Adam Morgan (4-4, 3.92 ERA) and Jacob deGrom (12-6, 1.98 ERA) are on the hill in the first of a four-game series between the Philadelphia Phillies (50-74) and the New York Mets (67-56) at Citizens Bank Park. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 24 and can be seen on CSPh and SNY.
Morgan pitched 7.0 innings in his most recent start, surrendering two runs and striking out three in a 7-4 win over the Blue Jays. deGrom went 7.2 innings, surrendering one run, striking out six and walking one in a 5-3 win over the Orioles in his last outing. Lucas Duda (.247, 57 Rs, 21 HRs, 56 RBIs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one RBI.
New York takes on Philadelphia as a -179 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at seven runs. The Phillies have an overall money line of -313 and a record as the underdog of 45-67. Philadelphia has had a discouraging season against division opponents, earning records of 18-25 and 21-27 as the underdog and SU respectively. Philadelphia’s pitchers put it all together when division rivals are on the field. Its average runs allowed per game drops to 4.0 against fellow NL East members, compared to its 4.9 season average.
In the other locker room, New York is coming in with an overall money line of +861 and an impressive record of 50-19 as the favorite. They have been playing solid baseball as favorite with a 25-9 record against NL East rivals, and a 30-17 record SU. Offensively, the Mets have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 3.9 runs per game by averaging 6.2 during that stretch. The Mets capitalize on their at-bats at a high percentage, leading the league with a .240 team batting average. New York’s pitching staff is one of the top in the NL, with a 3.35 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Mets are the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.17 for the season.
The Mets have controlled the season series, 8-1. The Phillies have a 38-58 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when deGrom takes the mound. Morgan (LHP) will be on the hill against the Mets, who have a 14-12 record against left-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – NYM, O/U – Over
Notes
After last game’s shutout win against the Miami, the Phillies now have five shutouts this season. The Mets have been shut out in 11 games this season.
The Phillies are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Mets have a 19-41 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Phillies are 16-57. The Mets have a 14-46 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 28th in home runs, Philadelphia has hit 94 this season. New York ranks 14th with 119 home runs.
Ranking 15th, New York is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 8.14 per game. Philadelphia ranks in the top five at fifth with 8.72.
Philadelphia and New York both rank near the bottom of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. Philadelphia sits at 25th with an OPS of .690 and New York ranks 27th with an OPS of .688.
When the Mets allow at least one home run, they are 30-40. When the Phillies allow one or more homers, they have a 23-53 record.
