Injury-riddled Mets visit rival Marlins
The Mets’ first two-plus months have not been without difficulty. In good times and bad, however, they can usually lean on the oldest player on the roster.
Bartolo Colon aims to carry Terry Collins’ club to its second straight win over Miami this afternoon, with a 4:10 p.m. ET first pitch in the Sunshine State. Oddsmakers at online sports book prefer the visiting crew, whereas the Marlins are regarded as +105 underdogs. The over/under total sits at nine runs.
New York’s 43-year-old hurler cast aside a slight rough patch when he twirled seven innings of one-run ball vs. division rival Washington on May 23. He followed up that outing by permitting just two tallies and walking one across six frames in Sunday’s 4-2 defeat to the Dodgers. Now Colon draws Miami, against which he owns a lifetime record of 7-4.
Don Mattingly’s less experienced lefty, Justin Nicolino, is 0-3 with a 6.10 ERA in his past four starts. He made some strides early in the week, though, yielding three runs to the Pirates. Nicolino’s lone career meeting with the Mets came in September. The Orlando native logged six innings in a 4-3 loss at Citi Field.
MLB Quick Links: Free Matchup Reports | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Scoreboard | Betting Trends
Nonetheless, Nicolino’s capable of taking advantage of a battered New York lineup. With captain David Wright and Lucas Duda sidelined, Collins must deploy the likes of James Loney and Rene Rivera on many nights. In short, we’re not talking about a recipe for consistent success.
SATURDAY MLB FREE PICK: MARLINS +1.5
Want More Picks, Predictions & Odds From The Spread.com? Follow on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!