Mets at Giants
A pair of hurlers at the forefront of trade rumors meet Thursday in San Francisco, where the Giants turn to veteran Madison Bumgarner against the visiting New York Mets and flamethrower Noah Syndergaard. Both teams are trying to convince their respective front offices that they are still factors in the National League wild-card race, however, as the Giants have won five in a row and the Mets four straight.
San Francisco's 11-8 victory in Colorado on Wednesday was also their 12th win in the last 14 games and pulled them within 2 1/2 games of the second wild card. Multiple teams have reportedly checked with the Mets on Syndergaard, who has struggled at times in 2019 but still possesses great talent at the age of 26 and is under team control for three more years. The big right-hander has been on a roll of late and will try to lead his team to its first five-game winning streak of the year after his teammates capped a two-game sweep at Minnesota with a 14-4 win Wednesday. Amed Rosario went 4-for-4 with a home run and four runs scored to pace New York's 17-hit attack.
TV: 9:45 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Noah Syndergaard (7-4, 4.55 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (5-7, 3.86)
Syndergaard is 4-0 with a 3.82 ERA over his last five starts and he recorded nine strikeouts with zero walks in a seven-inning effort at Miami his last time out. The Texas native picked up a no-decision with 6 2/3 innings of three-run ball against the Giants at home June 4. Active San Francisco batters are hitting .182 with zero extra-base hits in 77 at-bats against Syndergaard, who has allowed one run and four hits in 17 career innings at Oracle Park.
Bumgarner let up one unearned run in five innings at Milwaukee on Saturday, which left him 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA over his last four appearances. He also had a quality start opposite Syndergaard in New York last month and is 6-0 with a 2.00 mark in eight career matchups with the Mets. Todd Frazier (7-for-17, two home runs) and Wilson Ramos (7-for-19, two home runs) have had some success versus Bumgarner.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Mets traded RHP Wilmer Font to Toronto in exchange for cash.
2. New York 1B Pete Alonso hit his 31st home run of the year Wednesday, a 474-foot bomb at Target Field.
3. San Francisco had 40 runs and 59 hits in taking four straight in Colorado.