The New York Mets (5-5, 2-1 home) begin a three-game set with the San Diego Padres (6-4, 3-1 away) in a battle between two of the top teams in the National League. Both of these teams advanced to the 2022 postseason and are favorites to return to the playoffs this year.
Monday’s series-opener starts at 7:10 p.m. EST inside Citi Field in Queens, New York. The Mets are the betting favorite (-125 moneyline) and the over/under total is seven runs.
What to Know – San Diego Padres
San Diego took the final three of four games from the Atlanta Braves as the Padres continue their East Coast swing. The wins have vaulted San Diego into a tie for first place in the NL West with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
On the hill for the Friars is veteran Yu Darvish (0-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.40 WHIP). The righty will try to build on his last start where he tossed 5.0 innings one one run ball, scattering three hits, walking four and striking out three.
Darvish matched a career-best with 16 wins last season in his second season with San Diego, finishing with a 16-8 record, 3.10 ERA and 197 strikeouts over 194.2 innings.
The Padres are 19th in the majors batting .242 as a team and scoring 5.0 runs per game. San Diego’s offense has come alive over the last five outings, averaging 6.2 runs per contest.
Veteran hitter Nelson Cruz had a huge game Sunday night against the Braves, plating six runs thanks to a 3-for-4 effort including a 3-run home run that traveled 432 feet. Xander Bogaerts has fit in well with his new team, batting .324 with three home runs and eight RBIs over the first ten games.
What to Know – New York Mets
New York took two of three from the Miami Marlins over the weekend but have won only two of its last five contests. The Mets sit a game-back of the Braves in the NL East and, following this series, head out to the West Coast for a lengthy road trip.
The Mets counter on the mound with right-hander Max Scherzer (1-1, 6.35 ERA, 1.41 WHIP). The 38-year old aims to bounce back after suffering his first loss of the season last week. Scherzer has thrown 11.1 innings, surrendering eight earned runs on 12 hits and four walks and striking out eight batters.
Offensively, the Mets sit near the bottom of the league hitting only .216 as a team and scoring 3.9 runs per game. That number has ticked up over the last four contests where New York is averaging 5.5 runs.
Pete Alonso continues to hit the cover off the baseball with five home runs to begin the season. That number is tied with Bryan Reynolds for the most in the majors. Alonso is slugging .658 with a team-high 11 RBIs.
The Pick is In
Expect the offenses to take a back seat in this one with these two aces on the hill. New York has the home field and pitching advantage which gets the Mets back in the win column in the series opener.
The Pick: New York Mets ML
