Christian Scott is starting for the Mets on Monday, and he is facing off against Mitch Keller for the Pirates. The game is taking place at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, and the forecast looks good with temperatures in the low 70s and partly cloudy skies.
The Mets are 44-44 and have won two straight, and they are 3rd in the NL East, while the Pirates are 3rd in the NL Central with a record of 42-47. New York is currently favored on the money line, and the over/under line is at 8.5 runs. SN PT will be televising Monday's game.
New York vs. Pittsburgh Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Mets at Pirates
- Where: PNC Park Pittsburgh
- Date: Monday, July 8th
- Betting Odds PIT -113 | NYM -106 O/U 8.5
Mets vs Pirates Last Game Recap
New York rallied for two runs in the 8th and another two in the 9th in the most recent game of this Mets vs. Pirates series. The Mets scored three runs in the 1st inning but didn't score another run until putting up two in the top of the 8th, picking up a 5-2 win. Heading into the game, the Mets were favored at -130 on the money line.
Pittsburgh wasted a good outing from Luis L. Ortiz, as he gave up just two hits and no earned runs in six innings of work for the Pirates. Aroldis Chapman took the loss. Edwin Diaz got the win out of the bullpen for the Mets as Sean Manaea went six innings, giving up two hits and no earned runs.
Offensively, the Mets were led by Francisco Lindor, who went 3/4 with two RBIs. Lindor scored the game's first run in the 1st inning and then scored the go-ahead run in the 9th on a two-run single by Nick Gonzales. Ke'Bryan Hayes had a two-hit game for the Pirates.
Mets Preview
As the favorite, the Mets have a 25-23 straight-up record and a 17-31 run line record, but as the underdog, they are 19-21 straight up and 24-16 against the run line. The Mets' overall run line record is 41-47, and their games have averaged 9.6 runs per game this season.
With a 44-44 record, the Mets are 13 games behind the Phillies in the NL East. They have a 2-game winning streak and are 5-5 in their last 10 games. New York's overall series record is 13-13-4.
Right-hander Christian Scott is getting the start for the Mets today as he faces the Pirates on the road. Through six starts, he has a record of 0-2 and an ERA of 4.32. Scott has made three quality starts this year and is coming off an outing in which he didn't give up a run. In that appearance, he went 5 2/3 innings and gave up four hits. Scott finished with a no-decision in that outing. Overall, he has a WHIP of 1.14 and is averaging 7.29 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are batting .240 off Scott this season.
Francisco Lindor has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 7/24 in his last six games, while also hitting two homers in that stretch. For the season, he is batting .250 and is 2nd on the Mets with 45 RBIs. Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo are the team's top power threats, with Alonso's 18 homers leading the team and Nimmo's 13 homers coming in as the 3rd most in the league.
As a team, the Mets are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 9th in the league. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.5 runs per contest. Overall, they are the league's 4th best home run hitting team and have the 8th best team batting average.
Pirates Preview
As the underdog, the Pirates are 25-28 this season, including a three-game losing streak. Overall, they are 42-47 and sit in 3rd place in the NL Central, five games behind the Cardinals. Pittsburgh's series record is 11-13-4, and they've lost two straight series.
Against the run line, the Pirates are 26-18 on the road and 22-23 at home, with an overall record of 48-41. Their games have averaged 8.5 runs this season, and their O/U record is 41-47. The under has hit in their last two games, and their O/U record when the total is 8.5 runs is 15-11.
Mitch Keller will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Cardinals, as he gets the start for the Pirates today. In that July 2nd start, he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in five innings of work. Looking back over his last four starts, Keller has finished with a no-decision, loss, and loss before his most recent outing. Keller has a record of 9-5 this season and an ERA of 3.48. Opposing batters are hitting .248 off Keller this season. He has made nine quality starts and is averaging 8.36 strikeouts per nine innings.
Heading into today's game, Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz have been the Pirates' top power threats this season, with Reynolds leading the team with 16 homers and Cruz right behind him with 13. Reynolds also comes into the game with a team-best 54 RBIs and is batting .281 for the season. Cruz is hitting just .243 this season but has been swinging the bat well of late, going 3/7 in his last seven games.
As a team, the Pirates are averaging just 4.1 runs per game (23rd) and are also near the bottom of the league in home runs, batting average, and on-base percentage. They have been slightly better on the road this season, averaging 4.2 runs per game.
Mets vs. Pirates Prediction: Mets ML -106
Our predicted final score for this Mets vs. Pirates matchup is 5-4 in favor of the Mets. With the Mets being the underdog at -106, we see this as a great opportunity to take them on the money line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Mitch Keller is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which is third-best among today's starters. As for Christian Scott, he is projected to finish with five K's, which is eighth among today's starters.
