Mets at Phillies
Pete Alonso set a record for homers by a National League rookie prior to the All-Star break on Saturday before continuing his power display the following day, establishing a franchise mark for the most by a first-year player in the entire season. Alonso aims to continue his torrid streak on Monday when the visiting New York Mets open a four-game series against the free-falling Philadelphia Phillies.
Alonso broke Darryl Strawberry's franchise rookie record with a solo shot in the fourth inning on Sunday, however, it went for naught as the Mets squandered a late lead and dropped a 5-3 decision to the Chicago Cubs. The 24-year-old Alonso has been held in the park versus Philadelphia, going 3-for-18 with seven strikeouts as the NL East rivals split those six contests. The Phillies, who held a 3 1/2-game lead in the division on May 29, have dropped 16 of 22 overall and been outscored 43-15 and out-hit 70-45 during their season-high seven-game losing streak. "We're much better than we've played. We're a good team, a very good team. This is going to turn," said Jay Bruce, who is 0-for-12 with four strikeouts in his last three games.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), NBCS Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Steven Matz (5-5, 4.28 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Zach Eflin (6-7, 2.83)
Matz fell to 1-2 in four starts in June after allowing five runs on six hits - including two homers - in five innings of a 7-2 setback at Atlanta on Wednesday. The 28-year-old owns a 1-3 mark with a 5.02 ERA in seven career starts against Philadelphia after splitting a pair of decisions this season, with the loss serving as the worst of his career. Matz was gouged for eight runs without making an out against Philadelphia on April 16 before scattering three hits over six innings versus the Phillies just six days later.
Eflin dropped to 1-4 in his last six starts on Wednesday despite permitting two earned runs for a second straight outing in a 6-2 setback at Washington. The 25-year-old sports a 2-4 mark with a 5.40 ERA versus the Mets after yielding four runs (three earned) on four hits over as many innings of a 9-0 shellacking on April 23. Amed Rosario is 5-for-11 with three doubles in his career versus Eflin.
WALK-OFFS
1. Philadelphia SS Jean Segura had a two-run single on Sunday to extend his hitting streak to five games.
2. Mets INF Jeff McNeil, who has five consecutive multi-hit performances, is 10-for-22 with a homer against the Phillies this season.
3. Philadelphia RF Bryce Harper has three RBIs and three runs scored during his four-game hitting streak.