Steven Matz (7-1, 2.36 ERA) starts for the New York Mets (29-21) as they square off against Mat Latos (6-1, 4.06 ERA) and the Chicago White Sox (27-25) in the second of a three-game series at Citi Field. The White Sox lost the last game 1-0, continuing a seven-game losing streak. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May. 31 and can be seen on CSCh and SNY.
Matz pitched 8.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering zero runs, striking out seven and walking one in a 2-0 win over the Nationals. Yoenis Cespedes (.281, 31 Rs, 15 HRs, 36 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 4 yesterday. Latos went 6.0 innings, surrendering three runs, striking out four and walking one in a 7-6 win over the Indians in his most recent start.
The odds for New York and Chicago are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. Against the AL, the Mets have a 27-24 record SU. The Mets have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 0.0 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 0.0 runs per game. The Mets lead the MLB in home runs with 72. New York’s batters do not strike out very often, with only 9.0 per game. Opposing batters know they’re in for a battle when they play New York. The Mets are one of the top teams when it comes to pitching, allowing just 0.0 runs per game. The Mets are the fifth-best team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.205 so far this season.
Chicago is 25-19 SU against National League opponents. Offensively, the White Sox have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 runs per game by averaging 0.0 during that stretch. Moving on to Chicago’s pitching staff and defense, the White Sox allow just 0.0 runs per game, ranking them fourth in the AL.
The Mets have the edge in the season series, 1-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – NYM
Notes
New York won its last game in a shutout, its sixth of the season. Chicago has been shut out two times this season.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Mets are going to have to step it up if they want to win this matchup. The White Sox have a 16-1 record in games where opponents scored one run or less.
When they are outhit, the White Sox are 4-20. The Mets have a 7-17 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking first in home runs, New York has hit 72 this season. Chicago ranks 24th with 46 home runs.
Ranking 29th, New York is near the bottom of the league in hits, notching 7.60 per game. Chicago ranks in the bottom half at 17th with 8.33.
Ranking 21st, Chicago is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.702). New York ranks in the bottom half at 18th with an OPS of .722.
The White Sox are 12-17 when they allow at least one home run. The Mets perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 10-13 record.
