Two teams that clearly don't like each other will square off when the New York Mets host the St. Louis Cardinals for their third game in two days.
They split yesterday's doubleheader with a 3-1 win by the home side and a 4-3 loss on the nightcap. Now, they'll look to get the edge in one of the most exciting rivalries in MLB this season.
The table at Citi Field is once again served for brawls, bat-flips, trash-talking, and plenty of good baseball. But who'll take the third game of the series? Let's break it down.
Cardinals Will Always Compete
Despite not having that many prominent names in the rotation, the St. Louis Cardinals are once again a team to look out for.
Led by Nolan Arenado's MVP-caliber start to the season, the Red Birds sit at the second spot in the NL Central with a 20-16 record. They trail the Milwaukee Brewers by just 2.5 games but have a much better run differential at +38. Even so, they've gone just 4-6 in their past 10 games.
Will The Mets Go The Distance?
The New York Mets have played like a legit World Series contender this season. They've won an NL-best 24 games with just 14 losses, also posting a +38 run differential.
However, Buck Showalter's team has been stung by the injury bug as of late, and they've only won 5 of their past 10 games.
Their bullpen has left a lot to be desired early in the season and will be an area of emphasis as the trade deadline zooms in.
Key Stats, Injuries, And Trends
The New York Mets are kind of banged up ahead of this game. Besides their struggles with their pitching staff, they'll be without Brandon Nimo, James McCann, and Starling Marte.
In terms of trends and key numbers, it's worth noting that the Mets are 15-2 in their last 17 games following a loss, although they are 0-4 in their last 4 Wednesday games. Also, the Over is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings in New York and is 13-6-2 in the last 21 meetings.
Picks For Cardinals At Mets
The Mets will give the ball to ace Max Scherzer for this matchup. He's 4-1 with a 2.66 ERA this season and 4-6 with a 2.55 ERA in 14 starts vs. the Cardinals.
The Cards will counter with Jordan Hicks, who's 1-3 with a 4.15 ERA this season and 0-1 with a 3.68 ERA in six career games (1 start) against the Mets.
The pitching matchup clearly favors the home team here, which is why they're -200 favorites for this game. All things considered, they shouldn't have a tough time getting past their NL rivals tonight.
]]>The Inquisitr
