The series finale between the San Francisco Giants (7-13, 3-6 home) and the New York Mets (14-8, 10-6 away) is ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball contest this week. New York won the first two games of the four-game set, with the Giants picking up a victory yesterday to have a chance to even the series.
The nationally televised event begins at 7:00 p.m. EST inside Oracle Park in San Francisco, California. New York is the betting favorite (-125 moneyline), and the over/under total is nine runs.
What to Know – New York Mets
With Saturday’s defeat, the Mets broke a three-game winning streak but have won eight of their last ten games. New York returns home for the first time since April 22nd following the completion of Sunday’s matchup. The Mets are a half-game back of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East standings.
The expected starter for New York is right-hander Tylor Megill (3-1, 3.00 ERA, 1.43 WHIP). Megill has looked good in his first four trips to the mound, holding opponents to three earned runs or less in each start. The 27-year-old has pitched 21.0 innings, surrendering seven earned runs on 19 hits and 11 walks with 17 strikeouts.
New York ranks 18th in the MLB with a .242 team batting average and scoring 4.9 runs per game. The pitching staff for the Mets is 14th in the majors showcasing a 4.10 team earned run average.
Pete Alonso is tied for first in the majors with ten home runs and third in the league with 23 runs batted in. Francisco Lindor is only hitting .220 over the first month of the season but has added 17 RBIs and 17 runs scored.
What to Know – San Francisco Giants
San Francisco has struggled out of the gate as the organization rebuilds the roster. The Giants have only won three times over their last ten games and have fallen to fourth place in the NL West.
Right-hander Ross Stripling (0-1, 7.30 ERA, 1.46 WHIP) makes his second start of the season for San Francisco. Stripling has appeared in four contests, including three out of the bullpen. The 33-year-old has struggled with home runs this year, coughing up six in 12.1 innings of work.
On offense, the Giants are 21st in the league hitting .235 as a team and plating 4.5 runs per outing. San Francisco’s pitching staff ranks 18th amongst league teams with a 4.51 team ERA.
The numbers aren’t pretty for the San Francisco offense, with only three players logging double-digit RBI numbers. J.D. Davis leads the pack with four home runs and 13 RBIs, backed by a .306 team batting average. Thairo Estrada is hitting a team-high .329 with 15 runs scored.
The Pick is In
New York is trending in the right direction, and Alonso and the Mets should feast off the Giants’ pitching. The Mets blow this one up open early and never look back.
The Pick: New York Mets -1.5
