ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball features the New York Mets (15-7, 6-3 home) in a series rubber match against the Philadelphia Phillies (11-11, 3-6 away). The Mets were victorious in the series opener, 3-0, and the Phillies bounced back with a 4-1 triumph on Saturday.
Sunday’s first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST at Citi Field in Queens, NY. The Mets are favored (-180) in the series finale, and the over-under total is seven runs.
What to Know – Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies have worked their record back to .500 after a rough start to the season. Philadelphia was won five of its last six contests and sit four games back of the Mets in the NL East division.
Right-hander Zach Eflin (1-1, 3.20 ERA, 1.12 WHIP) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Phillies. The 28-year-old looks to build off his previous outing, where he fired six innings of one-run ball against the Colorado Rockies, picking up his first win of the season. Eflin’s tossed 19.2 innings in four appearances, allowing seven earned runs on 18 hits, four walks, with 15 strikeouts.
The Phillies’ balanced offense features a handful of elite hitters throughout the lineup. Outfielder Nick Castellanos was acquired in the offseason, and the slugger sports a .300 batting average with three home runs and 12 runs batted in through 22 games. Fellow outfielder Bryce Harper (.253 BA, 3 HRs, 14 RBI) and third baseman Alec Bohm (.308 BA, 2 HR, 14 RBI) add additional ammo to the Phillies lineup.
Philadelphia’s offense averages 4.5 runs per game and ranks 8th in the majors with a .244 team batting average. The Phillies” pitching staff ranks 21st out of 30 MLB teams with a 3.89 team earned run average.
What to Know – New York Mets
New York is right where they want and expected to be when they went out and added key pieces to their roster in the offseason. The Mets sit atop the NL East and own a two-game cushion over the Miami Marlins.
The projected starter for the Mets is right-hander Max Scherzer (3-0, 1.80 ERA, 0.76 WHIP). The eight-time All-Star is off to another all-star performance this year, limiting opponents to just two earned runs over his last three starts. Scherzer was brilliant in his last outing, scattering two hits, no runs and striking out ten in a no-decision against the Cardinals.
After a down year in 2021, shortstop Francisco Lindor is living up to his billing with four home runs and three steals through the first month of play. Designated hitter Pete Alonso continues his assault on opposing pitchers, launching four home runs for a team-high 17 RBI.
The Mets’ offense scores 4.5 runs per game and leads the majors hitting .255 as a team. New York’s arms rank 3rd in the MLB with a team ERA of 2.85.
The Pick is In
Two offensively-sound lineups face off against two solid starting pitchers in a tantalizing Sunday Night Baseball showdown. Scherzer and Eflin hold their own on the mound and limit the two offenses, leading to a low-scorer in the Big Apple.
Betting Pick: Phillies/Mets UNDER 7
