Streaking Mets try to stomp Marlins again
Bloodied but unbowed, the 69-64 Mets keep hobbling toward a possible postseason berth. The Marlins’ October dreams, though, are fading faster than their players.
In a few hours, the two National League East rivals will wrap up an extended series at Citi Field. Handicappers at online sports book Bovada.lv endorse the hosts, whereas Don Mattingly’s squad represents a +170 underdog. The over/under run total rests at 7.5.
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Five of New York’s 10 Opening Day starters are sidelined for the year. Second baseman Neil Walker (back surgery) became the latest casualty earlier in the week. Yet Terry Collins’ troops have won nine of their last 11, pulling within 1 ½ games of the Cardinals for the senior circuit’s second wild-card spot.
The defending NL champs want to effectively deal Miami (67-66) a knockout blow, too. Last night’s 5-2 setback capped an 8-18 August for Mattingly’s gang. Worse still, All-Star outfielder Marcell Ozuna departed in the fourth inning with an injured left wrist. The team’s already missing Giancarlo Stanton (left groin strain), Justin Bour (right ankle strain), Adam Conley (left middle finger) and David Phelps (oblique).
Righty Jose Urena (2-5, 5.83 ERA) hopes to stabilize matters later. Nonetheless, he’s 1-5 with a 1.40 WHIP since May 28. Urena hasn’t ventured beyond the sixth in any of his six starts.
Meanwhile, the Mets’ Jacob deGrom (7-7, 2.96) strides to the hill in place of Steven Matz (soreness). The 6-foot-4 flamethrower’s failed to finish the seventh frame in four of his past seven appearances. However, he owns a 4-2 record with a 3.40 ERA in nine career encounters with the Fish.
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New York is 10-3 vs. the Marlins in 2016, and there’s little reason to expect the familiar script to go awry this evening. Bank on the home bunch to improve to 37-31 in Flushing.
THURSDAY MLB FREE PICK: METS -1.5