luis Guillorme (L) 2B
- Tomas Nido (R) C
Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Mets Prediction
Max Scherzer may struggle more than he usually does against this heavy-hitting Phillies lineup, but ultimately the Mets will come away with the win.
They are 5-2 when playing at home and the Phillies are 2-5 on the road. That's probably the biggest reason why ESPN oddsmakers give the Phillies just a 31.9% chance of winning. We predict the Mets will win Sunday's game by a score of 7-2.
But then again, this is Philly. They love playing as underdogs and they'd like nothing more than to beat the Mets at home. Let's see if Zach Eflin can lead his squad to an upset.
Where to watch the Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Mets?
Watch: ESPN, MLB TV, SNY (Mets), NBC Sports Philadelphia (Phillies).
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