Game Chat: Mets vs. Phillies, 4:08 p.m

Friday, October 5, 2024 • 4:08 p.m
Citizens Bank Park • Philadelphia, PA
RHP Kodai Senga (1-0, 3.38) vs. RHP Zack Wheeler (16-7, 2.57)
FOX Sports 1 (FS1)

The New York Mets look to continue their incredible run this afternoon in Philadelphia! On Thursday night, the Mets did the unlikely. Pete Alonso launched a three-run home run in the top of the ninth to take the Mets from defeat to victory in a single moment. For the Mets, it has become their calling card — their ability to turn the momentum of a game around in a single moment.

Now the Mets return to Citizens Bank Park, a park where they lost a three-game series in mid-September but came out strong in the first game, beating the Phillies 11-3. Get the rally pumpkins ready, it's October baseball time!

Kodai Senga. Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Mets lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Mark Vientos – 3B
3. Brandon Nimmo –LF
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. Jose Iglesias – 2B
6. Jesse Winker – DH
7. Starling Marte – RF
8. Tyrone Taylor – C.F
9. Francisco Alvarez – C

What a surprise for the New York Mets tonight! Kodai Senga was recovering from a calf injury after starting in July. He suffered a setback in September that changed his status to “Maybe in the postseason?” He's ready to go this afternoon and he says he can throw between 10 and 200 pitches. In his only start this season, he allowed just two runs on two hits over 5 1/3 innings against the Braves while striking out nine batters. Last season, Senga had a spectacular start (seven innings, one hit, no runs) and a not-so-spectacular start (four runs, two earned, 5 1/3 innings) against the Phillies. The Phillies have the following career numbers against him:

• Alec Boehm 1-5, K
• Nick Castellanos 1-6, 2 K
• Kody Clemens 1-2 K
• Bryce Harper 1-2, BB, K
• Brandon Marsh 1-4, 2B, K
• JT Realmuto 0-4, BB, 2 K
• Kyle Schwarber 0-6, 4 K
• Edmundo Sosa 0-2
• Bryson Stott 1-5, K
• Trea Turner 0-5, BB, K

Opposing formation

1. Kyle Schwarber – DH
2. Trea Turner – SS
3. Bryce Harper – 1B
4. Nick Castellanos – RF
5. Alec Bohm – 3B
6. Bryson Stott – 2B
7. JT Realmuto – C
8. Brandon Marsh – LF
9. Johan Rojas – C.F

The Mets will face an old friend in Zack Wheeler tonight. In 32 games this season, his third season in his last four in which he started 32 games, he threw 200 innings with a 2.57 ERA, a 3.13 FIP, a league-leading WHIP of 0.955, and an ERA+ of 158. He has been outstanding in his last four starts, allowing seven runs over 26 1/3 innings (2.39 ERA, 2.75 FIP). That includes a start against the Mets where he allowed two runs over seven innings on September 22, a game the Mets won 2-1. The Mets have the following career numbers against Wheeler:

• Luisangel Acuna 1-3
• Pete Alonso 10-34, 2 2B, 2 BB, 9 K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-2, BB, K
• Jose Iglesias 5-12, 2B, 2K
• Francisco Lindor 8-29, 2B, 3B, HR, 6K
• Starling Marte 7-23, 2B, 3B, BB, 4K
• Brandon Nimmo 13-44, 3 2B, 3B, 2 HR, BB, 7 K
• Tyrone Taylor 2-6, 2B, K
• Mark Vientos 2-6, 2B, K
• Jesse Winker 0-10, 2 BB

Game notes

• The Mets will play in the Division Series for the first time since 2015. Overall, it is her ninth appearance in the series. The Mets are 12-4 all-time in the series.
• The Mets will face the Phillies in the postseason for the first time in franchise history. The Mets are 2-4 against the NL East in the postseason. The last time the Mets faced a division opponent was in 1999 when they faced the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS.
• Kodai Senga will be taking the plunge for the second time this season. He made one start on July 26 against Atlanta and allowed two earned runs on two hits with one walk and struck out nine over 5.1 innings. He strained his left calf at the end of the start and has been on the 60-day IL since then. He made 30 MLB starts in his career, going 13-7 with a 2.99 ERA (57 ER/171.2 IP) with 78 walks and 211 strikeouts. He is 1-1 with a 1.46 ERA (2 ER/12.1 IP) in two career starts against the Phillies.

Three things to pay attention to

1. Calm vs. momentum. Last season, three 100-win teams were all eliminated in the divisional round, leading to a dispute over the extra rest time the division winners received, allowing them to edge out the teams that passed the wild-card round. The Phillies have had plenty of time since last Sunday to rest, reshape their lineup, etc. The Mets had an additional doubleheader and were the only team to play a three-game wild card series. If the Phillies are rusty, the Mets need to get on them early. If the Mets are tired, the Phillies need to steal the Mets' momentum early.
2. Mets pitching. We expect Senga to make a short trip, followed by Peterson or Megill. Peterson got off to a great start against the Brewers at the end of the season, holding them to one run over seven innings, then finished Thursday's game by allowing one hit and nothing else over an inning. His two starts before the Brewers were against the Phillies, where he allowed five runs over 3 2/3 innings at Citi Field and held the Phillies to one run over 7 2/3 innings at CBP. Tylor hasn't pitched since Monday's doubleheader, in which he allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings. He previously allowed one run over four innings against the Phillies.
3. Big hits from the big bats. Both the Mets and Phillies have hitters who can change a game in a moment. For the Phillies, Kyle Schwarber is a home run hitting machine. Between Nick Castellanos and Bryce Harper, there is plenty of power in the lineup. The Mets have their own leadoff home run power in Francisco Lindor. Pete Alonso has had the biggest change of his life. Mark Vientos was a revelation. In the regular season, the Mets hit 207 home runs and the Phillies hit 198 (6th and 7th in the league, respectively).

Let's go, Mets!