Mets at Cardinals
The New York Mets haven't won any of their last four series, so losing the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner probably wasn't what they had in mind to end the string. One day after sending Saturday's scheduled starter Jacob deGrom to the injured list with an elbow issue, the Mets attempt to secure a series victory for the first time since their 5-1 start when they continue a three-game set in St. Louis against the Cardinals on Saturday.
"We don't know if it's just from general fatigue, so we're being overly cautious at this point and making sure we take care of (deGrom). We've got 90 percent of the season left and we feel no reason to really push him too much at this point," New York manager Mickey Callaway told reporters Friday afternoon. The Mets won for only the second time in their last six games later in the evening, racing out to an early four-run advantage before holding on for a 5-4 victory to improve to 9-5 on the road. The Cardinals had chances to extend their five-game home winning streak in the opener, but they stranded 11 baserunners to fall to 2-4 over their last six contests. Lane Thomas went deep in his first official career at-bat, while Jose Martinez also homered for the first time this season.
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), FS Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Chris Flexen (2018: 0-2, 12.79 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Miles Mikolas (1-1, 6.00)
Flexen will make his season debut Saturday after experiencing a rough time in four appearances (one start) in the majors last season. The 24-year-old has been dominant in times at Triple-A Syracuse this season with 18 strikeouts across 12 innings, but he has also surrendered three home runs while going 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA in his three outings. Flexen is 3-6 with an 8.26 ERA in 10 career major-league starts over the previous two seasons as he faces the Cardinals for the first time.
Mikolas has yet to show the form that allowed him to win 18 games during his breakout 2018 campaign, failing to work past the sixth inning in any of his four starts while yielding at least three runs in each outing. The Nova Southeastern product did not factor into the decision for the second time in three turns Sunday in Cincinnati after permitting four runs (three earned) in five frames. Mikolas is allowing left-handed batters to hit .333 against him heading into his first career start versus the Mets.
WALK-OFFS
1. Thomas became only the 10th player in club history to homer in his first big-league at-bat.
2. Mets 1B Pete Alonso hit a solo homer in the sixth inning Friday, the first of his seven during his rookie season to come before the seventh inning.
3. St. Louis RHP Mike Mayers is expected to need "a couple of months" of rest and rehab, according to manager Mike Shildt, after a second opinion confirmed he is dealing with a right shoulder lat strain.