2020-08-17 19:10:00 EDT
The New York Mets and the Miami Marlins meet Monday in MLB action from Marlins Park.
The Mets are coming out of a weekend set versus the Phillies. New York fell in the first two games, 6-5 Friday and 6-2 Saturday. In the Sunday finale, the Mets came up short with a 6-2 loss and were swept. Over on the Marlins’ side, they played the Braves this past weekend. Miami won Friday 8-2 but fell in the Saturday game 2-1. On Sunday in the rubber match, the Marlins took a shutout loss 4-0. Check back all season long for free MLB picks and MLB predictions at Sports Chat Place.
The Mets allowed 14 hits to the Phillies in the Sunday loss, and committed a pair of errors. Robinson Cano managed a double, two hits and a run offensively. Starting pitcher Rich Porcello took the loss on 6.0 innings, 10 hits, four earned, one homer allowed and six strikeouts.
For the Monday starting pitcher role, the Mets will go with right-hander Robert Gsellman. Over two games (one start) and no decisions this season, Gsellman has a 9.00 ERA with three strikeouts in 3.0 innings of work. On his MLB career, Gsellman is 20-15 with a 4.49 ERA and 257 Ks in 311.0 innings overall.
Over on the Marlins’ side, they were flummoxed all game by Atlanta pitching on Sunday. Miami came up with just two hits, and struck out 11 times as a team. Starting pitcher Elieser Hernandez did well with 5.0 innings, three hits and nine strikeouts to his credit.
In the Monday starting role, Miami will send out Jordan Yamamoto. So far in 2020 Yamamoto doesn’t have a decision, and holds a 9.82 ERA with nine strikeouts in 7.1 innings over two starts. Yamamoto has a career 4.92 ERA in 17 starts with a 4-5 record and 91 Ks in 86.0 innings.
The Mets are 20-7 in their last 27 games as a road favorite and 43-19 in their last 62 games as a favorite. New York is 2-5 in their last seven games overall and 2-5 in their last seven games versus the National League East.
Meanwhile, the Marlins are 4-1 in their last five during game one of a series and 8-17 in their last 25 versus a team with a losing record. Miami is 31-68 in their last 99 versus the National League East and 2-5 in their last seven games overall.
Pick: I’m leaning Miami here, but it’s a close one. The Mets are currently in the process of stretching Gsellman out into starter innings, but it’ll be a little while before everything plays out. Currently Gsellman is good at about 50 pitches per outing, and he’ll need to show some potential for more length here. Yamamoto is in something of the same boat and probably won’t go past a few innings. Keeping that in mind, this will be an important bullpen game and I trust the Marlins a little more in that capacity.
