Mets to Deal Ace vs Brewers
DeGrom Seeking Eighth Victory
The New York Mets will look to continue their winning ways after a game one victory over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. The opening pitch is set to be thrown at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday night from Citi Field.
Both teams are currently atop their divisions in the National League and will look to widen the gap heading into the All-Star Break.
Mets: Best in NL East – Barely
The New York Mets are not that far over .500, sitting at 44-37, but they are 4.5 games ahead of second-place Washington in the National League East. Although they have been inconsistent as of late, they managed to score six of their 10 runs in the final frame of a seven-inning game to defeat the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon in one of their best wins this season.
New York manager Luis Rojas talked about his team’s success: “I like the way we’ve played the entire season. … I think we’ve just been consistent.”
The National League favorite for the Most Valuable Player award, Jacob deGrom, will get the nod Tuesday, entering with a 7-2 record and league-leading 0.95 ERA. DeGrom is on pace to have the sixth-best ERA of all time and the lowest since 1944. The 6-foot-4 ace has allowed one or fewer runs in 12 of his 14 starts and is pitching at a supreme level.
Statistically, the Mets have the second-worst scoring offense in baseball, but this could be due for a change. Slugger Pete Alonso has awoken from his slump, knocking in home runs in four of his last seven outings, giving the team the talisman that they had been missing all season.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor has not played anywhere near the level to justify his 10-year, $341-million contract, the third-highest payout in the history of baseball. He is a primary factor in the Mets’ offensive struggles and will be a much-needed asset in the series if the Mets want to sweep their way past the Brewers.
Brewers: Not Yet Contenders
The Milwaukee Brewers head into Tuesday’s matchup at 51-35, six games ahead of the second-place Cincinnati Reds in the NL Central.
Milwaukee has been average in scoring despite having the second-worst batting average as a team at .221, a pretty pitiful mark for a major league team.
The offense is led by Asivail Garcia, though his status is uncertain for Tuesday. The team’s leader in batting average (.24), home runs (15), and RBIs (51), Garcia returned from an injury on Sunday but was held out of Monday’s game in an attempt to avoid re-aggravating the injury.
The Brewers have also benefited from a midseason trade with the Tampa Bay Rays that resulted in the acquisition of shortstop Willy Adames, who is batting .293 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs in 41 games with the club.
Brett Anderson (2-5, 4.69 ERA) will be on the bump in Tuesday’s clash and will have his work cut out for him, dueling with the best pitcher in baseball.
Odds
According to BetUS, the New York Mets are online sportsbook favorites listed with run line odds at -1.5 (-120), and the Brewers are +1.5 (Ev) underdogs. The money line has been set at -270 for the Mets and +220 for the Brewers.
The over/under will be seven with -105 on the over and -115 on the under.
Final Thoughts
Never bet against deGrom, no matter what. The Mets do not lose often when the two-time Cy Young Award winner is on the mound and this should hold true on Tuesday.
On the other hand, despite deGrom’s ridiculous ability to limit runs and home runs alike, seven runs are nothing in baseball. Milwaukee has struggled to get on base all season, but they should be able to score at least a couple on the Mets. Bet online for the game to go over.
