Series Preview: Mets Finish Road Trip in Chicago

The New York Mets (70-64) will conclude their 10-game road trip with a weekend series against the struggling Chicago White Sox (31-104). It has been an entertaining past few days for the Mets, who remain very much alive in the playoff race.

Let’s take a look a look at what happened:

Mets Win Back-And-Forth Series In Arizona

The Mets were on the verge of taking the first two games of their series against the red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks until the bullpen faltered on Tuesday night. A 5-4 lead quickly became a 8-5 hole after Corbin Carroll hit a grand slam off of Edwin Díaz in the eighth inning. After climbing back into the game, it was a demoralizing way to lose.

With the series on the line Wednesday afternoon, Díaz was called on again in the ninth. He shut down Arizona’s bats and protected a 3-2 lead, helping the Mets capture the season series over the Diamondbacks, which could come into play for two potential Wild Card teams.

What’s The Story? 

With 28 games to go, the Mets remain three games out of the third Wild Card spot, which is currently occupied by the Atlanta Braves. A chance to make up some ground presents itself this weekend, as the Braves are in the midst of a four-game set with the first-place Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies took the first game with a 5-4 win on Thursday. It feels as if the Mets could get within a game or two of the Braves if they take care of their own business against the worst team in the league in the White Sox.

On the other end, just about everything has gone wrong for the team on the south side of Chicago. The White Sox are breaking records, but none of them are good. In 1962, the Mets finished with the worst record in modern MLB history at 40-120. Chicago, however, is well on its way to eclipsing that win-loss total. It is hard to imagine right now, but this is an organization that put a playoff team together as recently as 2021. It’s been a shocking fall-off to say the least.

If the Mets are going to make the playoffs, this weekend needs to be straightforward. Despite what the record suggests, the White Sox have players that can hurt opposing clubs. Luis Robert Jr., Andrew Vaughn, Gavin Sheets, etc… New York should not overlook them.

Pitching Matchups 

• Friday: Tylor Megill (2-5, 5.17 ERA) vs. Jonathan Cannon (2-8, 4.57 ERA): Megill is back in the big leagues after the Mets placed Paul Blackburn on the 15-day injured list. He last appeared in the big leagues on July 31, throwing two innings of relief against the Minnesota Twins. Cannon is in the midst of a difficult stretch, taking the loss in each of his last three starts. The right-hander is 1-5 with a 5.40 ERA in eight road starts this season.
• Saturday: Jose Quintana (6-9, 4.36 ERA) vs. Davis Martin (0-2, 2.96 ERA): Quintana bounced back on Sunday, throwing 6 1/3 scoreless innings against the San Diego Padres. He has never beaten the White Sox, going 0-2 with a 5.25 ERA in three career appearances against his former team. Martin is on a good run, allowing two earned runs or less in four consecutive starts. He threw a season-high 88 pitches on Monday against the Detroit Tigers.
• Sunday: Sean Manaea (10-5, 3.51 ERA) vs. Garrett Crochet (6-9, 3.64 ERA): Manaea has cemented himself as the Mets’ ace, pitching to a 3.07 ERA over his last 11 outings. The Mets have done extremely well when he pitches as well, owning a 18-8 record in games started by the left-hander. Crochet, a first-time All-Star in 2024, has had his workload limited by the White Sox. He has not completed over four innings since June 30 against the Colorado Rockies.

Who’s Hot: 

Brandon Nimmo (NYM):

The 31-year-old outfielder has struggled since the All-Star break, but his bat has come to life over the last few days. Nimmo is slashing .279/.340/.512/.852 with two home runs and five runs batted in over his last 11 games, which is a positive sign for such an important piece of the puzzle.

Luis Robert Jr. (CHI):

Luis Robert Jr. has had a brutal season, particularly on the offensive side. But, as of late, he has reminded people why the White Sox elected to not move him at the trade deadline. He is slashing .327/.353/.469 with two home runs and six runs batted in over his last 12 games, and is a bright spot caught up in a bad situation.

Prediction 

On paper, the Mets should sweep this three-game series. They have the more talented team and have far more to play for. However, the games are not played on paper. The Mets may win a game comfortably, but I expect this series to be unexpectedly tight. With the way things are playing out in the National League, the team knows they can’t drop many games. It won’t be easy, but the Mets will find a way to sweep this series, winning one of the games in comeback fashion.

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