Bartolo Colon (6-3, 4.85 ERA) and the New York Mets (24-21) go up against Severino Gonzalez (2-1, 7.11 ERA) and the Philadelphia Phillies (19-27) in the first of a three-game division series at Citi Field. The game starts at 1:10 p.m. ET on Monday, May. 25 and will air on CSN-PHI and SNY.
Colon is 5-3 with a 4.15 ERA, 43 strikeouts and 17 walks against the Phillies in his career. Wilmer Flores (.252, 18 Rs, 6 HRs, 16 RBIs) played well again yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one RBI. The Phillies were victorious the last time Gonzalez pitched. He pitched well, going, going 5.0 innings, allowing one run in a 4-2 victory over the Rockies. Ryan Howard (.268, 16 Rs, 10 HRs, 23 RBIs) has been doing well offensively for the Phillies, going 3 for 5 yesterday with two runs, one home run, and two RBIs.
New York is a -163 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at seven runs. The Mets perform well as a favorite with a 19-4 record and have an overall money line of +425. They are 4-1 as the favorite over their last 10 games. The Mets typically don’t swing at bad pitches, which has led to an impressive 3.3 walks per home game. Transitioning to the pitching staff, the Mets rank fourth in the NL in ERA with a 3.23 team average. The Mets don’t allow many hitters to get on base, ranking second in the league with a 1.16 WHIP.
On the other side, the Phillies have a record of 17-24 when they are the underdog and are -310 overall with the money line. Against divisional foes, they are 10-17 SU and have played poorly as the underdog with a 9-16 record. During the last 10 games, they averaged 4.6 runs per game, above their 3.2 season average. The last 10 games have really brought the best out of the Philadelphia pitchers. They’ve allowed 3.1 runs per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 4.3.
The Mets had the upper hand against the Phillies in their previous six games this season, earning a 5-1 record. This game will feature Gonzalez (RHP) on the mound against the Mets, who have a 20-15 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Colon will take the mound against the Phillies, who have a 15-22 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – NYM, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, New York is 13-7, while Philadelphia is 9-16.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Mets are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Phillies have a 6-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Phillies are 4-20. The Mets have a 7-18 record when opponents outhit them.
New York and Philadelphia both rank near the bottom of the league in home runs. New York sits at 23rd with 34 home runs this season and Philadelphia ranks 29th with 26.
New York and Philadelphia both rank in the top half of the league in hits. New York sits at 14th with 7.66 hits per game and Philadelphia ranks 12th with 8.02.
New York and Philadelphia both rank near the bottom of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. New York sits at 29th with an OPS of .650 and Philadelphia ranks 28th with an OPS of .651.
The Phillies are 6-19 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Mets are 10-15 when they allow at least one homer.
