Mets at White Sox
The New York Mets were expected to be sellers at the trade deadline, with right-hander Zack Wheeler considered the surest player to change uniforms. Instead, the Mets decided not to part with closer Edwin Diaz or Wheeler, who will take the mound Thursday afternoon when New York wraps up a three-game interleague series at the Chicago White Sox.
New York general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said one of the reasons he did not make a move was because his club “earned the right to go play meaningful games over the next two months.” The Mets then went out and extended their winning streak to a season-high six games to pull within 4 1/2 games of the second wild card in the National League. Todd Frazier, who delivered a tiebreaking single in a three-run ninth in Wednesday's 4-2 win, has hit safely in six straight while Michael Conforto has six RBIs during a four-game streak to help New York improve to 12-4 over its last 16. Leury Garcia is 11-for-30 during a seven-game hitting streak for the White Sox, who have dropped seven of eight.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), NBCS Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Zack Wheeler (7-6, 4.71 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Dylan Cease (1-3, 6.86)
After missing nearly three weeks with a right shoulder impingement, Wheeler returned to the rotation and earned the victory by holding Pittsburgh to three runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings on Friday. He was pounded for six runs over five innings in a loss to Philadelphia in his final outing before the All-Star break, ending an impressive three-start stretch in which he permitted a total of four runs. Wheeler is 2-5 with a 4.88 ERA in day games this season.
Cease won his major league debut on July 3 against Detroit, overcoming four walks to give up three runs and four hits over five innings, but he has lost each of his subsequent three starts. The 23-year-old Georgia native surrendered a three-run homer in each of his last two outings, giving up five runs to Minnesota and four at Tampa Bay while going five innings both times. Cease has walked 12 batters in 21 innings and served up a homer in each of his four turns.
WALK-OFFS
1. White Sox 3B Yoan Moncada has a Grade 1 hamstring strain and is heading for a stint on the injured list.
2. Mets 1B Pete Alonso is 2-for-16 with seven strikeouts in the last four games.
3. Chicago traded RHP Nate Jones to Texas for a pair of low-level pitching prospects.