The Cincinnati Reds and the New York Mets meet in game one of their three-game MLB series from Citi Field on Friday night.

Reds Fall Flat In Finale Vs. Tigers

The Cincinnati Reds had a chance for a huge sweep last time out against the Tigers, but an 8-2 loss in Thursday’s series finale brought those hopes to a screeching halt. The loss dropped the Reds to 76-72 on the year, in a three-way tie for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. Spencer Steer leads the Reds with 21 home runs, 79 RBIs and 141 hits while Matt McLain has 16 home runs and Jake Fraley is right behind with 15 home runs this season. Steer also has a team-high 31 doubles while TJ Friedl has a .273 batting average and 24 stolen bases. Elly De La Cruz has 28 stolen bases this season. Hunter Greene will start for Cincinnati here and is 4-6 with a 4.43 ERA and 123 strikeouts this season.

Cincinnati Reds Team Facts

• The Reds have won eight of their last 10 games as underdogs against the Mets following a loss.
• The Reds have covered the run line in each of their last nine games as underdogs against NL East opponents following a loss.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Reds’ last four games as road underdogs against NL East opponents.
• The Reds have led after 3 innings in each of their last four road games against NL East opponents.
• The Reds have won the first inning in each of their last three games as underdogs against the Mets.

Mets Win Series Vs. D-Backs

The New York Mets aren’t mathematically eliminated, and they’re playing like they still have a shot in the Wild Card race, winning 11-1 over Arizona on Thursday to win the four-game series and improve to 68-78 on the year, sitting 7 games back in the NL Wild Card hunt. Pete Alonso leads the Mets with 44 home runs and 109 RBIs while Jeff McNeil has 144 hits with a .266 batting average. Francisco Lindor also has 26 home runs and 87 RBIs for the Mets this season as well as a team-best 33 doubles while Brandon Nimmo has a team-high 145 hits and a .267 batting average as well this season. David Peterson will start for the Mets here and is 3-8 with a 5.34 ERA and 103 strikeouts this season.

New York Mets Team Facts

• The Mets have lost each of their last eight Friday games against National League opponents that held a winning record.
• The Mets have covered the run line in each of their last seven games following a home win.
• The Mets have led after 7 innings in each of their last five home games against opponents that held a winning record.
• The Mets have led after 5 innings in each of their last six games against National League opponents.
• The Mets have led after 3 innings in each of their last three games against the Reds at Citi Field.

Matchup/League Facts

• The New York Mets rank 29th in the league for doubles this season (200).
• The New York Mets rank T27th in the league for hits this season (1153).
• The Cincinnati Reds rank 1st in the league for steals this season (170).
• The Cincinnati Reds rank 3rd in the league for triples this season (33).

Chris’ Pick

I’m going with the Reds here. I just feel like the Reds are in the better position right now and I trust Hunter Greene a lot more than I do David Peterson in a starting role. Greene’s main issue has been the long-ball, but those issues are more prevalent at home at Great American Ballpark. Greene’s ERA drops almost 2.5 runs on the road compared to his numbers at home and I think the Reds back him up and take out the Mets here.